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June 27, 2001

(Mat 6:14-15)  For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

POPE INVOKES SPIRIT OF FORGIVENESS

Drawing huge crowds near his Polish homeland, Pope John Paul II appealed Tuesday for a spirit of forgiveness across Eastern Europe, saying Christians need to recognize the misdeeds of a "sorrowful past".

In high sprits as he braved a rainstorm later for a youth rally that drew about 300,000 people, John Paul sang part of a Polish folk song urging the rain to stop before warning of the temptations of Western consumerism and the illusions of an "easy life abroad." "Do not go from the slavery of the communist regime to the slavery of consumerism," the pope said, his white robes blowing in a stiff wind and both hands trembling sharply, a symptom of Parkinson's disease.

When the setting sun finally emerged from behind the clouds, John Paul sang another Polish song and told his flock: "The sun shall shine in the end."

At the Mass earlier, the pope touched on problems facing Eastern European countries trying to rebuild following the fall of communism a decade ago and troubled through the centuries by nationalist, religious and political rivalries.

"Let us feel ourselves gently nudged to recognize the infidelities to the Gospel of not a few Christians of both Polish and Ukrainian origin living in these parts. It is time to leave behind the sorrowful past," he said in his homily.

"May pardon, given and received, spread like a healing balm in every heart. May the purification of historical memories lead everyone to work for the triumph of what unites over what divides, in order to build a future of mutual respect, fraternal cooperation and true solidarity," he said.

RELATED: Pope celebrates Mass in Lviv, Ukraine's Catholic stronghold

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

14. It is written: 'I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall come to all people' (Luke 2:10)- not just to some people. Again, it is written: 'Let all the earth worship Thee and sing to Thee' (Ps. 66:4)- not just part of the earth. This singing is an expression not of grief but of rejoicing. Since this is so, let us not despair, but pass through this present life cheerfully, conscious of its joys.

June 26, 2001

ISRAEL WARNS OF BIN LADEN THREAT

Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said on Monday he believed Saudi-born militant Osama Bin Laden was trying to set up a network in the Jewish state. Ben-Eliezer sounded the warning as Israel and the Palestinians entered the 12th day of a delicate cease-fire designed to seek ways of ending nearly nine months of bloodshed in which about 600 people have been killed.

Ben Eliezer said bin Laden was "trying very hard to penetrate into the country through local people and through people that he wants to send in different ways to enter Israel to establish an infrastructure here in this country. "They also plan to attack American and European targets," he told a Jewish Agency conference in Jerusalem.

U.S. officials said on Friday forces in the Gulf had been put on Threat Condition Delta, their highest state of alert, based on a non-specific but credible threat linked to bin Laden.

RELATED HEADLINES

Reporter says he met with bin Laden; threats indicated
Philippine Muslim rebel leader warns conflict could widen

HUGE ARCH PROPOSED AS PRO-LIFE SHRINE

A local Catholic group wants to build a $100 million pro-life shrine and towering golden arch dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus, on the Lake Erie shore in Buffalo's outer harbor area.

The project, featuring a 700-foot-tall arch, would be known as "The Arch of Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and International Shrine of the Holy Innocents." If the money can be raised, it would be developed by a newly formed not-for-profit association headed by Buffalo attorney Laurence D. Behr, who also serves as president of Western New York Lawyers for Life.

Behr, who says he was inspired during a dream to build a shrine to Mary, said the ascendable arch would "rank among the man-made wonders of the world." It would replace the 630-foot-tall Gateway Arch in St. Louis as the world's tallest monument, he asserted.

"It will serve as an international signal call to conversion and a return to God and to an ever greater love of purity and rejection of abortion and immorality," he declared.

A prospectus detailing the project can be found on the Internet at http://www.ArchofTriumph.org. Contributions can be made through that site.

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

13. The enemy knows that prayer is our invincible weapon against him, and so he tries to keep us from praying. He fills us with a desire for secular learning, and encourages us to spend our time on studies that we have already renounced. Let us resist his suggestions; otherwise, if we neglect our own fields and go wandering elsewhere, we shall harvest thorns and thistles instead of figs and grapes. "For the wisdom of this world is folly in God's sight' (1 Cor. 3:19).

June 25, 2001

POPE PREACHES UNITY AT UKRAINE MASS

Pope John Paul on Sunday urged Christians in Ukraine, where differences between Orthodox and Catholics have sometimes flared into violence, to rediscover the unity they enjoyed before the Great Schism a millennium ago. In a homily at a mass at an airport near the capital, the Pope also paid tribute to all Christians who suffered during what he called "the dark days of Communist terror."

Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said the Polish-born Pope had fulfilled one of his most heartfelt wishes. "The Pope is living a dream, he dreamed of this many years ago and now it is a reality," Navarro-Valls told reporters.

On the second day of his five-day trip to Ukraine, which has been opposed by many Orthodox believers, the Pope expressed his hope that all Christians here could live in harmony. Noting that Ukraine became Christian in 988, before the 1054 Schism which split Christianity into the eastern and western churches, he said both sides should look to the past to "help restore that situation of communion in which diversity of traditions poses no obstacle to unity in faith and church life."

MORE: Pope hopes visit to Ukraine will open way for reconciliation with Orthodox

POPE JOHN PAUL II TO VISIT BABI YAR, SITE OF NAZI MASSACRE OF JEWS

Keeping up his message of atonement for Catholic inaction to stop the Holocaust, Pope John Paul II plans to visit Babi Yar, the ravine where up to 200,000 Jews and other Ukrainians were shot by Nazi occupiers. The Babi Yar visit brings John Paul face to face with one of the Holocaust's most terrible sites.

The visit Monday will be closely watched by Jews the world over, whose leaders have voiced dissatisfaction with the Holy See for failing to condemn more strongly the Roman Catholic Church's passive role during the Holocaust. "Babi Yar symbolizes the tragedy of the Jewish people and other victims of totalitarian regimes. This man, who is not young, finds time to go there during a major visit, and that is a very important sign, a continuation of his previous messages," said Leonid Finberg, director of Kiev's Institute of Jewish Studies.

