Keep your eyes open!...

A Chronicle Depicting the Lateness of the Hour

Spirit Daily  Saint of the Day  Contemporary Christian Music

July 28, 2001

THE TRIB TIMES WILL BE ON SUMMER BREAK UNTIL AUG. 7TH, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).

(Lam 1:7) In the days of her affliction and wandering Jerusalem remembers all the treasures that were hers in days of old. When her people fell into enemy hands, there was no one to help her. Her enemies looked at her and laughed at her destruction.

JEWS MARK DESTRUCTION OF BIBLICAL TEMPLES AT HOLY SITE

This year, the Jewish fast day, Tisha B'Av, began at sundown Saturday, July 28th, and continues until after sundown on Sunday, July 29th, 2001.  Historically this date has been a date of great tragedy for the Jewish nation.  Each of the following events occurred precisely on this date on the Jewish calender:

1)The twelve spies return with their report- Israel loses faith and is condemned to die in the wilderness.

2)The destruction of Solomon's temple by the Babylonians in 587 BC.

3)The destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in AD 70.

4)The Roman army plowed Jerusalem with salt in AD 71.

5)The destruction of Simeon Bar Cochba's army in 135 AD.

6)England expelled all of the Jews in 1290 AD.

7)Spain expelled all the Jews in 1492 AD.

8)World War 1 was declared on the 9th day of Ab ,1914,Russia mobilized for WW1 and launched persecutions against the Jews in Eastern Russia.

9)Deportations from Warsaw Ghetto to the Treblinka concentration camp begin in 1942.

RELATED HEADLINES

Israeli Supreme Court to allow carrying of cornerstone of Third Temple to Temple Mount
Iraq's war move in Jordan in preparation for attack on Israel
U.S. to retaliate for Iraqi attack on spy plane

MORE: http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/07/27/Opinion/Opinion.31344.html

(Zec 8:19) This is what the LORD Almighty says: "The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and peace."

The Philokalia excerpt: St. John of Karpathos "One Hundred Texts"

34. A royal treasury is full of gold; and the intellect of a true monk is filled with spirtual knowledge.

July 27, 2001

ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNCOVER ANCIENT GRAVES NEAR SITE WHERE DEAD SEA SCROLLS WERE FOUND

Archaeologists digging close to the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found have discovered a mausoleum and a nearby coffin that may have held the bodies of important leaders from the early days of Christianity.

While the researchers say the new find is highly intriguing, they may never know who is buried at the site. The mausoleum and the coffin were found in the barren hills overlooking the Dead Sea, only a few hundreds yards from caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947.

The archaeologists also found a previously undetected cave, where they uncovered a mat and fabric woven from goat's hair, which may shed extra light on its inhabitants, who lived there around the 1st century A.D.

FROM THE MAILBAG

VIA Clyde Meli (from Malta): You might find interesting a Catholic newsgroup I created, malta.beatification. The latest posting follows below:

PROPHECY OF MOTHER THERESA ON BLESSED GORG PRECA

Fr Guzepp Fenech in the Catholic magazine Knisja Missjunarja (Missionary Church) of July 2001 wrote that he visited India in 1985. He met with various Maltese missionaries, but he also met with Mother Theresa.

As he was involved in the Beatification and Canonisation commission for Dun Gorg Preca, the Maltese priest who was beatified last May by the Pope in Malta, at that time he asked Mother Theresa to pray so that it would not be long before Dun Gorg would be beatified.

Her prophetic answer was the following (the reproduced words are Mother Theresa's): "The Holy Father will come to Malta and beatify your priest."

One can confirm these words by reading Knisja Missjunarja of January 1988, page 14.

At that time, Dun Gorg had not even been declared venerable by the Pope and the cause was still at its early stages. Many crucial testimonies had yet to be heard.

Fr Fenech felt shivers when he heard this prophecy for the first time. Only somebody with God's help could have said something like that, eventually confirmed on 9th May 2001, when the Maltese gathered on the Floriana Granaries (il-Fosos) to listen to His Excellency Archbishop Joseph Mercieca ask His Holiness Pope John Paul to declare Dun Gorg blessed, together with another two Maltese, the Cleric Nazju Falzon and Sister Maria Adeodata Pisani.

Moments later after some silence the Pope, seated as the Father of all Christians, was heard declaring as Blessed, Dun Gorg, Nazju Falzon and Adeodata Pisani; followed by a joyous outburst of clapping by the Maltese.

At that moment Fr Fenech felt that same shiver all over his body. It was as if he could hear Mother Theresa tell him "Didn't I tell you back in 1985?"

Knisja Missjunarja can be obtained from: Opri Missjunarji Pontificji, Ufficcju Missjunarju, 7 Triq il-Merkanti, Valletta, MALTA VLT-10. Phone: 365-236962. Office times: 9am-12 except Thursday.

The Philokalia excerpt: St. John of Karpathos "One Hundred Texts"

33. However great they may have grown, the passions of body and soul are destroyed, as you will see, by the passing of time and at God's command. But the mercy of Christ never fails: 'the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him' (Ps. 103:17), continuing with them from this present age into the age to come.

July 26, 2001

FATHER JAMES MANJACKAL: GROWTH IN FAITH AND FIDELITY TO THE CHURCH

Fr. James proposed to the faithful to take following decisions:

1. I will be proud of being a Christian, because God Himself, incarnate Son of God, gives Himself to me in His love, and fulfils generously all my needs.
2. I will be faithful to the bishops, the Pope and the teaching of the Church.
3. I will receive Jesus joyfully in the Holy Communion, because He gives me life, light, joy, love and peace.
4. I will go to confession often (once a month) and will not omit the Sunday Mass, because Jesus’ disciples meet there to celebrate His resurrection.
5. I will go for Mass even during the week whenever I can, to deepen my friendship and communion with Christ.
6. The Word of God – the Bible – is henceforth my principal reading, because through it, God Himself speaks to me; He gives me wisdom, strength and big promises, light on my way to eternity.
7. In the morning, at the beginning of the day, I will spend at least half an hour in personal prayer, so that every day may be blessed and joyful.
8. I will be a joyful witness of what Jesus does in my life, and I will work with all my strength for the spreading of His Kingdom of truth, life and love in all souls, which brings peace.
9. I will never again be afraid of any person, nor any sickness, nor of death, nor of temptations, but – with Christ – I will courageously overcome all difficulties of life.
10. I will never again choose sin or waste my time in vanities of this world. I will begin a new life with Christ.

In Medjugorje, this feast is always celebrated by a procession with the statue of St. James, followed by Holy Mass in the open air. It is principally attended by the parishioners, however the foreign pilgrims also regularly come to this special Mass. This year (yesterday, July 25th), the Holy Mass was presided by Fr. Miro Šego, and was concelebrated by about twenty priests. In his homily, he reminded the parishioners of the responsibility they have in living the mission the Lord has confided to them, by sending them so many pilgrims from all over the world.

The parish of Medjugorje was founded in 1892 and placed under the protection of St. James the apostle. The first parish church was constructed in 1897, but did not persist. A new church was completed and blessed on January 19, 1969.

The Philokalia excerpt: St. John of Karpathos "One Hundred Texts"

32. Never acquiesce when someone under obedience to you pleads: 'Give me time to resolve on such and such a virtuous action; then I will be able to achieve it.' Whoever speaks like this is clearly yielding to his own self-will and repudiating his promise of obedience.

July 25, 2001

(Zec 12:2-3)  "I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.

DEFYING RELIGIOUS AND POLICE BANS, RABBIS URGE JEWS TO VISIT DISPUTED HOLY SITE

Rabbis linked to Jewish settlers urged their followers Thursday to march on the Temple Mount in defiance of a ban on Jews entering the site, a flashpoint in the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Islamic authorities closed the plaza to all non-Muslims after violence erupted last Sept. 28 following a visit by Ariel Sharon, who declared that the site, which is holy to Jews and Muslims, belongs to Israel.

The hilltop in the walled Old City of Jerusalem was the location of the biblical Jewish Temples and is Judaism's holiest site. Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven from the plaza, which they call Haram as-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, and where the Al Aqsa mosque and golden-topped Dome of the Rock shrine are located.

The settler rabbis called for a march on the Temple Mount on July 29, when Jews mark Tisha B'Av, the date when tradition says both Temples were destroyed. Up to now, only a small group of extremist Jewish nationalists has tried to pray at the site in defiance of the ban.

Palestinians have warned that any attempt to allow Jewish prayer at the site would be met with a violent reaction.

RELATED: British minister warns of escalating Mideast violence

GROUP SEEKS TO SET CORNERSTONE FOR THE THIRD TEMPLE

The Temple Mount Faithful have petitioned the High Court of Justice to instruct the police to allow its members to pray on the Temple Mount on Tisha B'Av, when the destruction of the first two Temples is commemorated.

Members of the group are also requesting that they be allowed to conduct a ceremony near the Mugrabi Gate at the entrance to the Temple Mount in which they will bring a cornerstone for constructiion of the Third Temple, Army Radio reported.

RELATED: http://www.templemountfaithful.org/Events/tishabav5761.htm

(Psa 122:6)  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure.

The Philokalia excerpt: St. John of Karpathos "One Hundred Texts"

31. Isaac wanted to bless Esau, and Esau was eager to receive his father's blessing; but they failed in their purpose (cf. Gen 27). For God in His mercy blesses and annoints with the Spirit, not necessarily those whom we prefer, but those whom He marked out for His service before creating them. Thus we should not be upset or jealous if we see certain of our brethren, whom we regard as wretched and insignificant, making progress in holiness. You know what the Lord said: 'Make room for this man, so that he can sit in a higher place' (cf. Luke 14:9). I am full of admiration for the Judge, who gives His verdict with secret wisdom: He takes one of the humblest of our brethren and sets him above us; and though we claim priority on the basis of our asceticism and our age, God puts us last of all. For 'each must order his life according to what the Lord has granted him' (1 Cor. 7:17). 'If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit' (Gal. 5:25).

July 24, 2001

PROTECT HUMAN LIFE, POPE URGES BUSH

Pope John Paul II has urged President George W. Bush to reject medical research on human embryos. During their first face-to-face meeting on Monday in Italy, the pope said the United States had a moral responsibility to reject actions that "devalue and violate human life."

In a statement afterwards, the pope said an "area in which political and moral choices have the gravest consequences for the future of civilisation concerns the most fundamental of human rights, the right to life itself."  He said: "Experience is already showing how a tragic coarsening of consciences accompanies the assault on innocent human life in the womb, leading to accommodation and acquiescence in the face of other related evils such as euthanasia, infanticide and, most recently, proposals for the creation for research purposes of human embryos, destined to destruction in the process.

"A free and virtuous society, which America aspires to be, must reject practices that devalue and violate human life at any stage from conception until natural death.  "In defending the right to life, in law and through a vibrant culture of life, America can show the world the path to a truly humane future, in which man remains the master, not the product, of his technology."

In response to the papal statement, Bush said: "You have reminded America that we have a special calling to promote justice, and to defend the weak and suffering of the world.  "We remember your words, and we will always do our best to remember our calling."

RELATED LINKS:

Text of a statement delivered by Pope John Paul II to President Bush
Text of a statement delivered by President Bush to Pope John Paul II

The Philokalia excerpt: St. John of Karpathos "One Hundred Texts"

30. When you are being tested by trials and temptations, you cannot avoid feeling dejected. But those who til the earth of hardship and tribulation in their hearts are afterwards filled with great joy, tears of consolation and holy thoughts.

July 19, 2001

THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN ON TUESDAY JULY 24TH, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).

(John 17:20-21)  "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

POPE GETS BOOST FROM PUTIN FOR HIS TRIPS TO THE FORMER SOVIET UNION

While still waiting for the go-ahead to visit Moscow, Pope John Paul II received an unexpected boost from Russian President Vladimir Putin for his forays into the former Soviet Union. Vatican officials accompanying John Paul on a 12-day vacation in the Italian Alps confirmed this week that the pope will travel Sept. 22-27 to the former Soviet republics of Kazakstan and Armenia. The trip is part of John Paul's efforts for better relations with Orthodox Christians, as well as to pay tribute to a tiny Roman Catholic community deported to central Asia during the Stalinist years.

While John Paul visited Ukraine without Alexy's approval, Vatican officials have said they would prefer an invitation from the Orthodox for a stop in Moscow. John Paul sees a Moscow visit as crowning his efforts to bring the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity closer together.

In an interview published Monday in the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Putin praised John Paul and said his trips to eastern Europe including Ukraine "have a positive element." "I would be truly happy if relations between the Russian Orthodox church and the Holy See developed positively, opening new horizons," Putin said.

MAGAZINE AD CAMPAIGN PROMOTES RU-486

Sandwiched between a mineral water ad and toothpaste news is a photo of a young woman contemplating whether to take the abortion pill RU-486.

"You have the freedom to choose. And now, you have another safe abortion choice," says the full-page ad in the July issue of Self magazine. The message is part of a national campaign in major magazines that has drawn objections from abortion foes.

The ad was also in People magazine earlier this month and will appear in the August issue of Vanity Fair, and some seven other national magazines.

MORE: 2 Arrested Outside Abortion Clinic

The Philokalia excerpt: St. John of Karpathos "One Hundred Texts"

29. When someone is defeated after offering stiff resistance, he should not give up in despair; let him take heart, encouraged by the words of Isaiah: 'In spite of all your strength, you will be defeated, wicked demons; and if you should again gather your strength together, again you will be defeated. Whatever plans you devise, the Lord will bring them to nothing: for God is with us' (cf. Isa. 8:9-10). God 'raises up all who are bowed down' (Ps. 145:14) and produces grief and consternation among our enemies, as soon as we repent.