In March 2000, the Pope issued a special prayer in Rome, a copy of which he later placed at the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site in Jerusalem.

"God of our fathers, you chose Abraham and his descendants to bring your Name to the Nations: We are deeply saddened by the behavior of those who in the course of history have caused these children of yours to suffer and, asking your forgiveness, we wish to commit ourselves to genuine brotherhood with the people of the Covenant," it said, referring to the Jews.

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

12. If you try to keep the rules of fasting and cannot do so because of ill health, then with contrition of heart you should give thanks to Him who cares for all and judges all. If you always behave with humility before the Lord, you will never show arrogance towards anyone.

June 23, 2001

(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 JOHN PAUL STARTS UKRAINE TOUR WITH APOLOGY

Pope John Paul started a difficult trip to Ukraine Saturday with an apology for past Catholic wrongs and an assurance to Orthodox believers hostile to the visit that he had not come to win converts. "I have not come with the intention of proselytizing but to bear witness to Christ together with all Christians with every Church," the Pope said in his arrival address, delivered in fluent Ukrainian to a crowd of Catholic clergy and politicians.

Repeating the gesture he made last month in Greece, the Pope said Catholic and Orthodox should seek forgiveness for offences against each other since the 1054 Schism that split the eastern Orthodox and western Catholic churches. "Bowing before our one Lord, let us recognize our faults," the Pope said. "As we ask forgiveness for the errors committed in both the distant and the recent past, let us in turn offer forgiveness for the wrongs endured."

The Pope, welcomed by President Leonid Kuchma, kissed a bowl of Ukrainian soil after landing on a flight from Rome. "Finally, with deep joy, I have been able to kiss the beloved soil of Ukraine. I thank God for the gift which today he has given me," he said in a clear, strong voice.

FROM THE MAILBAG

VIA The Daily E-Pistle: Today, the Saturday after the feast of Corpus Christi, is devoted to the Blessed Mother and focuses our attention on the mystery of her Immaculate Heart. This feast began to be celebrated during the seventeenth century bringing together centuries of devotion to the heart of Mary. St. John Eudes spent much of his life working to spread devotion to this feast.

The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a feast day devoted to Mary and especially examines her life of purity. Many times the heart is used to symbolize the inmost depths of our humanity. This feast emphasizes the fact that Mary's whole being was pure and free of the stain of sin for the whole of her life. Through her love and devotion to God, Mary was chosen as the resting-place of the Holy Spirit mother of the Most High.

The feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a counterpart of the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which we celebrated yesterday. Both feasts serve as an example to the faithful by showing us fellow human beings so devoted to the love and will of God that they overcame every temptation to sin.

Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary has gained wide appeal in this century. At Mary's apparition at Fatima, this theme was expressed by the Blessed Mother to the three children. In 1942, Pope Pius XII consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and added today's feast to the liturgical calendar of the Church. In 1996 this feast was elevated to the status of an obligatory memorial.

RELATED: Immaculate Heart of Mary

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

11. Accept scornful criticism rather than words of praise; for a flatterer 'is no different from one who curses' (Prov. 27:14).

June 22, 2001

ICON OF VIRGIN OF ZARVANYTSIA TO SHIELD POPE'S VISIT IN UKRAINE

As Pope John Paul II's long-awaited visit to Ukraine approaches, Greek Catholic parishioners are streaming in to a little church in the capital Kiev to kiss a visiting treasure: the Virgin of Zarvanytsia. The gold-framed icon of Mary and Jesus holding a Bible was chosen to adorn a temporary altar during the two Masses at Kiev's Chaika airfield on Sunday and Monday. In the meantime it is on display at St. Michael's cathedral in Kiev, where it was brought in from the Zarvanytsia village, about 310 miles to the west. The huge portrait is painted on wood and is believed to cure ailments, and is one of the holiest shrines for Ukrainian Catholics.

According to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic church, the icon was discovered in the 13th century by a monk who fled west from Kiev, to escape Muslim Tatars encroaching on the Kievan Rus empire. Weary and in failing health after his journey, the monk prayed in a forest on the banks of the Strypa River and dreamed he saw the Virgin Mary. When he awoke, he noticed something glowing in a nearby spring, and found the icon, and was healed. The monk decided to remain there in what is now Zarvanytsia.

The icon has attracted pilgrims for centuries. In 1754, it was placed in a stone church and cardinal Ivan Simeoni announced an annual pilgrimage to Zarvanytsia, which was banned by Soviet authorities in 1945 but has resumed since the 1991 Soviet collapse.

About 1 million people are expected to attend papal masses in Kiev and about 2 million in the western city of Lviv, a Catholic stronghold. It is the pope's first visit to Ukraine, and his 94th foreign trip.

RELATED: Pope to Face Religious Cold War on Ukraine Trip

Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Website: http://papalvisit.org.ua/eng/

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

10. In their hatred of our souls, the demons sometimes prompt others to pay us compliments, and thus cause us to grow slack because we are praised. If as a result we give way to conceit and self-esteem, our enemies have no difficulty in taking us prisoner.

June 21, 2001

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE 2001

A total solar eclipse is one of the grandest flukes in the cosmos. At its current distance from Earth, the Moon is exactly the right size to completely -- but only barely -- block the Sun from our view when a host of orbital coincidences come together. But for many who have seen an eclipse, the event is beyond science, and even beyond words.

"It is very hard to describe in words the feeling of witnessing an eclipse," says Susan Stolovy, an astronomer at the California Institute of Technology, echoing the thoughts of other astronomers by adding that the experience is "deeply emotional and exciting ... and spiritual, too." She says the beauty is derived from the glimmering corona surrounding "a black hole" in the sky. That would be the Moon.

"We are forced to acknowledge that we as humans cannot control everything -- the Sun, Earth and Moon will persist in their celestial dance regardless of what we mortals do."