July 18, 2001

FROM THE MAILBAG

VIA Diane McPartland: I was raised a Catholic, attended Catholic schools for 12 years. I fell away from the church when I graduated high school. I got married in the Catholic Church, attended Mass, fell away again. In 1982 I remember reading a small blurb in the newspaper about the Virgin Mary appearing in a little town I couldn't pronounce (Medjugorie). I never forgot reading about this little paragraph and wondered why She was appearing to children. Ten, eleven years went by and while on vacation in California visiting my brother we stopped at one of those mission houses founded by Fr. Junipero Serra. When I walked in I was moved by the Gregorian Chant that was being played as tourists roamed the monastery looking at the austere rooms and way of living of these early monks who brought the Word of God to the "gold coast". I walked to the back courtyard where I encountered the cemetary where the monks were buried and in the center of the cemetary was the biggest white Crucifix I ever saw. I couldn't take my eyes off that Crucifix and while my family walked among the headstones reading the names I continued to look at that Crucifix. In spite of the tourists there was respect and silence in that courtyard, and I began to feel sorrow for my sins and then I began to feel as though I was really there at Calvary. That feeling remained with me all through vacation, and it was the beginning of my SLOW conversion back to the Church.

Then I began to hear about Medjugorie again. People were talking about it all the time and my curiosty peaked about the Blessed Mother as I still really didn't know Her. I had a desire to go there but I was the only one around here going through a conversion and who would I go with. Finally, a dear friend said he would go with me so we traveled to Medjugorie with Caritas of Birmingham. While we were awaiting our departure at the airport I was admiring my friend's scapular around his neck and the stitching of the Blessed Mother handing the scapular to St. Dominic. I asked him where he got it and he didn't remember. When we arrived in Split on our way to Medjugorie we had a very long lay over - over 4 hours - so we went to a park outside the airport and watched the Yugoslavian children playing in the park. As we were sitting on the park bench all of a sudden I looked down and there was a scapular just like the one my friend was wearing on the ground between my feet. Stunned I picked it up and immediately placed it around my neck. How did this happen. At first I thought someone lost their scapular but realized that my desire to have the same scapular as my friend was granted to me on my way to Medjugorie. Like the gentleman who wrote about his scapular and "how it got there" brought back this flood of memories about my own scapular. Well my scapular fell apart too replaced many times by new scapulars, but I have saved my scapular knowing just like the gentleman's story that it was a gift from Our Blessed Mother. A Mother who at one time I felt no closeness with and yet through Her grace has brought me into Her Immaculate Heart of Holy Love back to Jesus' Sacred Heart and His Divine Love.

On the feast day of Our Lady of Mt Carmel July 16th I am going to a Carmelite Monastary for the first time to have blessed a new Statue of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel holding a scapular with the Baby Jesus and I will ask her to bless your ministry and that "Gentle Man" who gave testimony of his love of Mary.

MORE CATHOLIC TESTIMONIES: http://www.catholicprophecy.info/Catholic/testimonies.html

The Philokalia excerpt: St. John of Karpathos "One Hundred Texts"

28. You will not be able to 'tread upon the asp and cobra' (Ps. 91:13), unless in answer to your constant prayers God sends His angels to protect you. They will support you with their hands and raise you above the mire of impurity.

July 17, 2001

U.S. STEM CELL RESEARCHER DEFECTS TO BRITAIN

A leading U.S. stem-cell scientist has defected from California to Britain in a reverse "brain drain" that highlights a transatlantic gulf over the controversial area of medical research.

The University of Cambridge, in eastern England, said on Monday that Roger Pedersen, from the University of California, San Francisco, would take up a lecturing post in the department of surgery in September.

"We anticipate that he will play a significant academic role and participate in bringing stem cells into use for the treatment of human diseases," a spokeswoman said.

Britain earlier this year became the first country in the world explicitly to legalize cloning of human embryos for stem-cell and other research purposes.

RELATED HEADLINES

Bishops' President Urges Congress Not to Fund Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Bush 'Agonizing' Over Funding of Embryo Research
Cloning May Be Key in Animal Copies
Forbes.com: We Cloned You. Now, Here's The Bill

The Philokalia excerpt: St. John of Karpathos "One Hundred Texts"

27. When someone far advanced on the spiritual way deviates from it because of indolence, then he is attacked by all the evil 'children of the east', by 'the Amalekites and the Midianites', whose 'camels are without number' (Judg. 7:12). The Midianites signify the forces of unchastity, and their numberless camels are impassioned thoughts. These hostile armies 'destroy all the produce of the earth' (Judg. 6:4), that is, every good action and state. So Israel- that is, the man of whom we are speaking- is brought to destitution and utter discouragement, and is compelled to call upon the Lord. Then, because of his deep faith and humility, the man receives help from heaven, just as Gideon did. 'My clan is the humblest in Manasseh,' said Gideon (cf. Judg. 6:15)- too weak to face such a huge army; yet, against all expectation, with a weak force of three hundred men he defeated the enemy, because God's grace was fighting on his side.

July 16, 2001 Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

(Mat 28:19-20)  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

VIETNAM GETS THREE NEW BISHOPS

A month after a Vatican delegation to Vietnam pressed the Holy See's requests for new bishops in that Communist country, Pope John Paul II has filled some vacancies. The appointments had been expected after Vatican officials last month reported some headway, with some of the church's choices winning government approval but others being rebuffed.

Dealings have been tense over Hanoi's insistence that it have final say over religious appointments.

Vietnam's 76 million people are predominantly Buddhist, although the 8 million Catholics constitute the largest Catholic community in Southeast Asia outside the Philippines.

FROM THE MAILBAG

VIA Sadie Jaramillo: I greet all of my brothers and sisters in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the name of His Mother Mary!

I am sending the latest messages to you just released by Father Jim. I encourage all to continue to persevere with joy and without fear. These are the most exciting times we could be living in.

Do not focus on the "what will/could be's", but on "God and Our Lady are with me". Just pray, trust and do not fear!

EDITOR'S NOTE:  The messages described above can be obtained directly from Sadie through email at: [email protected]. Trib Times subscribers will receive them appended to today's update.

An introduction to Sadie written by her Spiritual director, Fr. Jim Anderson, M.S.A., can be found at: http://www.catholicprophecy.info/sadie.html.

The Philokalia excerpt: St. John of Karpathos "One Hundred Texts"

26. There is a tiny fish called the remora, which is supposed to have the power to stop a large ship simply by attaching itself to the keel. In a similar manner, by God's permission a person advancing on the spiritual way is sometimes hindered by a small temptation. Remember how even the great Apostle said: 'We wanted to come to you- I, Paul- more than once, but Satan prevented us' (1 Thess. 2:18). Such a hindrance, however, should nto upset you: resist firmly, with patient endurance, and you will receive God's grace.