LIVE COVERAGE OF THE SOLAR ECLIPSE (8:30 am EDT): http://www.space.com/sunscience/

MORE FROM THE ASTRONOMERS: How the Universe Will End

FROM THE MAILBAG

VIA Pegeen: A new forum has been created for the sole purpose of taking prayer requests. It is called the Prayer Request Line. Any and all are welcome to send in their requests, be they small or great. And we are expecting miracles, Our Lord willing. We hope to have a second forum soon, a twin forum, where all answered prayers will be posted.

To post a prayer request, simply email: [email protected].

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.

We are hoping to fill up our cup to overflowing.

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

9. A monk should practise the virtue of fasting, avoid ensnarement by the passions, and at all times cultivate intense stillness.

June 20, 2001

(Luke 12:4-5)  "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.

UNREST ABROAD PUTS AMERICAN TRAVELERS ON ALERT

Americans abducted in the Philippines. Unrest in Nepal. Terrorist threats from groups linked to Osama bin Laden.

Headlines around the world are giving travelers fresh incentive to keep alert for warnings before venturing off to distant lands. In the past three weeks alone, the U.S. State Department has issued 17 new or updated travel warnings and other statements to advise Americans of concerns in countries from A to Y -- Algeria to Yemen.

One was a "worldwide caution" that Americans abroad may be the targets of extremist groups tied to bin Laden's organization. Another warned about the dangers of travel in certain areas of the Philippines, where Muslim rebels last month abducted 20 tourists including three Americans, one of whom they claim to have beheaded.

MORE: State Department Travel Warnings- http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html

RELATED HEADLINES

Ukrainian officials describe strict security measures for pope's visit
Catholic priest turns to guns to ward off Philippines' Abu Sayyaf
India Arrests 3 in Plot to Attack U.S. Missions
U.S. Embassy in Yemen targeted for attack
Terrorism experts fear holy war against Israel

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

8. If someone is figuratively speaking an abortion, misshapen by sin, it is said that half his flesh is devoured in this life and half in the life to come (cf. Num. 12:12). For each of us will certainly experience the consequences of his own actions.

June 19, 2001

POPE SAYS MEDICAL TREATMENTS CLASHING MORE WITH CATHOLIC MORALITY

Medical ethics are increasingly clashing with Roman Catholic morality, Pope John Paul II said Monday as he urged respect for doctors who object to procedures or treatments for religious reasons.

"Until quite recently, medical ethics in general and Catholic morality were rarely in disagreement," the pontiff told a group of Catholic gynecologists and obstetricians. "Without problems of conscience, Catholic doctors could generally offer patients all that medical science afforded."

"But this has now changed profoundly," the pope said. He cited a number of scientific developments that concern the church, including drugs that cause abortion or prevent conception, in vitro fertilization, the use of embryonic stem cells in transplants, and cloning projects.

"The conflict between social pressure and the demands of right conscience can lead to the dilemma either of abandoning the medical profession or of compromising one's conviction," John Paul said.

"Faced with that tension, we must remember that there is a middle path which opens up before Catholic health workers who are faithful to their conscience," he said. "It is the path of conscientious objection, which ought to be respected by all, especially legislators."

U.S. SUPREME COURT REJECTS SECOND GARZA APPEAL

Convicted killer Juan Raul Garza's last chance of escaping the death penalty rests with President George W. Bush, after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his request for a stay of execution.

Garza, 44, is scheduled to die by lethal injection at 7 a.m. (8 a.m. EDT) Tuesday in what would be the second federal execution since 1963.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Please join me in praying for Juan Garza and for God's mercy on his behalf!

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

7. Why does Christ accept praise from the mouths of the faithful who are 'little children in regard to evil' (1 Cor. 14:20; cf. Matt. 21:16)? It is because through such praise He destroys the 'enemy and avenger' (Ps. 8:2), who tyrannizes us harshly; for the devil is an enemy of holiness and an avenger in the cause of evil. By praising the Lord with simplicity of heart we overthrow and destroy the schemes of this enemy; for 'in the fulness of Thy glory Thou hast crushed the enemy' (Exod. 15:7).

June 18, 2001

(1 Ki 18:21)  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.

JADED ABOUT RELIGION AND IDEOLOGY, SOME ISRAELIS GO NEW AGE

The "Chic Shouk" is a sign of change in Pardes Hanna, a historically conservative community on the Mediterranean coast that has seen an influx in recent months of spiritualists, artists and musicians seeking refuge from the bustle of Tel Aviv and other cities. They make a sharp contrast to the old stereotypes of gun-toting kibbutzniks and rabbis in prayer shawls.

The migration appears to reflect a growing introspection in Israel's secular majority, brought on by many factors: years of tension with the expanding religious community; a sense that old-school Zionist values are dying; depression over the unexpected resurgence of the Palestinian intefadeh, or uprising.

"Israel is changing so much," said Dafna Retter, a 31-year-old practitioner of guided imagery, a form of psychology that uses visual suggestion. "Israel is growing up. You can do whatever you want," she said, struggling to control a wriggling son whose hands were covered with paint after decorating a clay butterfly.

Alongside the New Age boom, some secular Israelis are flirting with Judaism. Recently, during the Jewish festival of Lag B'omer, thousands of secular Israelis huffed and puffed alongside black-suited orthodox Jews hiking up Mount Meron in northern Israel to the tomb of a revered rabbi. Seventeen-year-old Miri Hazahn hitchhiked from Jerusalem hoping to find music, "pretty souls" and a closeness to God.  The girl, wearing a blue scarf, dusty boots, and flowing purple skirt, said many of her friends came to Mount Meron looking for spirituality.

"Religion has a lot of magic in it," she said.

(Rom 11:25-27)  I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins."

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

6. The demons in their malice revive and rekindle the unclean passions within us, causing them to increase and multiply. But the visitation of the divine Logos, especially when accompanied by our tears, dissolves and kills the passions, even those that are inveterate. It gradually reduces to nothing the destructive and sinful impulses of soul and body, provided we do not grow listless but cling to the Lord with prayer and with hope that is unremitting and unashamed.

June 16, 2001

U.S. CATHOLIC POPULATON INCREASES WHILE RANKS OF PRIESTS AND SISTERS SHRUNK

The U.S. Roman Catholic population continues to grow while the ranks of priests and sisters slowly shrink, according to data in the 2001 Official Catholic Directory.

But there were hopeful signs for the Catholic clergy. The number of seminary students increased over 2000 -- up 392 to 4,917 -- and newly ordained priests, up 73 to 536.

Still, overall numbers of clergy are on the decline. There are now 46,075 priests, down
528 from 2000, and 79,462 sisters, down 1,699 from a year ago. A decade ago, there were 53,088 priests and 101,911 sisters.

Catholic membership increased in the year by nearly 1.3 million to 63,683,030.

FROM THE MAILBAG VIA Joseph J. Collura:

Just wanted to inform you that Barry Hanratty of The Workers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel P.O. Box 606, Lindenhurst, NY has opened up his new web page on Garabandal.

Check it out! Lots of Information!! http://www.garabandalny.com/

EDITOR'S NOTE: Be sure to read the section of the above website referring to Blessed Padre Pio and Garabandal found at: http://www.garabandalny.com/padre_pio_garabandal.html.

Newer readers of the Trib Times should also be aware of the "Warning" page of Eyedoctor's Site located at: http://www.catholicprophecy.info/warning.html.

More information about Garabandal can be found on the "Unapproved Apparitions" portion of this website at: http://www.catholicprophecy.info/catholic2.html.

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

5 (cont.). It is to the Lord, then, that you should ascribe the grace of purity, for He did not surrender you to the desires of your flesh and blood, and to the impure spirits that trouble and corrupt them; but He guarded you with His own right hand. Build Him, then, an altar as Moses did after defeating Amalek (cf. Exod. 17:15). 'Therefore will I give thanks to Thee, O Lord, and sing praises to Thy name' (Ps. 18:49), glorifying Thy mighty acts; for Thou has 'redeemed my life from destruction' (Ps. 103:4), and snatched me from the midst of all the specious and deceptive snares and nets of evil.

June 15, 2001

(1 Cor 1:20)  Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

FROM THE MAILBAG

VIA Philip Madsen: Over a hundred years ago a university student found himself seated in a train by the side of a person who seemed to be a well to do peasant . He was praying the Rosary and moving the beads in his fingers.

Sir, do you still believe in such outdated things?" asked the student of the old man. 'Yes, I do. Do you not?" asked the man.

The student burst out into laughter and said, "I do not believe in such silly things. Take my advice. Throw the Rosary out the window, and learn what science has to say about it."  "Science? I do not understand this science? Perhaps you can explain it to me." the man said humbly with some tears in his eyes.

The student saw that the man was deeply moved. So to avoid further hurting the feelings of the man, he said, "Please give me your address and I will send you some literature to help you on this matter."

The man fumbled in the inside pocket of his coat and gave the boy his visiting card. On glancing at the card, the student bowed his head in shame and became silent. On the card he read: "Louis Pasteur, Director of the Institute of Scientific Research, Paris."

VIA Betsy Warnock: 18^th Century: Fr. Nectou, S.J. prophecy- "The confusion will be so general that men will not be able to think aright, as if God had withheld His Providence from mankind, and that, during the worst crisis, the best that can be done would be to remain where God has placed us, and persevere in fervent prayers ... At that time there will be such a terrible crisis that people will believe that the end of the world has come. Blood will flow in many large cities. The very elements will be convulsed. It will be like a little General Judgement."

RELATED: Priest, confession's sanctity on trial in France

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

5 (cont.). He is our God, and will give us both 'wisdom and power' (Dan. 2:23); for some have received wisdom but not the power of the Spirit to defeat their enemies. He will 'lift up your head above your enemies' (cf. Ps. 27:6); He will give you 'the wings of a dove', so that you can 'fly away and be at rest' with God (Ps. 18:34). The Lord will make your arms as a 'bow of bronze' (Ps. 18:34), giving you strength and endurance against the enemy, subduing under your feet all that rise against you (cf. Ps. 18:39).

June 14, 2001

(Deu 7:21)  Do not be terrified by them, for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God.

THE UNIVERSE: STILL BOGGLING THE MINDS OF 'FINITE CREATURES'

There may be nothing more mind-boggling than the universe. Imagine -- we're halfway through 2001, in the heart of the Information Age, nearly 400 years after the telescope was invented and we don't yet know how big the big house is nor what, if anything, lies beyond.

"As much as we have progressed in science, we are still finite creatures with limited conceptual abilities and imperfect observational tools," said James Sweitzer, director of astrophysics education at the American Museum of Natural History's Rose Center for Earth and Space.

Humbling thought.

RELATED: Mars putting on big show for stargazers

NASA AIMS TO MOVE EARTH

Scientists have found an unusual way to prevent our planet overheating: move it to a cooler spot. All you have to do is hurtle a few comets at Earth, and its orbit will be altered. Our world will then be sent spinning into a safer, colder part of the solar system.

This startling idea of improving our interplanetary neighbourhood is the brainchild of a group of Nasa engineers and American astronomers who say their plan could add another six billion years to the useful lifetime of our planet - effectively doubling its working life.

'The technology is not at all far-fetched,' said Dr Greg Laughlin, of the Nasa Ames Research Center in California. 'It involves the same techniques that people now suggest could be used to deflect asteroids or comets heading towards Earth. We don't need raw power to move Earth, we just require delicacy of planning and manoeuvring.'

The plan has one or two worrying aspects, however. For a start, space engineers would have to be very careful about how they directed their asteroid or comet towards Earth. The slightest miscalculation in orbit could fire it straight at Earth - with devastating consequences. There is also the vexed question of the Moon. As the current issue of Scientific American points out, if Earth was pushed out of its current position it is 'most likely the Moon would be stripped away from Earth,' it states, radically upsetting out planet's climate.

These criticisms are accepted by the scientists. 'Our investigation has shown just how delicately Earth is poised within the solar system,' Laughlin admitted.

(Psa 144:3)  O LORD, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him?