July 14, 2001

(1 Ki 18:20-21)  So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing.

FROM THE MAILBAG

VIA Mike F. Russo:  Your item about John Paul II and the Our Lady of Mount Carmel scapular is further proof the Good Lord indeed works in mighty and mysterious ways. It cause us to "remember all of His marvels" -- how He uses the Church Triumphant to bring sinners to Himself if we are but willing to ask them to aid us. I started wearing a scapular in the Great Jubilee Year of 2000 when the statue of our Lady of Fatima was brought to our Church about this time last year. Any that wanted one were also provided blessed scapulars of Our Lady. I accepted one.

I would not take the scapular off (showered and even swam with it on in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic oceans). It fell apart and disintegrated after the start of 2001. I procrastinated getting another scapular as I thought possibly the Lord only meant for me to wear it during the Jubilee Year.

This June, on the Feast of the Sacred Heart a priest unexpectedly gave me a postcard of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. When I went to the next day on the Feast of The Immaculate Heart of Mary the reading from 2 Cor 12 mentioning a vision Paul had fourteen years earlier became a private revelation to me. I needed to go back to 1987. Since I have been a Corporate Officer I have a busy schedule and keep my old planners. I went to the box I had planners in from the late 1980's in box and laying on top of the planners in a plastic case was a scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel from my First Communion in 1964. I really have no idea how it got there. I had never worn it. I am wearing it now.

Just one more interesting item -- in 1987 although I would have called myself a good Catholic, my life was as full of unrecognized sin as St. Paul's was. In 1987, on the Friday Feast of the Sacred Heart, the day before the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary I was on a trip in Manhattan. It was in St. Patrick's Cathedral before a relic of St. Therese of Liseuix that I asked to be a "little soul" as none can enter the Kingdom of Heaven except as a "little soul". St. Therese is a Carmelite. The point of all this is the Good Lord uses time (some of us take decades), other souls, sacramentals such as scapulars, and even His Mother to give us the strength to live the holy life He calls us to.

The Philokalia excerpt: St. John of Karpathos "One Hundred Texts"

25. When the soul leaves the body, the enemy advances to attack it, fiercely reviling it and accusing it of its sins in a harsh and terrifying manner. But if a soul enjoys the love of God and has faith in Him, even though in the past it has often been wounded by sin, it is not frightened by the enemy's attacks and threats. Strengthened by the Lord, winged by joy, filled with courage by the holy angels that guide it, encircled and protected by the light of faith, it answers the malicious devil with great boldness: 'Enemy of God, fugitive from heaven, wicked slave, what have I to do with you? You have no authority over me; Christ the Son of God has authority over me and over all things. Against Him have I sinned, before Him shall I stand on trial, having His Precious Cross as a sure pledge of His saving love towards me. Flee far from me, destroyer! You have nothing to do with the servants of Christ.' When the soul says all this fearlessly, the devil turns his back, howling aloud and unable to withstand the name of Christ. Then the soul swoops down on the devil from above, attacking him like a hawk attacking a crow. After this it is brought rejoicing by the holy angels to the place appointed for it in accordance with its inward state.

July 13, 2001

(1 Th 5:3)  While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

ISRAELI SHELLING AFTER GUN ATTACK

Israeli tank shells killed a Palestinian policeman in the West Bank city of Nablus Thursday after an attack on Jewish settlers. Palestinian officials said four policemen and a 12-year-old boy were wounded in the shelling, launched after Palestinian gunmen shot and wounded Israeli settler parents and their infant baby near the Palestinian-ruled city. CNN's Mike Hanna said Thursday's violence had left the fragile Middle East cease-fire "in tatters."

In Washington on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell was asked if he had a "Plan B" to help end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, considering the violence has continued since the Mitchell report, a plan put forward by an international committee. "The plan that is out there -- A, B and C -- is the Mitchell report," answered Powell. "It calls for a cessation of violence and hostility toward one another, it calls for confidence-building measures to restore trust and security cooperation, and it also leads to negotiations on final status."

MORE: Israelis consider military invasion of West Bank, Gaza

RELATED HEADLINES

Israel-PA security meeting breaks down in acrimony
Palestinians Target, Wound West Bank Settlers
Israeli Troops Kill Palestinian Policeman

(Psa 122:6)  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure.

The Philokalia excerpt: St. John of Karpathos "One Hundred Texts"

24. It is not only in the period close to the end of the world that the devil will 'speak words against the Most High' (Dan. 7:25). Even now, acting through our thoughts, he sometimes sends up to heaven monstrous blasphemies against the Most High, against all He has created and against the Holy Mysteries of Christ. But, climbing the rock of spiritual knowledge, we should not be terrified by this or astonished at the insolence of the avenger. Growing ever more fervent in our faith and prayer, we shall receive help from above and so resist the enemy.

July 12, 2001

FROM THE MAILBAG

VIA Inside the Vatican Newsflash: John Paul II and the Brown Scapular by John Drogin

Pope John Paul II insisted doctors not remove his brown scapular during surgery on him following the assassination attempt in May 1981. Father Mariano Cera, a Carmelite priest, told Inside the Vatican: "Just before the Holy Father was operated on, he told the doctors 'Don't take off the scapular.' And the surgeons left it on." Father Cera made the comments at the beginning of celebrations for the 750th anniversary of the Carmelite scapular, now underway in Rome. Some 750 years ago monks were banished from Mount Carmel in Palestine by Muslims. Nearly eight centuries later, Pope John Paul is convinced that Our Lady of Mount Carmel, along with Our Lady of Fatima, saved him from the bullets of Mehmet Ali Agca. [See Inside the Vatican, July 2001, page 44] The Virgin Mary appeared at the final apparition of Fatima (Portugal) and at Lourdes (France) wearing the brown scapular. The pontiff, a Third Order Carmelite, has worn the scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel since he was a young boy. He frequent asks Our Lady of Mount Carmel to help him make important decisions.

In observation of the 750th anniversary, to be celebrated on July 16, Pope John Paul II has written a special letter to the Carmelites, saying: "I also carry the scapular on my heart... for the love that it nutures toward the common Heavenly mother, whose protection is continually springing forth." Currently more than half a million people around the world wear the brown scapular. On Sunday evening, July 8, in the overflowing Carmelite church of Santa Maria in Transpontina, 30 laymen became a part of that expanding number. Father Cera, the chief celebrant, invested these men of faith with the scapular. The scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is inseparable with the events of the past century: Fatima, Russia, the Pope's shooting and especially the hope of reuniting East and West. The Carmelites are the only Order founded in the East that that has settled in the West. Pope Paul VI said the devotion of the brown scapular and the Holy Rosary are the two most recommended devotions by the magisterium of the Church.

Excellent web resource from the United Conference of Catholic Bishops:
The Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist: Basic Questions and Answers

The Philokalia excerpt: St. John of Karpathos "One Hundred Texts"

23. When a man grows inwardly and increases in holiness, he is something great and marvellous. But just as the elephant fears the mouse, so the holy man is still afraid of sin, lest after preaching to others he himself 'should be cast away' (cf. 1 Cor. 9:27).

July 11, 2001

(Prov 16:25)  There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH FERTILIZES EGGS WITHOUT SPERM

Australian researchers said on Tuesday they may have found a way to fertilize an egg with cells from any parts of the body, rather than sperm, in a new study which offers hope to infertile men and even couples.

Australian infertility scientist Orly Lacham-Kaplan said early research on mice could produce a breakthrough for many men who have no sperm or sperm-making cells.

"This is the group for which this kind of technique probably will be very helpful," she said. "A lot of (these) people would like to father their own biological children."

Lacham-Kaplan said the research, if successful in humans, also theoretically could allow babies to be born without any input from men, although she admitted that such an outcome could open up an ethical can of worms.

"If, as a technology, it would be used as a treatment for infertile couples then I would accept it very well," she told Reuters in a telephone interview.

"However I think we need to draw the line where it is used, and I believe a lot of ethical groups would draw the line."

MORE: Career Women Hiring Surrogate Moms For Convenience

SEE ALSO: EYEDOCTOR'S SITE: Cloning: A Diabolical Counterfeit of Eternal Life

The Philokalia excerpt: St. John of Karpathos "One Hundred Texts"

22. There are times when trials and temptations multiply and cause a man, despite his diligence, to deviate from the true path; for all his wisdom and skill are swallowed up. This happens so as to prevent us from trusting in ourselves: 'lest Israel boast, saying, My own hand has saved me' (Judg. 7:2). But once the evil one has withdrawn from us, driven away at God's command, we may hope to be restored to the good state that we possessed previously. Urging us to sin, the evil one encourages us to lok at everything and listen to it with senses and thoughts imbued with passion. He coarsens our intellect, enveloping it in thick fog, and he makes our body seem an unspeakable weight and burden. Our innate intelligence, which at the outset is simple and undeveloped like a newborn child, he turns into something complex and highly experienced in every kind of sin, poisoning and distorting it through indecision and doubt.

July 10, 2001

MORE DEATH-PENALTY DOUBTS - USA TODAY EDITORIAL

If statistics are any indication, the system may well be allowing some innocent defendants to be executed. — Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

O'Connor's insinuation — that the nation's legal system is actively killing innocent citizens — is supported by increasingly disturbing data. Since the death penalty was reinstated in 1973, 96 inmates sentenced to die have been freed from death row, 16 in just the past 30 months. Roughly two-thirds of all capital convictions are overturned on appeal. But because the lawyering available to death-row inmates is so uneven, few believe the appeals process catches every wrongful conviction.

As a high-court swing vote, O'Connor's opinions on matters such as capital punishment are influential. But in this case, she is hardly leading the charge. Many otherwise ardent death-penalty supporters have long since accepted that the system is flawed and called for a moratorium while it is repaired. Concurrently, public support for capital punishment has declined to a 19-year low.

Far from the lofty chambers of the high court, the effects of these doubts are easy to see. In the past 18 months, 36 of the nation's 38 death-penalty states — including such states as Texas, Florida, Virginia and Missouri, which among them account for more than half of all executions since 1976 — have debated a range of restrictive capital-punishment reforms, including:
• Moratoriums to suspend executions
• Commissions to study the death penalty's flaws
• Provisions to ensure DNA testing for capital defendants and death-row inmates
• Bans on the execution of the mentally retarded, those with an IQ below 70
• Improved representation of indigent defendants. who are most likely to get death
• Offering juries life without parole as an alternative to a death sentence.

Depending on who's doing the talking, the motivating fear for reform is either that the nation's legal system is discredited or that an innocent person (make that, another innocent person) will be executed. Either way, replacing death with a sentence of life without parole would settle those doubts for good. In the meantime, O'Connor's belated awareness of the systemic injustice of capital punishment handily reinforces the growing bipartisan support for a moratorium, which in turn will allow investigating lawmakers and jurists to confirm what they already suspect: The death penalty's flaws are irremediable as well as intolerable.

MORE: O'Connor questions death penalty

RELATED HEADLINES

Man freed on DNA evidence after 14 years in prison
Putin Upholds Russia's Death Penalty Moratorium

The Philokalia excerpt: St. John of Karpathos "One Hundred Texts"

21. It is most necessary and helpful for the soul to endure with fortitude every tribulation, whether inflicted by men or by demons. We should recognize that our sufferings are no more than we deserve, and we should never blame anyone but ourselves. For whoever blames others for his own tribulations has lost the power of judging correctly what is to his own advantage.

July 9, 2001

(Eph 6:18)  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

STEM-CELL DILEMMA SURROUNDS PRESIDENT

"On the passion meter, this is as high as it gets,'' one administration official said. Administration officials said that Bush had agonized over what to do. One said that for several weeks Bush had brought the issue up almost daily, even in meetings not directly related to the topic. "It's come up in economic policy meetings,'' the official said.

And yet, several aides said, Bush has not given clear signals about what he plans to do. One aide said that Bush concluded a recent meeting on the subject by saying, "I'll make up my mind when I make up my mind -- and then I'll tell you.''

While people close to Bush are reluctant to talk about his deliberations, several said they were certain he knew that many people he respected had personal or family medical histories that inclined them to favor stem-cell research.

Those people include former Sen. Connie Mack, R-Fla., who was seriously considered as a running mate for Bush in the 2000 election. Mack, a Roman Catholic who opposes abortion, has been an ardent advocate for embryonic stem-cell research, a position informed by his family's experiences with cancer. Both of his parents, his wife, his younger brother, his daughter and he himself have battled various forms of cancer.

E-mail the President: http://capwiz.com/politicsol/mail/?id=20004&type=PR
Online Resource from the ACLJ: http://www.aclj.org/cloning/cloning_ethics.asp

RELATED HEADLINES

House GOP lawmakers push prohibition on stem cell research
Study: Cloning with stem cells causes abnormalities in mice
Bush Targets 'Unborn Child' Coverage

FROM THE MAILBAG

VIA Pegeen, Moderator/Prayer Request Line: Our new prayer forum, the Prayer Request Line, is growing into a beautiful ministry. It has been created for the sole purpose of taking prayer requests and nothing more. All are welcomed to send in their requests, be they small or great. We have had some wonderful answers to requests posted, thanks to Our Lord's mercy. Requests can be specific, but they do not need to be. Nor do they need to be signed. They can even just be "For the intentions of (name)." We don't have to know the details because God already does.