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

5 (cont.). It was His grace that 'delivered me from the wicked man' (cf. Ps. 18:48), that is, from the devil and from the 'old man' within me (cf. Rom. 6:6). Lifted by the wings of the Spirit and freed from the weight of my body, I was able to soar above the predatory demons, who catch man's intellect with the bird-lime of sensual indulgence tempting it in a forcible and violent manner. It was God who brought me out from the land of Egypt, that is, from the soul-destructiveness of the world; it was God who fought on my behalf and with His unseen hand put Amalek to flight (cf. Exod. 17:8-16), thus giving me cause to hope that He will also drive out the other tribes of impure passions before me.

June 13, 2001

SNATCHED FROM THE FIRE??!!!

(Mat 20:1-16)  "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. "About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. "He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' "'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.' "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.' "The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.' "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' "So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

MCVEIGH TOOK LAST RITES BEFORE EXECUTION

Strapped to a gurney, awaiting the lethal injection Monday that would punish him for the Oklahoma City bombing, Timothy McVeigh asked to see a priest.

Bureau of Prisons officials said McVeigh, a self-described agnostic, received the Catholic sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick by an unidentified prison chaplain.

"McVeigh did see last rites which were provided by a BOP chaplain," said Jeff Grondolsky, a spokesman with the Bureau of Prisons. Part of the sacrament includes confession and an absolution of sins.

Did McVeigh confess to the priest?  "I think it speaks for itself," McVeigh attorney Robert Nigh said.

EDITOR'S THOUGHT: When George W. Bush arrives in heaven, assuming that he dies in a state of grace, will he be embraced by some of those same individuals to whom he refused mercy on earth?  Will we all be surprised by the identity of those who are waiting for us at the gates of heaven? How wonderful it will be to return their embrace!

(Jude 1:21-23)  Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear--hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

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

5. If you give in and are defeated when a swarm of evil thoughts rises up against you in your mind, you should know that for a time you have been cut off from the grace of God, and by His just sentence abandoned to your fate. Make every effort, then, never through your own negligence to be deprived of grace, even for a single moment. If you manage to avoid falling, if you succeed in leaping over the barrier formed by impassioned thoughts, and if you overcome the unclean provocations that the enemy in his ingenuity continually suggests to you, do not ignore the gift conferred on you from above. As the Apostle says, 'It was not I but the grace of God which was with me' (1 Cor. 15:10) that won this victory, raising me above the impure thoughts that assailed me.

June 12, 2001

(Prov 14:12)  There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

DUTCH ABORTION SHIP SET FOR STORMY TRIP

A Dutch ship offering onboard abortions will sail for Ireland this week on the first leg of a voyage likely to whip up a storm of protest in nations where abortions are illegal and contraceptives frowned upon. The ship, the Sea of Change, aims to provide abortions to women outside the territorial waters of countries where pregnancies are only terminated in exceptional circumstances.

"We hope to provide a catalyst for legalization...We simply want to give women a choice. Public awareness is the first step," Women on Waves founder Rebecca Gomperts told Reuters. The Women on Waves Foundation, funded by private donations, says its mission is to prevent unwanted pregnancies, enable women to make informed decisions about family planning and to ensure safe and legal abortions.

First stop will be Ireland, where the ship will moor for up to a month. Gomperts described the trip as a pilot project. Further legs of the journey will depend on its success.

PROF VOWS TO FIGHT FDA BAN ON HUMAN CLONES

Capping a tumultuous nine months, chemistry professor Brigitte Boisselier left Hamilton College this week, vowing to battle the U.S. government over a person's right to clone and be cloned.

Boisselier said she hopes to go to federal court to challenge a Food and Drug Administration directive to halt Clonaid, the project she directs, which seeks to clone the first human baby. Boisselier describes herself, and her cause, in much the same words used by those who struggled to make abortion legal.

"I'm fighting for the freedom of choice of reproduction," said Boisselier, 44, in her final visit to the campus in rural Oneida County. Her resignation, tendered in March, took effect with the end of the school year.

"If you want to mix your genes with a woman of your choice, that's your choice," she continued. "If you want to mix them with an egg you buy somewhere - because that's now possible - fine. And if you want to reproduce using your genes only, because it is an option now, you should be allowed to do that.

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

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

4. The moon as it waxes and wanes illustrates the condition of man: sometimes he does what is right, sometimes he sins and then through repentance returns to a holy life. The intellect of one who sins is not destroyed (as some of you think), just as the physical size of the moon does not diminish, but only its light. Through repentance a man regains his true splendour, just as the moon after the period of waning clothes itself once more in its full light. If a man believes in Christ, 'even though he dies, he shall live' (John 11:25); he shall know that 'I the Lord have spoken, and will do it' (Ezek. 17:24).

June 11, 2001

(John 8:10-11) Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She replied, "No one, sir." Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, (and) from now on do not sin any more."

FROM THE MAILBAG VIA Jim Shea:

I have recently, (the past year) read and studied the life and Diary of St. Faustina. In this process, I have spoken to the people involved with the Divine Mercy Center in Stockbridge, Ma. and especially Fr. Seraphim Michalencko who was the Vice-Postulator for St. Faustina's beatification and canonization.

Fr. Michalencko is a personal confidant of the Pope who was hand picked by him for these jobs. The Pope has a special interest in the Divine Mercy Devotion and has personally assisted in its spread and implemetation.

Why do I bring this up in this context?. Because those of us who say they will and are praying for Tim McVeigh, I ask that you join me at the hour of his execution in praying the Chaplet.

In her Diary, Jesus tells her that whoever prays and is prayed over with the Chaplet, He will personally stand between the subject and God at the moment of death as a sign of His Mercy.

I have spoken numerous times with Paul Regan the National Director for the promotion of the 'Divine Mercy Chaplet for the Sick and Dying' which has a specific Papal Blessing, and he confirms the efficacy of this prayer and has witnessed numerous incredible events related to its recitation at the death bed of individuals.

So rather than argue over the death penalty, can we all agree to say the Chaplet at the hour of his death and ask Jesus to intervene on his behalf?

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(Mat 7:2)  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

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

3. Just as the bush burned with fire but was not consumed (cf. Exod. 3:2), so those who have received the gift of dispassion are not troubled or harmed, either physically or in their intellect, by the heat of their body, however ponderous or fevered it may be. For the voice of the Lord holds back the flames of nature (cf. Ps. 29:7): God's will and His word separate what by nature is united.

June 9, 2001

(1 Pet 3:12)  For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

RWANDA WAR CRIMINALS JAILED FOR 12 TO 20 YEARS

A Belgian judge sentenced four Rwandans to between 12 and 20 years in prison on Friday for their part in the 1994 genocide in which up to one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were massacred. The four -- two Catholic nuns, a professor and a former government minister -- were earlier convicted by a civilian jury of helping Hutu radicals slaughter more than 5,000 Tutsis who had sought refuge from the ethnic bloodletting.

Rwanda's government has congratulated Belgium on the trial and called on other countries to follow its example. But a supporter of some of the accused said he was shocked by the verdict, saying: "This is not justice, it is vengeance."

Between 500,000 and one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered in the ethnic bloodbath, often described as the 20th century's third worst genocide after the Jewish Holocaust in Nazi Germany and a massacre of ethnic Armenians in 1915.

MORE: Guatemalan court convicts 3 officers, priest in bishop's slaying

FROM THE MAILBAG VIA Dave Hughes:

When I recently saw Pearl Harbor, (which is a pretty good movie - save for some unnecessary G-d-m-t-s in moments of stress), there is a clip portraying the emotional state of one of the young nurses - who is horribly jarred by the overwhelming flood of severe causalities. In a sort of surrealistic -- echoing - distant-feeling, blurry scene, she is completely overwhelmed - and cries out "I don't know what to do!" This scene touched me deeply - because Thomas Aquinas states that one of the primary conditions of the reprobate, and the resurrected damned, is unconquerable confusion. All their cavalier presumption will be replaced by horrible confusion.

I swear to you, Doc, this confusion is a terrible state! We must save as many souls from it as possible. The worst omen of all in today's world, is the lull that is overtaking everyone. The numbers which participate in the public Rosary in my diocese has diminished so severely in recent years - that it is almost completely extinct.

We are all, to some extent, being reduced to that: I don't know what to do! - state. Please continue to encourage people to PRAY! We need prayer so badly now, that the conditions seem almost beyond repair. The horror of the reprobation of human beings is such a great sorrow - and such a grave evil - that we all need to be continually reminded, and reminded, and reminded to PRAY! As Our Lord says of these days: "the hearts of most men will grow cold."

(1 Th 5:17)  Pray without ceasing.

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

2. David in one of his Psalms describes the praise offered to God by the whole of creation (cf. Ps. 104). He speaks of the angels and all the invisible powers, but he also descends to the earth and includes wild animals, cattle, birds and reptiles. All of them, he believes, worship the Creator and sing His praise; for it is God's will that everything He has made should offer Him glory. How, then, can the monk, who may be compared to the gold of Ophir (cf. 1 Kgs. 10:11), allow himself to be sluggish or apathetic when singing God's praise?

June 8, 2001

(John 15:12-13)  My command is this: Love each other as I d you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

"SERVANT OF GOD" HONORED IN KANSAS

A priest from Kansas who died while ministering to soldiers in a Korean prisoner of war camp - and who is now a candidate for sainthood - has been memorialized with a life-sized statue. The dedication at St. John Nepomucene Church is part of an effort by the Wichita Roman Catholic Diocese and the Archdiocese for Military Services to have the Rev. Emil J. Kapaun canonized. The statue depicts Kapaun helping a soldier.

"There has to be a groundswell of interest, a grass-roots attraction for what he stood for,'' said Archbishop Edwin O'Brien of the Archdiocese for Military Services in Washington, D.C., which provides pastoral services for military personnel and others.

Kapaun was a Pilsen native and the most highly decorated chaplain in the military, receiving the Bronze Star, the Distinguished Service Cross and other honors. After being taken as a prisoner of war in 1950, Kapaun nursed the sick and wounded until a blood clot in his leg prevented his daily rounds. He was moved to a hospital and died on May 23, 1951.

Eight years ago, the Vatican announced Kapaun officially would be called "servant of God,'' in what could be the first step to his eventual elevation to sainthood.

MORE: LEBANON- Our first woman saint spurs us to overcome present difficulties

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

1. The King of all reigns for ever, and there is neither beginning nor end to His kingdom. To those, then, who choose to serve Him and who for His sake strive to attain holiness, He grants a reward infinitely greater than that given by any earthly ruler. The honours of this present life, however splendid, come to an end when we die; but the honours bestowed by God on those whom He regards as worthy are incorruptible and so endure forever.

June 7, 2001

FROM THE MAILBAG

SUBSCRIBER'S QUESTION: I can't understand the following words (see 6-1 Trib Times):

"We can offer the physical pain, diseases, the heartaches, and the sufferings of all sorts to our Lord through the hands of Our Lady!"

To me the mother of Jesus Christ was chosen by God's grace alone. She was just like every other human - without any righteousness and therefore sinful (Rom 3:9 - 24).

How can a simple human being who didn't earn to be chosen by God (the Father) be mentioned in the same context as your above quoted words?

Would you be so kind to explain it because I don't understand it?

EDITOR'S RESPONSE: The answer to that question is CRITICAL to understanding the role of Mary in the spiritual life of Catholic Christians. You owe it to yourself to at least understand the correct response to your question. You may decide not to agree with it, but you should UNDERSTAND it.

The best way for me to explain it to you is to recommend a recently published book: "Hail, Holy Queen : The Mother of God in the Word of God" by Scott Hahn. This book is so clearly written, and so deeply based in the Word of God that I have little doubt that you will understand the Catholic position, if not agree with it yourself.

The book is available online at Amazon.com, Borders.com, and Barnes and Noble. Given the critical nature of understanding this question, it will be the best $20.00 you will ever spend.

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

When making a request to an earthly king, sometimes men bring with them as an offering nothing more than a bunch of spring flowers; yet often, so far from rejecting their request, the king has even presented them with gifts in return. In the same way I, at our command, have gathered from various sources a century of spiritual texts: this is my offering to you who are 'citizens of heaven' (Phil. 3:20). I hope that you will accept what I offer and grant me in return the gift of your prayers.

June 6, 2001

FROM THE MAILBAG VIA Aileen Weber S.F.O.:

FATHER SUDAC'S PRAYER OF SURRENDER

Come, Most Holy Spirit, Come, Spirit of Grace, Come, our Healer, Come, Risen Lord, Come, our Beloved teacher. Lord, my heart is in need of You. The depths of my heart cry out to You. I wish to open myself entirely to You. I desire that You penetrate me completely, that I belong to You, that you enter into my heart. I desire that only You enter into my heart. I desire that only You dwell there. I desire to love You eternally. Fill me with Your Holy Love. Strengthen me and be with me always. May Your Holy Name be praised. I pray to You Lord, for every person, for every heart that is beating for You. Answer their prayers. do not allow any of them to be lost. This life passes so quickly. Allow us to become aware of what is important, to not lose ourselves but to gain You. You are the only center of our lives. Only with You can I know what and who I am. Come, Lord, Come, Most Holy Spirit. My heart is waiting for You. Amen.

MORE ON FATHER SUDAC:

SPIRIT DAILY ARTICLE: Croatian priest marked with 'stigmata' also said to bilocate
CROATIAN RELIEF SERVICES: http://www.croatianrelief.org/letter3.htm

The Philokalia excerpt: St. Diadochos "On Spiritual Knowledge"

100 (cont.). At the coming of the Lord those who have departed the present life with such confidence as this will be 'caught up' together with all the saints (cf. 1 Thess. 4:17); but those who feel fear even for an instant at the moment of their death will be left behind with the rest of mankind to be tried by the fire of judgment (cf. 1 Pet. 2:7), and will receive from our God and King, Jesus Christ, the lot due to them according to their works. For He is the God of justice and on us who love Him He bestows the blessings of His kingdom through all the ages. Amen.

June 5, 2001

PLAINTIFFS IN HISTORIC SUPREME COURT ABORTION RULINGS RETURN TO COURT SEEKING OVERRULING OF THEIR CASES

A press conference reported the filing of affidavits and briefs by Norma McCorvey and Sandra Cano the Roe and Doe, respectively, of the Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton Supreme Court decisions asking the courts to reverse their own historic abortion cases of more than a quarter-century ago.

Donna Santa Marie is a class action suit by five women, three of whom have been prevented from bringing valid suits against doctors who terminated the lives of their children without obtaining informed and voluntary consent. These women contend that the abortion laws violate the fundamental rights of the women of the nation. They seek to take back for women, and from the abortion clinics, the role of litigating women's rights, contending that the interests of the clinics and the interests of women are irreconcilable.

In support of the plaintiffs' case, McCorvey and Cano contend in their affidavits and briefs that they in particular, and women in general, were and are being misled and lied to by abortion providers. The Donna Santa Marie case represents the first of its kind in the United States in which women have initiated legal action directly attacking the legal premise of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. The other two plaintiffs are women with active obstetrical practices who contend that New Jersey abortion laws violate the rights of mothers and their children under their medical care.

RELATED: France Extends Abortion Law.

62-YEAR-OLD WOMAN GIVES BIRTH

A 62-year-old woman has given birth to a healthy boy in southeastern France, becoming one of the oldest new mothers in the world, the Associated Press has reported. News about the birth has raised questions about how the mother became pregnant. Artificial insemination is illegal in France for women who are too old to conceive children naturally. French television and newspapers have speculated that the woman -- whose identity has not been revealed -- underwent in vitro fertilization in the United States.

Health Minister Bernard Kouchner said the birth was the first of its kind in France. Kouchner told reporters: "This poses the problem of fairly uncontrollable deviations in all our technical advances and scientific progress. "It is not tragic but the very idea that this could become something with no limits, is obviously a problem."

MORE FROM RESEARCH BENCH: Geneticist: We Descended From 33 Daughters of Eve

The Philokalia excerpt: St. Diadochos "On Spiritual Knowledge"

100 (cont.). If we do not confess our involuntary sins as we should, we shall discover an ill-defined fear in ourselves at the hour of our death. We who love the Lord should pray that we may be without fear at that time; for if we are afraid then, we will not be able freely to pass by the rulers of the nether world. They will have as their advocate to plead against us the fear which our soul experiences because of its own wickedness. But the soul which rejoices in the love of God, at the hour of its departure, is lifted with the angels of peace above all the hosts of darkeness. For it is given wings by spiritual love, since it ceaselessly carries within itself the love which 'is the fulfilling of the law' (Rom. 13:10).

June 4, 2001

(Mark 10:14 NIV)  When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

POPE: YOUNG PEOPLE VICTIMS OF 'ABSURD' MIDEAST VIOLENCE

Two days after a suicide bombing attack on an Israeli disco, Pope John Paul II decried "absurd" violence in the Middle East and appealed for efforts to spare young people from armed conflict.  In his remarks to the public in St. Peter's Square for his customary noon appearance on Sunday, John Paul remembered the "lives of so many young people who are victims of the absurd violence going on, unfortunately, in various countries, as the news these days from the Holy Land bears witness."

This week, the Vatican is co-sponsoring, along with the United Nations, a symposium at UN headquarters on the plight of children caught up in war, and the pontiff anticipated the theme.  "In some 50 countries, so many minors live in the middle of conflicts or in situations right after conflicts," John Paul said.  "They are victims of forced recruitment and of every kind of abuse. They can't go to school, they are separated from their parents and suffer physical and psychological violence," the pontiff said.

"I appeal to the international community to step up efforts to protect and rehabilitate all those who live in such dramatic conditions. May children, who are the future and hope of humanity, at last grew up far from the scourge of war and from every form of violence," John Paul said.

RELATED: Nine Killed in Bomb Blast in Bangladesh Catholic Church

POPE MEETS WITH ANGLICAN LEADER, PRAYS FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

Pope John Paul II expressed hopes for "deeper understanding and reconciliation" between Anglicans and Roman Catholics during a meeting Friday with the Archbishop of Canterbury.

As part of efforts for better relations with non-Catholics, John Paul recently visited Greece and will make a pilgrimage to the Ukraine later this month. Both countries are predominantly Orthodox Christian.

John Paul said his prayer "for Christian unity is ever more intense."

RELATED: Melkite Patriarch draws crowd of Catholics in Miami

The Philokalia excerpt: St. Diadochos "On Spiritual Knowledge"

100 (cont.). 'If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness' (1 John 1:9). We should pay close attention to maintaining inward awareness during confession, so that our conscience will not deceive itself into believing that the confesssion it has made to God is adequate; for though we may not be wawre that we have done anything wrong, the judment of God is far more severe than our conscience. This is what Paul in his wisdom teaches us when he says: 'I do not judge myself; for although I am not conscious of anything against myself, yet I am not thereby acquitted. But it is the Lord who judges me' (1 Cor. 4:3-4).

June 2, 2001

ISRAELI SECURITY CABINET DISCUSSING RESPONSE TO TERRORIST ATTACK

The Security Cabinet is in special session meeting in Tel Aviv to discuss the Israeli reaction to the suicide bombing of a discotheque which killed 17 Israeli youths and wounded scores more.

As a primary move, Israel has banned all Palestinians from the country and ordered them to immediately return to their homes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The IDF and Israel Police have also reportedly beefed up its patrol along the Green Line border separating Israel from the territories to prevent more infiltrations of Palestinian terrorists.

Outside the gates of the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, about a hundred Israelis were demonstrating against the government's ceasefire and calling for a harsh retaliation against the Palestinian Authority and its chairman Yasser Arafat.

"It appears that Arafat and the Palestinian Authority are interested in dragging the whole region into chaos," Defense Minister Ben-Eliezer told Israel Radio.

RELATED: Palestinians celebrating Tel Aviv bombing
        Young people at disco targeted in suicide attack

RELIGIOUS LEADERS URGE END TO IRAQ UN SANCTIONS

A group of American religious leaders called this week for an end to U.N. sanctions against Iraq and said a U.S.-British plan to amend them would do little to alleviate the Iraqi people's suffering.

A letter to President Bush signed by 10 religious groups and 30 leaders, including nine Roman Catholic bishops, said the plan falls painfully short. The religious leaders, who include Christians, Jews and Muslims, urged Bush to consider instead a policy of encouraging large-scale capital investment to "rehabilitate Iraq's shattered economy."

The U.S.-British plan "doesn't do anything to allow Iraq to rebuild its infrastructure," said Thomas Gumbleton, a Catholic bishop who signed the letter. "If you can imagine, what would Germany have been like without the Marshall Plan?"

Another signer, Rabbi Douglas E. Krantz, said the sanctions are "immoral, impractical and ineffective." The more difficult, but moral path is constructive engagement, he said.

"When you see the faces of Iraqi children, you realize (the sanctions are) not in anybody's best interest," said Krantz, who has traveled to Iraq. "How has a rise in child poverty and illiteracy made the world safer from (Iraqi leader) Saddam Hussein?"

RELATED: Iraq to stop crude oil exports on Monday

The Philokalia excerpt: St. Diadochos "On Spiritual Knowledge"

100. Those of us who come to share in the knowledge of God will have to account for all our vain imaginings, even when they are involuntary. 'For Thou hast marked even my involuntary transgressions', as Job rightly says (Job 14:17.). For if we had not ceased from the remembrance of God and neglected His holy commandments, we would not have succumbed to either voluntary or involuntary sin. We must therefore offer to the Lord at once a strict confession even of our involuntary failings in the practice of our normal rule- until our conscience is assured through tears of love that we have been forgiven.

June 1, 2001

(Rom 12:9-12)  Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

EXHORTATION FROM SADIE JARAMILLO

I have been shown these things to share with you, the believers, that you might be encouraged to persevere in prayer. That we might pray for those who now live their lives oblivious to God's presence. That we might plead for the mercy of God on these, and also on those whom we love in our circle of family and friends. But most importantly, for the priests and religious who have abandoned their vocations!

I feel intensely the closeness of the warning. There are many ways the Lord has given me this sense of urgency. But the greatest sign for me is the havoc now being played out in the Church. While traveling I attend Mass in many parishes. When there is a lack of reverence I feel much distress, so much so that I cry tears of frustration and call to the Lord to show these things to his priests. Our Lady addresses that in this message.

The long silence between messages now indicates to me that we must focus on living out what has already been told. Many, many have fallen away from prayer and been deceived by the world. Or their apathy to what is happening in the Church causes them to "go with the flow." Well I believe the time to fight back is now! We can fight back with our prayers and sacrifices. We can offer the physical pain, diseases, the heartaches, and the sufferings of all sorts to our Lord through the hands of Our Lady! Every little act we do in the name of Jesus becomes of great value and is an "act of love." It is a daily prayer, and in the routine life of our daily existence we can do this.

Live each day with joy, and rejoice that you know Jesus and are in but not of the world. The Bible tells us so. We should have joy in knowing that Jesus Himself will straighten out all the confusion in the Church and in the world! It is with great joy and love that I thank all of you who have been faithful to the requests of Our Lady and Our Lord Jesus, who persevere in prayer, who believe. We have the words of our Lord and our Heavenly Mother and we believe all will be as they have told us!

I repeat what the Holy Father John Paul II says to us constantly. "Be not afraid!"

I remain united with you in prayer, sadie j

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. Diadochos "On Spiritual Knowledge"

99 (cont.). Of course, this passion troubles men not only after they mature in the virtues, but also before that; in either case the soul is made to appear worthless, however great its virtues may be. We should fight the first of these demons by means of great humility and love, and the second by means of self-control, freedom from anger, and intense meditation on death, until we come to perceive unceasingly the energy of the Holy Spirit within us and rise with the Lord's help above even these passions.

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