To post a prayer request, simply email: [email protected]. Please consider putting this right into your online address book, then we will always be there if you need us.

And if anyone is interested in becoming a member, email: [email protected], and the information of how to become a Prayer Warrior will be sent to you. Be sure to include your name and email address. It is not difficult to be a prayer warrior. We do our part, and the Holy Spirit does the rest.

When you need prayers, we will walk with you in Jesus Christ.

The Philokalia excerpt: St. John of Karpathos "One Hundred Texts"

20. Nothing so readily obliterates virtue as frivolous talk and making fun of things. On the other hand, nothing so readily renews the decrepit soul, and enables it to approach the Lord, as fear of God, attentiveness, and constant meditation on the words of Scripture, the arming of oneself with prayer, and spiritual progress through the keeping of vigils.

July 7, 2001

FROM THE MAILBAG VIA David J. Sheehan:

Bosnia 2001 - Back to Boderiste By David J. Sheehan

The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us (John 1:14). How does the Word become Flesh and dwell among us today? God gave me the answer in June of this year.

In March, I received an invitation from St. David's Relief Foundation to participate as a volunteer for a water project in Bosnia. The task would be to work with the local villagers of Boderiste to install the main water line for a state of the art water system. As I had pressing matters on the home front, I said "No" in my head when I received this invitation. Our Lady, in her quiet and persuasive way, let me know that she wanted me to go on this trip. I have learned in the past not to argue with Mama, so away I went, fully prepared to shovel dirt, sand, or whatever else I might step in for the honor of God and Our Lady. A knight could not have a higher calling.

We landed in Sarajevo, about 30 volunteers in all, with our Gray Friars of the Bronx as our stalwart companions and spiritual leaders. Since last year, Sarajevo's airport had changed from looking like a set from a 1940 Humphrey Bogart movie. It now has the trappings of a modern airport. This first glance of the new Bosnia was a sign of things to come. Our bus ride up to Boderiste retraced the route we had taken two years ago when I worked my first mission with St. David's doing roofing. Along the way, we noted new industries of lumbering, concrete, and construction springing up. The country had new life in it, and was moving away from the sad legacy of the war.

We arrived in the village of Boderiste late Monday night, June 11. Our meeting place, a local café/restaurant was newly refurbished, and inside on the wall hung a 3' by 5' Texas Flag with the crucifix upon it. Christ and Texas, what an unbeatable combination! The mayor, Slavko Blazevic, soon had us parceled out to our hosts for the week. My joy was that I would be staying with Josyp, a young man who had his right leg damaged in the war by a mine. He and I had become good friends from my last visit. As the week progressed, his English became better , and my Croatian, well, let's just say it is a work-in-progress. The next day I was able to see the children of Boderiste. My, how they have grown in two years. Still unspoiled by the pleasures of modern life, they take pleasure in little things like ice cream and quick game of football. Thank God, there is not a Gameboy in sight.

On Tuesday morning, I go to visit the grave of Stjepan Androsevic. St. David's has dedicated this trip to his memory. Stjepan, a veterinarian by trade, was a friend of mine and a great help to the mayor in the rebuilding of the village. He died untimely at the age of thirty-five last year of a heart attack. Stjepan always made us feel welcome with his warmth and sense of humor. Now I will say the rosary of the resurrection at his graveside. As I approach the gate of the village cemetery, I wonder how I will find his grave. God provides. A man riding by on a bike sees me. I try to talk to him first but make no headway as my Croatian is fit only for the deaf. Then, I draw out my notepad and begin to scribble. I only complete word "Stjepan" when he nods, stops me, opens the cemetery gate, and walks resolutely to Stjepan's final rest. He leaves me alone. The grave is still new, "Stjepan Androsevic, 1965- 2000" is inscribed on a wooden cross. In time, it will have a granite headstone. I say my rosary and think of this kind man. His widow and two young children live in this village. Thank God they are surrounded by family. St. David's will take up a collection for them later in the week. For now, I am alone with my thoughts and rosary, but again with God we are never alone, and Stjepan lives, for all are alive in Him (Luke 20: 38).

At the onset, it is apparent that the townspeople have the work well in hand and are out in force. For our part, we Americans fill in along the work line wherever we can be of use. It gives us the opportunity to work side by side with our Croat and Muslim brothers. Here, they do not fight but work together. I wish all of Bosnia would learn this lesson. The project is very simple. At the town center, there is going to be a modern filtration plant. Water from four local wells will be drawn to this plant, purified and then sent out the main line to feed water to the homes of the villagers. Our part this week is to get the main line installed throughout the village. A trenching machine first digs a trench about five feet deep and eighteen inches wide. After it passes by, we go into the trench, leveling it out as best as we can, then we put three inches of sand as a base for the pipe to rest on. The plastic pipe is 4 inches in diameter and deep blue in color. We have difficulty uncoiling the pipe, and a gang of us must pull on it as we stretch the pipe along the main road. Once we have it stretched out, we are able to place it into the trench, attaching each new section of pipe by using a cast iron collar and rubber gasket. With the pipe placed into the trench, we cover the top with eight inches of sand and then fill in the rest of the trench with the original dirt and clay. Not exactly rocket scientist work, but a future benefactor of mankind may drink from this water. And I think of Him, from Whom living waters flow (John 7:37-38).

A typical workday for us is as follows: early morning breakfast, Mass, work in the line, lunch, return to work in the afternoon, and the day ends when a tractor comes by to collect the shovels. The trencher proceeds ahead of us, blazing the trail. Wisely, we maintain Eucharistic Adoration during our sojourn. Without God, we can accomplish nothing (John 15:5).

The villagers are kind and very patient with us. I had a conversation with one of the villagers as I told him the wonders of using spray paint to mark the spot in the street where the water junctions are. He smiled and nodded as I gave him this piece of advice, and then proceeded to inform me how they were using GPS (Global Positioning Satellites) technology to record all the nuances of the water system. Humbled as I was, I graciously accepted his offer of rakija (plum brandy) later in the week when heavy rain cancelled our work for the day. Whatever knowledge we bring with us and impart to the villagers, they teach us more by their example of how to live and what is really important in life.

At the end of the week, the main line has been completed. Our portion of the work is over for this year. The villagers will continue the project after we leave. In this week, we have been the beneficiaries for we have learned from them the facts of life, death, and resurrection.

Saturday night, the villagers throw a party for all of us. Food and "refreshments" flow freely. It is a celebration not only of getting the main line installed, but celebrating the bond of work and friendship that have made us a part of their village. We started the week as guests and leave as family. Our departure Sunday morning is difficult. My friend Josyp asks me if I will be coming back next year. I reply that all of this is in God's hands. I cannot think of a safer place for our collective future.

We then leave for Medjugorje. I have much to think about. What really happened in that little village of Boderiste? What made that village able to recover so quickly from the war and now enjoy the fruits of its labor?

I believe that God's goodness and mercy are like kegs of rich wine. These people by their faith and trust in God were given the keys to God's storeroom. The first thing that they did after the war was to rebuild the Church. Our Lord took His place again in the tabernacle. He had never left them nor abandon them. His throne in the tabernacle became the beating heart of the village. The Word made Flesh became Flesh again in the minds and hearts of the villagers. The impossible became possible. Homes were restored, families united and love and life flowed back into the village like living water. Resurrection happened and Stjepan will be reunited again with his family in the mansion of the Most High.

And these good people did not forget His Mother, their Mother. At the foot of the altar in the village church, there is an icon, Mary, Mother of God with her Child on her lap. Her large brown eyes captivate me. They are quizzical and yet hold a touch of her good-natured humor. In spite of my 48 years of age, I am a three-year-old boy in her presence, a little three-year-old boy who has been playing in the dirt all day. The mother has no choice but to hose down this child in the backyard and the child stands laughing in the shower of water and love, naked as a jaybird. His laughter becomes infectious and the mother, who was cross at having this additional chore to do, now catches the laughter of the child and begins to laugh herself. Only Our Lady makes me feel this way. Her icon beckoned me closer. Why come closer? My curiosity of a child gets the better of me and I do come closer and see she is motioning me to come to her Son and receive something. He is giving me His blessing. He is giving all of us His blessing and if we allow Him to, He will turn us back into children, changing us into the sons and daughters of the One Father, the Most High God.

He came to His own, and His own received Him not. But to all ceived Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become ; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. (John 1:11-14)

Receive Him today, become flesh of His flesh, bone of His bone, and let Him dwell among us again. Become a child again, a child playing in the palace of the Most High God. And He just might let you play in the dirt again, as He allowed me in the village of Boderiste!

The Philokalia excerpt: St. John of Karpathos "One Hundred Texts"

19. The demons try to undermine your inward resolution by buffeting your souls with an untold variety of temptations. Yet out of these many tribulations a garland is woven for you; Christ's power 'comes to its fulness in us in our weakness' (2 Cor. 12:9). It is usually when our situation is most gloomy that the grace of the Spirit flowers within us. 'Light has shone in darkness for the righteous' (Ps. 112:4)- if, that is, 'we hold fast to our confidence and the rejoicing of our hope firmly to the end' (Heb. 3:6).

July 6, 2001

LOVE TESTS MEXICO'S FOX'S RELIGIOUS DEVOTION

President Vicente Fox was in a tough spot. His devout Catholicism prohibited him, a divorced man, from remarrying in the church, but he was beginning to draw criticism for living in sin with the woman he loves. He ended the quandary on Monday, marrying his spokeswoman, long-term companion and influential aide Martha Sahagun in a surprise civil ceremony.

While doing the right thing by Sahagun may have gone over well with many Mexicans, the church hierarchy criticized the marriage of two divorced Catholics, and commentators said Fox risked looking like a hypocrite.

Mexican Cardinal Norberto Rivera, the highest-ranking member of the church in Mexico told reporters "neither are they excommunicated, nor are they in sin but as long as they are not married in the church they cannot take communion."

A vocal Catholic who has brought more religious overtones to the presidential office than any president in decades, Fox was initially loathe to marry Sahagun without both of them getting their first marriages annulled by the church. And yet, as the annulment process dragged on, he was in danger of looking ridiculous as they set up house together in the presidential residence.

The no-frills marriage this week enchanted many Mexicans as the fairy-tale outcome of his love affair with Sahagun. "We just couldn't keep waiting. I was in love, and had to get married," Fox told Televisa broadcaster news anchor Joaquin Lopez Doriga.

The Philokalia excerpt: St. John of Karpathos "One Hundred Texts"

18. For the most part it is the time of Great Feasts and during the Divine Liturgy- especially when we are intending to receive Holy Communion- that the demons try to defile the ascetic with impure fantasies and the flow of semen. Yet they cannot break down the resistance of one accustomed to withstand all things firmly and courageously. Hunchbacks should not exult over us as if they stood upright.

July 5, 2001

POLL FINDS SUPPORT FOR LEGAL ABORTION SLIPPING

An ABC News/Beliefnet poll released on Monday showed support for legal abortion in the United States slipping to its lowest level since the survey began in 1995. The poll found that just over half, or 52 percent, of Americans said abortion should be legal in all or most cases, down from 59 percent in January.

Forty-three percent said it should be illegal in all or most cases, the highest number since the poll started asking the question in 1995. The January poll found 39 percent opposed in all or most cases.

Roman Catholics, whose leaders have assumed a leading role in opposing abortion, mirrored the public at large in their views, with 55 percent saying it should generally be legal.

FROM THE MAILBAG

VIA Richard: Please go slowly with this one - and carefully consider before you sign this document. It is a legal document and it is going to go to the Pope. You can be from any religion to sign it - not just Catholic. It is requesting that the Pope formally excommunicate big/key American "catholic" politicians who are the ring leaders of the culture of death. This may be extreme - but it is even possible that by signing this legal document you/I/us will be actively persecuted at some point in the future if our laws and country continues to deteriorate and slide ever faster toward a total loss of freedoms. So - whatever you decide - to sign or not to sign - please stop and know what you are doing ahead of time. Yes I signed - and yes it is a bit scary to sign - but God is ProLife - and may God have Mercy on me unless I do what I know is right. We can either hang all together doing the right thing of signing - or we can hang separately later on as cowards by letting the murderous laws and practices continue. Because if we don't stand up now united together in faith - and together reverse this culture of death (regardless of our religion) - then may God have Mercy on each and every one of us - because when we eventually grow old and useless by their ever changing definitions then it will be our turn to be killed by these very same lovers of death - and after our death then we will *still* have to face God. So let me end by saying this is signed by you fellow parishioner who, like you, must one day stand before God and be accountable to Him - and not to Ted Kennedy or Tom Daschle or any of the other well know but misguided souls mentioned in here - and for whom I pray daily for their conversion.

Canonical Petition to the Pope: http://yankeesamizdat.org/ACBigots/Excom2.html
Sign (persons of any religion may sign): http://yankeesamizdat.org/ACBigots/form.html
More: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=23491

VIA Pat Naea: I just came across a website that is asking for signatures for their efforts to overturn the Roe vs. Wade decision re abortion. I have heard Fr. Frank Pavone speak about this often. the site is http://www.reverseroe.com. Please check it out, and if you would, please give them the ok to use your name. Our Lady will bless you.

The Philokalia excerpt: St. John of Karpathos "One Hundred Texts"

17. Some hold that the practice of the virtues constitutes the truest form of spiritual knowledge. In that case, we should make every effort to manifest our faith and knowledge through our actions. Whoever trusts blindly to knowledge alone should call to mind the words: 'They claim to know God, but in their actions they deny Him' (Titus 1:16).

July 4, 2001

(Isa 64:8)  Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

SCIENTISTS MANUFACTURE HUMAN EGGS FOR FERTILITY TREATMENT

Scientists appear to have found a way that someday could allow women to become mothers after they no longer can produce viable eggs, a potential advance in breaking the last great barrier to fertility treatments.

Theoretically, the method could create an unlimited supply of eggs for an infertile woman and allow her to have a child at a much older age. However, experts tried to play down that possibility, saying they strongly discourage post-menopausal motherhood on ethical and practical grounds.

The technique, described Monday at a conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Lausanne, involves taking a cell from an infertile woman's body, and inserting it into an emptied donated egg. The resulting egg contains the genetic material of the woman wanting the baby, not of the donor.

Roger Gosden, a fertility pioneer from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, said Palermo's technique was "plausible." "If there's a way we can help people have a genetic child rather than a donated egg, then we should. This is interesting science, it's very preliminary, but who knows?" he said.

Others were more skeptical that manufactured eggs could produce healthy babies anytime soon, saying the technique would likely create gross genetic abnormalities. Scientists believe that DNA deteriorates with age and fear that the older the cell, the more likely the chance of major defects.

MORE RECENT SCIENCE HEADLINES OF NOTE

Group Says Morning-After Pill Should Be OTC
'Raelian' biochemist insists she will clone human
Scientist Says Mind Continues After Brain Dies

The Philokalia excerpt: St. John of Karpathos "One Hundred Texts"

16. When we fiercely oppose the passions, the demons trouble us all the more severely with shameful thoughts. At such a time, should reaffirm our faith in the Lord and set our hope steadfastly in the eternal blessings that He has promised us. In their jealousy our enemies wish to estrange us from these promised blessings and to deprive us of them; indeed, the very fact that the demons burn with such envy against us shows how great these blessings are. Continually bombarding us with unclean thoughts, the demons seek in this way to appease the frenzy within themselves, hoping to drive us to despair through these constant and unbearable attacks.

July 3, 2001

(Ezek 13:10-11)  "'Because they lead my people astray, saying, "Peace," when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth.

ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN TRUCE UNDER FIRE

Two car bomb blasts near Tel Aviv's airport on Monday and an Israeli helicopter gunship attack that killed three Palestinian militants in the West Bank dealt further blows to a fragile U.S.-brokered cease-fire. The violence was likely to push even deeper into the future the beginning of a seven-day test period of calm brokered during a Middle East visit last week by Secretary of State Colin Powell as a starting point for a U.S. truce-to-peacemaking plan.

At least 472 Palestinians, 119 Israelis and 13 Israeli Arabs have been killed since the Palestinian uprising began.

Against the backdrop of the upsurge in violence and a weekend of hostilities along the Israel-Lebanon border, the Israeli army announced that its chief of staff, Shaul Mofaz, was cutting short a U.S. visit and returning home.

MORE MIDDLE EAST HEADLINES

Syria accuses Israel of pushing region toward war
Iraq says US-British airstrikes amount to an undeclared war against the Gulf nation
Palestinian Gunmen Kill Israeli Near West Bank

FROM THE MAILBAG

VIA David Beutel: I am a missionary in Kyrgyzstan and Catholic convert from Protestantism and have published various articles, including my conversion story and apologetics, to the web. I would like to invite you to visit my site and consider putting a link on your page to mine. The URL is: http://beutel.narod.ru/write/reljour.htm.

(Mat 24:14)  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

The Philokalia excerpt: St. John of Karpathos "One Hundred Texts"

15. The Scriptures testify that if a man still under the sway of the passions believes humbly yet with all his heart, he will receive the gift of dispassion. For it is said: 'Today you shall be with Me in paradise' (Luke 23:43), and: 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace' (Luke 7:50)- the peace, that is, of blessed dispassion. Other texts express the same idea- for example: 'The grapes shall ripen at seedtime' (Amos 9:13), and 'According to your faith so be it done to you' (Matt. 9:29).

July 2, 2001

(Rev 11:19)  Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.

RWANDA BISHOP APPROVES MARIAN APPARITIONS

EXCERPTED FROM THE ONLINE VERSION OF THE THUNDER OF JUSTICE:

In November 1981, apparitions began in Kibeho, Rwanda, Africa, to seven visionaries: Aiphonsine, Emmanuel, Anathalie, MarieClaire, Stephanie, Agnes, and Vestine. Three of them were boarders in a college administered by nuns in a poor area, and three others live in the bush. Our Lord appeared independently to a young , Sagstasha, who has since taken the Christian name Emmanuel. Our Lord taught him the Our Father and gave him instructions on the faith. Emmanuel was given the following message from the Blessed Mother:

"There isn't much time left in preparing for the Last Judgment. We must change our lives, renounce sin. Pray and prepare for our own death and for the end of the world. We must prepare while there is still time. Those who do well will go to Heaven. If they do evil, they will condemn themselves with no hope of appeal. Do not lose time in doing good and praying. There is not much time and Jesus will come."

Although the apparitions ended for six of the visionaries by 1983, Aiphonsine continues to receive apparitions almost every year on November 28. Her last apparition was on November 28, 1989. In these apparitions, Our Lady calls herself the "Mother of the Word." She emphasizes the importance of the rosary and prayer and to love ourselves and others. Jesus told Emmanuel, "Too many people treat their neighbors dishonestly. The world is full of hatred. You will know my Second Coming is at hand when you see the outbreak of religious wars. Then, know that I am on the way." The Blessed Mother told them, "I have come to prepare the way to my Son for your good and you do not want to understand. The time remaining is short and you are absent-minded. You are distracted by the goods of this world which are passing. I have seen many of my children getting lost and I have come to show them the true way."

The apparitions in Kibeho, Africa, were approved in the first stage by the local bishop on August 15, 1988, thus allowing public devotion. The Church is continuing to review these events.

MORE: Catholic Apparitions of Jesus and Mary at Kibeho, Rwanda

(Luke 1:46-49)  And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name.

The Philokalia excerpt: St. John of Karpathos "One Hundred Texts"

14 (cont.). Yet we should temper our gladness with the fear of God keeping in mind the words: 'Rejoice in the Lord with trembling' (Ps. 2:11). Mary Magdalene and the women with her ran from Christ's tomb with both fear and great joy (cf. Matt. 28:8); and perhaps we, too, shall one day come out from our spiritual tomb with fear and joy. I should be surprised if we were to do so without fear, for there is no one without sin, not even Moses or the Apostle Peter. But, at the time of the departure of such men from this life God's love proves victorious and casts out fear (cf. 1 John 4:18).

Links  E-mail Dr. Zambrano  Home

Jubilee 2000: Bringing the World to Jesus

The Tribulation Times Archives: