Keep
your eyes open!...
November 27, 2009
THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN NEXT
WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(Luk 12:39-40) But
know this, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was
coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also
must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an unexpected hour."
ON ADVENT
FATHER CORAPI EXCERPT: Advent Is Coming: Preparation for "the Preparation"
Preparation
is of great importance in almost anything you do in life. Much of the
chaos and incompetence we see in various spheres of influence today is
due to lack of preparation. Everyone that takes any pride in their
work, their sport, their profession, etc. has to be prepared. To go
into battle unprepared is to invite disaster. To go into a football
game, or any other sports contest, unprepared is to invite defeat.
One
of the not so edifying facts that I've seen in my lifetime, the last 30
years of it anyhow, is that large numbers of people have lost the will
for excellence, and that's why we have so little of it: in education,
in politics, in service, in products, etc. The great American
institution of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts contributed very
materially to the greatness of our nation by "preparing" our young
people for life. "BE PREPARED!" was surely the Boy Scouts' motto that
we learned and were schooled in.
Lower things can prepare us for
higher things. The natural order is a good teacher of things more moral
and spiritual. We can learn much from nature. This Advent we should
make an effort to truly prepare for the coming of the Lord Jesus at
Christmas. Prepare for the preparation, now. How will you spend Advent?
How will you prepare for this Christmas? Now is the time to plan it out.
CATHOLIC REVIEW: Advent is time of preparation
WESTERN CATHOLIC REPORTER: Advent: Presence, not presents
INTERMOUNTAIN CATHOLIC NEWS: Let's do Advent
LINK: Mary Page Advent Calendar -A Collection of Resources: Hebrew Testament Reflections, O'Antiphons, and Masses for Advent
VIA ZENIT.ORG: Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman:
"They watch for Christ who are sensitive, eager, apprehensive in mind,
Who are awake, alive, quick-sighted, zealous in honoring him,
Who look for him in all that happens,
And who would not be surprised,
Who would not be over-agitated or overwhelmed,
If they found that he was coming at once.
"This then is to watch: to be detached from what is present,
And to live in what is unseen;
To live in the thought of Christ as he came once,
And as he will come again; to desire his second coming,
From our affectionate and grateful remembrance of his first."
Catechism of the Catholic Church Paragraph 524:
When
the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes
present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the
long preparation for the Savior's first coming, the faithful renew
their ardent desire for his second coming. By celebrating the
Precursor's birth and martyrdom [St. John the Baptist], the Church
unites herself to his desire: "He must increase, but I must decrease
(Jn 3:30).
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 24- "On meekness, simplicity and guilelessness"
13. An angry man and a sarcastic man met one another,
and it was impossible to find a true word in their conversation. Unveiling
the heart of the former, you will find frenzy; looking into the soul of
the other, you see knavery.
November 25, 2009
(Php 4:6-7) Be
nothing solicitous: but in every thing, by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God. And the
peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and
minds in Christ Jesus.
CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO: Archbishop's Journal: Thanksgiving message: Saved, blessed, inspired by Faith
HOMILY ARCHIVES: Thursday November 24, 2005 (Thanksgiving Day) by Fr. Robert Altier
Reading I (Sirach 50:22-24) Reading II (1 Corinthians 1:3-9) Gospel (St. Luke 17:11-19)
In
the second reading today from Saint Paul's First Letter to the
Corinthians, Saint Paul tells the Corinthians that he gives thanks to
God the Father always in his prayers for them, and then goes on to
explain to them why they need to be so grateful to God; that among them
there are no spiritual gifts that are lacking, that God has provided
for them in all ways. So too it is with us. God provides for His Church
everything we need, but the problem most of us have is that we do not
recognize the spiritual gifts. We live in this very materialistic and
scientific age; consequently, we miss the things that are spiritual.
Yet, at the same time, what we have to be able to see is that even if
we are perhaps overlooking some of the particular gifts that God has
given, we still need to be able to see the greater gift, which is
obviously what you are recognizing because of your very presence here
today. The greatest gift that God has given to each one of us, beyond
life itself, is faith, faith in Him in this society which does not
recognize God or does not think it needs God, the fact that the Lord
has placed into our hearts the faith to be able to recognize our
dependence upon Him and the grace to be able to recognize that we need
to come before Him like this leper from the Gospel reading and say,
"Thank You."
If we go back some two hundred and thirty years, we
recognize that the early pilgrims were people fleeing religious
persecution, people who were fleeing a society that had become
exceedingly decadent and very immoral, and they were looking to be able
to practice their faith. Among these early pilgrims, recall, were many
Catholics, those who founded, for instance, the states of Maryland and
Virginia–both named after our Blessed Lady by Catholics who came to
America. The first religious who came to America came in 1776. It was a
community of Carmelite nuns who came to the New World to be able to lay
a spiritual foundation. The very essence of what our founding fathers
came for was to practice their faith, and it is that faith that we have
to be so grateful to God for because now it is we who in fact live in a
society that is similar to the one they were trying to flee. We live in
a society where they are trying to push God out of society, but how
grateful we must be that the Lord has given to us the grace to
recognize Him, to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him.
We
also need to be grateful even for the society in which we live, not
because it is so decadent but because there has never been a better
time to be a saint. There has never been an easier time to be a saint.
This is what we need to be grateful for. If we can simply maintain our
faith–which is not so simple–but if we can maintain our faith in the
midst of this society, we can become saints. We can become great
saints, lights shining in the darkness of this world.
Saint Paul
tells us that we are to give thanks to God the Father in everything we
do. That is something we all need to look at. Do we recognize that in
everything we need to be grateful? There are so many things we do that
we think we can do all by ourselves: "I really don't need God to do
this thing or that thing because I can handle it myself." Remember that
even the talents and abilities you have are God-given. Certainly, we
have had to work at developing those abilities, but God is the One Who
gave them in the first place. So to say, "I can do this all by myself,"
no we cannot. We cannot do it unless we have the ability which is given
by God, so we still need to thank God even for those abilities. We need
to thank Him for every breath that we can take, because if He did not
provide for us to be able to have the oxygen, we would not even be
alive! Again, we begin to see why Jesus says, Without Me you can do
nothing. We could not even take a breath without Him.
Everything
is a gift, even the things that do not look to us like the gifts we
would give to somebody we love, because sometimes they are not very
pleasant. Things happen in our lives which, in fact, are pretty rotten.
When was the last time we thanked God for those? Most of us probably
look up at Him and have some things to say that are not very prayerful,
are they? But we are supposed to give thanks to God just the way Jesus
did before He suffered and during His suffering.
Again, we see
how God is providing for each one of us to become saints. That is what
we need to be most grateful for because the faith by itself, excellent
as it is, is not an end in itself. Heaven is the end. Union with God is
the end. If we have been able to recognize this gift then we need to be
able to come to Him and to thank Him, which of course we are doing
right here and now in the most profound and perfect way. The word
Eucharist, remember, is the Greek word that means "thanksgiving." So we
are here offering the sacrifice of thanks to God, offering the perfect
sacrifice which brings the grace of God to us and gives Him the
greatest honor and glory. But it is not just here in church that we are
to do this; this is to be the pattern for every single aspect of our
lives so that in all we do we give thanks to God the Father through
Jesus Christ Our Lord. That is the direction Saint Paul gives us. That
is to be what our lives are all about. In everything, no matter what it
is that happens in our day-to-day lives, we need to say "Thank You,"
and we need to recognize that absolutely everything that happens in our
lives, no matter how good or bad they may seem at the time, are all
gifts from God and they are all designed to help us grow in holiness
and become great saints.
If we can keep our focus on God, it
will help to put a perspective onto everything else and then we can do
exactly what we have been told to do, to come back to Him, to thank
Him, and then even at the moment in absolutely everything to give
thanks to God the Father through Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 24- "On meekness, simplicity and guilelessness"
12. The souls of the meek are filled with knowledge,
but an angry mind is a denizen of darkness and ignorance.
November 21, 2009
THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN NEXT
WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(Mar 13:31-33) Heaven
and earth shall pass away: but my word shall not pass away. But of that
day or hour no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son,
but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray. For ye know not when the
time is.
ZENIT.ORG: On the End Times and God's Kingdom- "Behold the Power of the Word of Christ"
FATHER CORAPI: Thoughts on the "Last Things"
SAINT FAUSTINA: The Origin of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy
MANILLA BULLETIN: Only tragedy, not to be a saint
As
regards becoming a saint, when you tell that to someone, chances are he
will look at you oddly and say, "To be a saint? That's not for me. I'm
too worldly for that."
But the truth is our ultimate goal is and
should be to become a saint. In short, to attain heaven. If you don't
aspire to reach heaven, where will you be in the next life?
Someone
quipped, "There are only two places in the next life: the smoking
(hell) and non-smoking (heaven) area. Will you spend your eternity - in
the smoking or non-smoking area?"
Are you doing every means to
achieve that goal? As the French novelist Leon Bloy rightly puts it:
"The only tragedy in life is not to be a saint."
By the way,
saints in heaven are not only those canonized, those with capital S,
but also those with small S who are already there but were not
officially declared saints by the Church.
Becoming a saint does
not mean imitating the extraordinary feats of someone like the martyrs
who died for their faith. If you can do it, great. In fact, today we
need more heroes of the Church.
Becoming a saint in our modern times means more of imitating people who fell down and kept trying to rise.
They
may have committed mistakes in their marriage or religious life, but
kept coming back, faithfully following the Lord. Remember such saints
like St. Peter who denied the Lord, St. Paul, formerly the fierce
persecutor of Jesus' disciples, Matthew, the hated tax collector, the
adulterous woman?
If such people have anything extraordinary
about them, it is that they never stopped trying to live the will of
God in their day-to-day lives. They were ordinary people with
extraordinary faith and determination.
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Frank Rega: Below are some spicy excerpts from my new, forthcoming book about Luisa Piccarreta.
On the coming era:
The
world is doing everything it can to banish Jesus from society, from
schools, from conversations – from everything. But while the
world is plotting to destroy His Church and to kill his ministers,
Jesus is preparing an Era of Love – the era of the third Fiat. He
will confound the world by means of love. Wherever He has been
banished, He will raise His throne, and reign in an astonishing way,
such that man will fall at the foot of His throne as though bound by
the power of His love. His love will be shown in a marvelous and
unheard of way. Therefore Luisa must be attentive because He
wants her to be with Him, so they can work together in preparing this
celestial and divine Era of Love.
If they want to make
war, so be it. When they get tired, Jesus will make His war . . .
of love. Their tiredness in evil, their disenchantment and
disillusionment, will dispose them to receive His war. All
of the acts of Luisa and those of others done in His Volition will wage
war – but not a war of blood. It will be waged with weapons
of love, giving forth graces, gifts, and peace, such as to astonish
ungrateful man. The acts done in His Will, carrying the creative
power within themselves, and descending from heaven, will bring all
goods upon earth.
EWTN: Luisa Piccarreta - Status of her Cause
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 24- "On meekness, simplicity and guilelessness"
11. An upright soul is a fellow lodger with humility,
but an evil one is a daughter of pride.
November 20, 2009
(1Ma
2:19-22) Then Mathathias answered, and said with a loud voice: Although
all nations obey king Antiochus, so as to depart every man from the
service of the law of his fathers, and consent to his commandments: I
and my sons, and my brethren will obey the law of our fathers. God be
merciful unto us: it is not profitable for us to forsake the law, and
the justices of God: We will not hearken to the words of king
Antiochus, neither will we sacrifice and transgress the commandments of
our law, to go another way.
THEMOYNIHANREPORT EXCERPT:
Russia is not Russia. Or at least, not the Russia I imagined. I
imagined "Holy Russia," filled with silent, holy monks and splendid,
divine liturgies. But it is a very human and very secularized Russia,
especially in Moscow, its streets crowded with cars, its churches often
empty, its clubs crowded with pleasure-seekers, its leaders intent, for
the most part, I am told, on lining their own pockets and vacationing
in the Crimea, or Switzerland, or Miami, or Italy, or Egypt, or the
Maldives -- any place warm -- and the nation be damned.
But then, America is no longer America, and Italy no longer Italy. We
have all been changed by the industrial, scientific, information and
communications revolutions — changed utterly.
The news on CNN on the television as I leave my room in the Danilovsky
Hotel is that the Catholic Church in Washington D.C. is protesting a
likely ruling of the Washington D.C. city council that will require the
Catholic Church's social agencies to place orphaned children with
homosexual couples. Obviously, America is no longer the simple America
of "Mom and apple pie."
And in Italy, once Catholic, the European Union has ordered that
crucifixes no longer be displayed in public places. And so the
Constantinian revolution is reversed after 1,700 years.
In the modern West, virtues once honored are honored no longer, and
vices, like greed, once denounced as harmful to the person and his or
her eternal soul, are now defended as "rights" and even praised as new
virtues.
HEADLINES
Axelrod Signals Obama Will Try to Strip Abortion Language From Health Care Bill
ACLJ
Represents 44 Members of Congress in Asking Court to Uphold National
Motto and Pledge of Allegiance Displays at Capitol Visitor Center
US Supreme Court Refuses Suit from Valedictorian Prevented from Sharing Her Faith
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Joseph: After reading the Population Research Institute's comments on the bizarre Optimum Population Trust (http://pop.org/the-overpopulation-movement-struggles-to-stay-relevant) , I just had to reflect on the current times.
We have LOST OUR TRUST IN GOD!
We have politicians, both Republican and Democratic misleading us to extinction.
A birthrate must be at least 2.1 per couple or else you begin to decrease to nothing.
Europe is disappearing.We do not trust in 'God's Go forth and multiply'.
Natural Law is ignored.
Marriage can be between a man and a frog.
Man and Woman, well, that's old fashioned.
If we object to bizarre life styles we are accused of Hate Crimes.
We believe that man affects the weather and that fewer of us is better.
We believe that we are creating global warming when the evidence is
clear that eons ago there were farms in Iceland and Greenland and
Glaciers in Ohio.
We believe we can manipulate God given seeds to become disease
resistant and at the same time sterile for future use. Look at the poor
farmers in India that can no longer save their seeds for next year
(because of Monsanto and Dow Chemicals GMO death seeds) and the farmers
can not afford to buy more.
Man now believes that he controls Life, Health, and Death.
Abortion! Cancer, Heart Disease, Big Drug, Big Farm, Big Gov.
We want a treaty on climate change so that we may have One World Government.
It is clear to me that our health is a function of what we eat, Not the
medicines we take that more often do not cure, but, leave us with side
effects more severe than if we did not take them.
There are cures and preventatives for Heart Disease and Cancer.
And there are M.D.s , Dr. Weir, Dr. Whitaker, as well as Natural Practitioners that do not always need Big Drug to cure.
So please pray that there is a return to God, before He tires of our
shenanigans and brings us back to our knees or cave man days.Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 24- "On meekness, simplicity and guilelessness"
10. A gentle soul retains words of wisdom, for
the Lord will guide the meek in judgment (Ps. 24:9), or rather, in discretion.
November 19, 2009
(1Co 11:1) Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ.
HEADLINE: John Paul II hailed by Vatican commission
Cardinals and bishops have voted to recognise the "heroic virtues" of
the late pope John Paul II, moving him a step closer on the path to
sainthood, Vatican sources said on Tuesday.
The 15-strong commission of cardinals and bishops that studied the case
are not allowed to speak on their deliberations, but the sources said
their vote was in favour of John Paul II, who was pope from 1978-2005.
Current Pope Benedict XVI must validate the commission's decision before Karol Wojtyla can be proclaimed as "venerable".
The final stage before beatification is the examination of the
"miracle" attributed to John Paul II for the unexplained healing in
2005 of a French nun who suffered from Parkinson's disease.
Medical and theological panels will look at the case, which will then
be considered by the bishops and cardinals commission before Benedict
XVI again has to authorise their decisions.
If all these stages are met, John Paul II's beatification will follow,
which could take place in October 2010 to mark the anniversary of the
Polish pope's election on October 16, 1978.
REVIEW: Countdown to freedom: John Paul II's place in history
WEBLINK: Cause for Beatification and Canonization of The Servant of God John Paul II
CATHOLIC REVIEW: Masses worldwide to recall Archbishop Sheen's life, promote sainthood
A worldwide celebration of Masses Dec. 9 will commemorate the 30th
anniversary of the death of famed author, lecturer and television
evangelizer Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, as well as promote his cause
for canonization.
Two women from the Paterson Diocese launched the program: Lo Anne
Mayer, a parishioner of Christ the King Church in New Vernon, and La
Verne Washburne, a parishioner of Corpus Christi Church in Chatham
Township.
Mayer, who is a board member of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
Foundation in Peoria, Ill., and president of its advisory council,
credits her friend Washburne with conceiving the worldwide Mass idea.
Washburne said it just struck her after hearing the foundation advise
that Rome would like to witness an outpouring of support for Archbishop
Sheen "from a lot of people!"
"The Mass is our greatest prayer," she said, "and I can't think of a
better way to dramatize his worthiness for sainthood than big turnouts
of people around the globe attending Mass in his memory, all on the
same day. That's public support on a grand scale; hopefully, it will
impress Rome."
WEBLINK: Official Website for the Canonization Cause of the Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. SheenLadder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 24- "On meekness, simplicity and guilelessness"
9. A meek soul is a throne of simplicity, but an
angry mind is a creator of evil.
November 18, 2009
(Psa
139:13-16) For thou didst form my inward parts, thou didst knit me
together in my mother's womb. I praise thee, for thou art fearful and
wonderful. Wonderful are thy works! Thou knowest me right well; my
frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being made in secret,
intricately wrought in the depths of the earth. Thy eyes beheld my
unformed substance; in thy book were written, every one of them, the
days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
LINK: An intercessor for all who would defend life by George Weigel
LIFE HEADLINES
Bishops meet to discuss health care reform
USCCB efforts on health care reform measure seen as lesson for future
Leader of US Catholic bishops says church has duty to speak out in health care debate
EDITORIAL: How to convert a nation despite our human frailty by Judie Brown
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Austin Ruse: UN Pro-Life Petition Grows to Over 600,000, One Million Needed!
You
may or may not have signed the UN Petition for the Unborn Child and the
Family. I am being a pest and sending this to you again because if you
haven't helped this campaign, I am asking you to do so now. If you have
helped this campaign by signing the petition, I am asking you to send
an appeal to all your friends and family to help this campaign. If you
have already done that, please do it again!??
The only way these
types of internet campaigns work is by millions of people working
together and sending repeated calls for help!??
We intend to
deliver one million names to the UN in support of the unborn child. I
run C-FAM. We have been doing UN pro-life work full time for 12 years.
You can check us out at http://www.c-fam.org
to see that we are legitimate. We are in a unique position to run this
campaign and to deliver one million names to our friends at the UN and
to the UN Secretary General.
Read the petition HERE
in one of 18 languages and then sign it, if you have not already. And
then, I implore you to send a notice about this campaign to all of your
friends and family, to your whole address book! We have gathered
611,998 as of 1:32 pm November 15. We have gathered 126,404 new names
in the last six weeks. We need to move faster than that!??
Please go HERE.
Read the petition, sign it if you have not already and send the
petition with your note to all of your family and friends. Do it now.
Do not wait!??
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 24- "On meekness, simplicity and guilelessness"
8. The meek shall inherit the earth (Matt 5:5),
or rather shall exercise dominion over it, but bad-tempered men will be
harried out of their land.
November 13, 2009
THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN NEXT
WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(Luk 18:6-8) And
the Lord said: Hear what the unjust judge saith. And will not God
revenge his elect who cry to him day and night? And will he have
patience in their regard? I say to you that he will quickly revenge
them. But yet the Son of man, when he cometh, shall he find, think you,
faith on earth?
ESSAY: Time by Peter Kreeft
LINK: http://www.comepraytherosary.org/ -An online video Rosary for participation in worldwide or individual prayer.
FROM THE MAILBAG
Reflection by Father Ted
– – November 09, 2009
My
dearest Jesus, earlier tonight You reminded me, through the writing of
Pope Benedict XVI that the reason You created our universe was that You
could become one of us to reveal Your love to all of my brothers and
sisters and to me and to enable us to return that love.
Isn’t
that why Saint Augustine many, many years ago expressed in his
confessions this simple truth - “Our hearts are restless, until they
rest in Thee, O Lord.” As I have been writing recently in these
reflections – You made me to know, to love and to serve You and to be
with You forever in Your home.
When You created the universe, You made it “good”. And in the beginning of the Book of Genesis, You expressed this truth.
When You created our first parents, You declared that this was “very good”. For You made them in Your image, in Your likeness.
You gave to them the ability to know and to love – for You wanted them to know You and so to love You.
You gave them the ability to express their love by obeying You.
Their ability to express their love was tested – as all love must be tested.
They were tested by the evil one. They gave into his temptation by refusing to reflect their love through their obedience.
As You made Adam and Eve to know You and to love You, so have You made me to know You and to love You.
As You tested their love for You, so You likewise test me, You do so often, as it must be.
And so You allow me to be tested also by the evil one.
He challenges me, as he did Adam and Eve, not to listen to You – that is not to obey You.
When I yield to his persuasion, I sin.
But You, in Your profound love for me, offer to me the opportunity, the grace to repent of my expression of un-love.
This
is why You so often offer to me the opportunity to confess my sin(s) to
Your ordained priest in that awesome sacrament of Penance.
Lord,
continue to offer to me Your gifts of love. Continue to help me to love
You with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength.
May I love You as You love me – forever.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 24- "On meekness, simplicity and guilelessness"
7. In the heart of the meek the Lord finds rest,
but a turbulent soul is a seat of the devil.
November 12, 2009
(Rev 6:9-11) And
when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of
them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which
they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying: How long, O Lord
(Holy and True), dost thou not judge and revenge our blood on them that
dwell on the earth? And white robes were given to every one of them
one; And it was said to them that they should rest for a little time
till their fellow servants and their brethren, who are to be slain even
as they, should be filled up.
NEWSLINK: Victim of Stalinist Church Persecutions Beatified
VATICAN: Pope Pays Tribute to Persecuted Priests
INDIAN CATHOLIC: Church not afraid to preach Gospel, declares mission congress
EDITORIAL: Prayer over persecution of Christians
On this past Sunday, Nov. 8, Christians around the world participated
in the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Some half
million Christians in 150 countries remembered the plight of believers
who are suffering persecution because of their faith. Some may be
astonished to hear that such a day was set aside for this purpose for
they have the notion that persecution of Christians ended with the
passing of the ancient Roman era. Alas, that is not the case.
In a recent situation in Pakistan 37-year old Asia Bibi was accused of
blaspheming Mohammed for allegedly saying, "Jesus is alive. Mohammed is
dead." She was imprisoned for four months before her first meeting with
a judge in Sheikhupura. She has been charged under section 295-C of the
Pakistani Criminal code that says in part, "Use of derogatory remarks,
etc., in respect of the Holy Prophet . . . shall be punished with
death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine."
According to International Christian Concern's Pakistan analyst,
Jonathan Racho, the penal code is extreme. It in fact penalizes
Christians from holding to their most basic beliefs as Christians and
threatens them with death if they express those beliefs.
Though not often reported in the media, persecution is a daily fact of
life for many Christians around the world. Italian journalist, Antonio
Socci, in his book, The New Persecuted: Inquiries into Anti-Christian
Intolerance in the New Century of Martyrs, estimates that more
Christians (about 45 million) were killed in the 20th century than in
all previous centuries combined. The estimates are taken from sources
such as Oxford's World Christian Encyclopedia. Many of those murdered
died in places like the former Soviet Union, and Nazi Germany. But the
slaughter of some 1.5 million Armenian Christians at the hands of the
Ottoman Empire in 1915 must never be forgotten as well.
Persecution does not always involve martyrdom. Christians in different
parts of the world are denied justice, discriminated against in their
work, are in danger of losing their lives because they have converted,
are captured and sold as slaves, and are forbidden to preach the truths
of the Bible on penalty of fines or imprisonment. Indeed discrimination
and maltreatment have a thousand and one different faces for those
believers who find themselves out of favour with certain governments,
and local citizens as well.
Though persecution takes place every day in countries far away it is
also beginning to happen in Canada. Many are ignorant of this fact for
news media, apart from a few exceptions, simply has not covered the
stories. Who knows for example that a diminutive, 60-year-old
grandmother, Linda Gibbons, has been imprisoned in a Canadian
penitentiary for seven out of the last fourteen years for the crime of
quietly praying in front of an abortion facility? Who has heard about
Father Alfphonse de Valk, the Catholic priest, who was subjected to a
human rights investigation that cost his monthly magazine expenses to
the tune of some $20,000? His crime — defending traditional
marriage and the biblical view of sexuality. Who has heard of Chris
Kempling, of Quesnel, B.C., and the persecution he has experienced at
the hands of his own school district and teachers union? Kempling's
crime was to write a few letters to his local newspaper on the subject
of homosexuality. For this he has been suspended from his work without
pay for several months, and has been forced to pay out thousands and
thousands of dollars to defend himself before the courts.
Some may question whether the above examples qualify as religious
persecution. Are they not simply examples of persons who find
themselves politically out of sync with present cultural values? I
would disagree with that assessment for I maintain that the church
defines morality, not the state. And when the state upends Christian
values and teaching and says that wrong is right and right is wrong,
and then punishes the believer when they continue to speak and practice
their faith—that appears like religious persecution to me.
On the recent International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Christians did well to pray for suffering believers in far off
countries. After all Jesus warned that persecution was to be expected.
I suspect however that most of us thought that Jesus was referring to
Christians in far off places. Who knew? Who could possibly have known
that one day we would be praying for persecuted believers in our own
country of Canada?
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 24- "On meekness, simplicity and guilelessness"
6. Meekness is the fellow-worker of obedience,
the guide of the brotherhood, a bridle for the enraged, a check to the
irritable, a minister of joy, the imitation of Christ, something proper
to angels, shackles for demons, a shield against bitterness.
November 11, 2009
(1Ti 6:11-12) But
thou, O man of God, fly these things: and pursue justice, godliness,
faith, charity, patience, mildness. Fight the good fight of faith. Lay
hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art called and be it confessed a
good confession before many witnesses.
FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT
Spreading faith in a violent land
For priest, move to accept Fort Hood post was calling
Vietnam's Holy Jubilee: Pass on the living Faith, cardinal exhorts
ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT: A promise was made; now it needs to be kept
FATHER CORAPI: Veterans' Day Message from Fr. Corapi
Every
year in the United States of America we celebrate "Veterans' Day" on
November 11th, which historically marked the armistice (originally
Armistice Day) ending World War I. If you are interested in the history
of this American holiday, you can easily find it using Google, or any
web search engine.
We should all be very thankful for the
service of our veterans. Our country and the freedoms we sometimes take
for granted were won by, and constantly protected by, the veterans of
our Armed Forces. My grandfather served in the US Army during World War
I; my father in the Navy Seabees in the South Pacific, some of my
uncles served in the Marines, the Navy, and the Air Force during the
Korean War. I enlisted in the Army in the late 1960s myself.
The
Catechism of the Catholic Church, "a sure norm for teaching the faith,"
as Pope John Paul II asserted, says this about military service in
paragraph #2310, quoting "Gaudium et Spes":
"Those who are sworn to
serve their country in the armed forces are servants of the security
and freedom of nations. If they carry out their duty honorably, they
truly contribute to the common good of the nation and the maintenance
of peace."
It is the obligation of all of us, individuals and
governments alike, to work assiduously for peace. As my Grandmother
often said to me, "war is hell." She knew as she had a husband and son
that fought in both world wars, had nephews and a grandson go off to
faraway places. She prayed, worried, and suffered because of war. Nonetheless,
she knew, like so many of us do, that without the sacrifices of
themselves and their loved ones, there would be no enduring freedom.
There
is always something to be learned from the natural order that can be
applied to the spiritual and moral life. One of the most common
underlying misconceptions and fallacious presuppositions is that there
is no evil in the world, that no one will hurt you if you just don't
hurt them. Wrong! There is evil in the world, there has been since
darkness entered into Eden, and there will be until Jesus comes again
in glory.
There is good and there is evil; there is truth and
there are lies; there is life and there is death. Being neutral is a
myth. Sitting on a fence is an accident waiting to happen. In the end
you will be "for me or against me," as Jesus says.
We are at war
and "our battle is not against flesh and blood," as St. Paul asserts in
his letter to the Ephesians. A good soldier is ready to shed his blood,
sweat, and tears for the cause of freedom. Jesus tells us, "I've come
to set the captives free." The servant is no better, no different, than
his Master. The bottom line of war is victory, and this war is for an
eternal prize.
We honor our veterans this week, and rightly so. Let
their sacrifices for our country inspire you to even higher things. You
and I are called to fight the good fight and run the race to the finish
line. Performing our mission as good Catholics and Christians affects
countless other souls, some we know, some we don't. So, as St. Paul
cautions us, "Don't shadow box. Fight so as to win." Don't imagine
there is not a moral and spiritual war either. This fight results in
victory or defeat, Heaven or hell, forever.
God bless you, Fr. John Corapi
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 24- "On meekness, simplicity and guilelessness"
5. Meekness is the buttress of patience, the door,
or rather, the mother of love, and the foundation of discernment, for it
is said: The Lord will teach the meek His ways (Ps. 29:9). It prepares
us for the forgiveness of sins; it is boldness in prayer; an abode of the
Holy Spirit. But to whom shall I look? Even to him that is meek and quiet
(Isa. 66:2).
November 10, 2009
(Gen 11:4-5) And
they said: Come, let us make a city and a tower, the top whereof may
reach to heaven; and let us make our name famous before we be scattered
abroad into all lands. And the Lord came down to see the city and the
tower, which the children of Adam were building.
HEADLINE: Large Hadron Collider ready to roll again ... unless God stops it first
NEWS REPORT: Crumbs! Bird and baguette trip up atom smasher
The
Large Hadron Collider – the massive "Big Bang" machine on the
Franco-Swiss border – hit a small snag last week after a bird dropped
bread into the power supply.
"There was no shutdown for the
machine," a spokeswoman from the European Organization for Nuclear
Research (Cern) told swissinfo.ch on Monday. "The bread caused a very
small short-circuit and that was it."
A passing bird last week
dropped a baguette morsel into a portion of the machine's power system
that sits above ground. That caused the collider's immensely complex
cooling system to malfunction, warming a three-kilometre stretch of the
27-km-long machine from -271-degrees Celsius to -268 degrees.
"The
bird escaped unharmed but lost its bread," Cern said. "The incident was
similar in effect to a standard power cut, for which the machine
protection systems are very well prepared."
Workers managed to
fix the problem within a few hours. Operations were back to normal a
few days later. There was no damage to the collider.
The
planet's biggest machine is designed to recreate what happened when the
universe was just one trillionth of a second old by smashing protons
into each other at nearly the speed of light. To do it, the machine
must be kept colder than outer space.
THEORY: Large Hadron Collider 'Being Sabotaged from the Future'
OF RELATED INTEREST: Vatican Astronomer Says Church & Science Go Hand in Hand
Many
people believe that science and religion have historically been at
odds, but Brother Guy Cosolmango will tell you otherwise.
The Vatican astronomer was the keynote speaker at "Astrofeast," an annual fundraiser for Kopernik Observatory.
His
lecture titled "The Heavens Proclaim" aimed to debunk myths about the
church and science and he says that the two go hand in hand.
"Science
is a fantastic way of getting to know Creation and to get to know the
Creator. So I'm here to encourage people to look at the stars, look
through a telescope, and to find out what's going on with astronomy,"
said Vatican Astronomer Brother Guy Cosolmango.
MORE: http://vaticanobservatory.org/FAQs.html
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 24- "On meekness, simplicity and guilelessness"
4. Meekness is a rock overlooking the sea of anger,
which breaks all the waves that dash against it, yet remains completely
unmoved.
November 5, 2009
THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN NEXT
WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).POPE BENEDICT XVI:
"We are never alone. We are part of a spiritual fellowship in which a
deep solidarity reigns through the prayers of the living for the
eternal repose of the dead and through the intercession of the holy
deceased on behalf of those still living".
REVIEW: Life everlasting
FROM THE MAILBAG
Reflection by Father Ted
– November 03, 2009:
My dearest Lord Jesus, as we begin
this sacred month of November, You remind me not only of Your
tremendous love for us, but also of our need to respond to Your call to
holiness.
On last Sunday, You enabled us to focus on the ultimate goal that You
offer to me and to all of Your children. For You pointed out to us that
heaven is our true goal and that we can only get there by responding to
Your gifts of love – Your graces.
On last Sunday we celebrated “All Saints’ Day”. We
focused on the myriads of men, women, boys, and girls who are enjoying
eternal bliss with You, with Your and their Father, and with Your Holy
Spirit. They not only see You as You are, they experience the fullness
of the love that You have for them and for all of us who are still
struggling on earth.
And because of this tremendous love experience, they also pray for us,
here on earth, so that we will not merely desire to be with You and
with them in heaven, but that we cooperate with all the graces that You
offer to us to achieve sanctity.
Yesterday, You allowed us to celebrate “All Souls’
Day” when we were permitted to focus on the needs of our deceased
brothers and sisters who are being purified in Purgatory. You not only
allow us to pray for them, You want us to pray for them.
Because of this desire of Your’s – namely, to pray for the
Souls in Purgatory, You permitted Pope Benedict XV to allow us priests
to offer three Masses on this day, just like we can do on Christmas Day.
You want us to help these brothers and sisters who have died and have not yet entered into Heaven.
This is the way we can show to them our love.
We help them by offering Masses for them, by praying the Rosary for
them, by praying such prayers as the Litany of the Holy Souls for them,
by praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for them – especially at
the 3’o clock hour.
In fact, because of Your desire for us to assist them on the journey to
heaven, You have set aside for us this whole month – to pray for
our deceased brothers and sisters.
Today, You also reminded me of the importance of praying for the living
as well – that during our life on earth we focus on doing Your
Will each day.
Today, You allowed me to be present at the funeral of a young man, only
19 years old, who died in a car accident last week. I didn’t know
him, but I knew his younger sister who used to serve some of my Masses.
Was he ready to die – I don’t know. I only hope so.
Did he receive a merciful judgment? I hope so.
Does he need my prayers, and the prayers of others? Most likely.
If he doesn’t, then others will benefit for these prayers –
especially for the Masses offered for the repose of his soul.
Jesus, teach us to live each day as if today will be our last day on
earth. Teach us to love You with all our hearts, with all our souls,
with all of our strength. May we love You most of all.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 24- "On meekness, simplicity and guilelessness"
3. Meekness consists in praying calmly and sincerely
for a neighbour when he causes many turmoils.
November 4, 2009
(Rev 12:7-10) And
there was a great battle in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with
the dragon, and the dragon fought, and his angels. And they prevailed
not: neither was their place found any more in heaven. And that great
dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is called the devil and
Satan, who seduceth the whole world. And he was cast unto the earth:
and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in
heaven, saying: Now is come salvation and strength and the kingdom of
our God and the power of his Christ: because the accuser of our
brethren is cast forth, who accused them before our God day and night. CATHOLIC NEWS HEADLINES
Vatican's fury as court bans crucifixes in Italian classrooms because they 'breach religious rights of children'
Nun reprimanded for escorting women to abortion clinic
Vatican Newspaper Denounces Swiss Theologian
EDITORIAL: A plague of atheists has descended, and Catholics are the target
FIRST THINGS: Rome's Talks With the Lefebvrists BeginFROM THE MAILBAG
VIA
Dave: My wife Peg and I visited Knock in September 2008. It was nice
and quiet as their big celebration is in August. Unlike Medjugorje
which can be a bit loud and have a lot of distractions, we found Knock
to be very quiet and very reverent. It seem to attract the "Old type
Catholics" of the west of Ireland who came for quiet devotion rather
than any hoopla.
Our Lady's appearance in August of 1879 was
very special to the Irish people. They were just starting to get back
on their feet from the devastation of the potato famine and it was a
sign from God that He had not abandoned them. The final push for
national independence began close by to Knock with the National Land
League. Within forty two years ( a biblical generation), the majority
of Ireland would be on its way to full independence after centuries of
oppression and occupation. It was as if Our Lady lit the torch of
freedom at Knock to guide the Irish people to their destiny.
So,
for your readers, if they want to visit a nice quiet place where
devotion to Our Lady has been approved, then I would recommend Knock.
If they are able, St Patrick's Mountain, Croagh Patrick is a 1/2 hour's
drive away. I climbed it while my wife prayed for my safe return while
shopping in the gift shop at the foot of the mountain......
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 24- "On meekness, simplicity and guilelessness"
2. Meekness is an unchangeable state of mind, which
remains the same in honour and dishonour.
November 3, 2009
(1Jn 4:1) Dearly
beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits if they be of
God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. IRISH CENTRAL: 10,000 faithful disappointed as Virgin Mary fails to show at Knock
More
than 10,000 people were left disappointed in Ireland Saturday as the
Virgin Mary failed to appear as predicted at Knock Basilica. By 3 p.m.
Irish time (10 a.m. EST) about 7,000 people had crammed into the
Basilica with a further 3,000 people outside.
Dubliner Joe
Coleman, the man who had predicted the apparition left the Basilica at
about 4 p.m. saying he had seen Our Lady as anticipated. Coleman, who
says he is "a visionary of our Blessed Mother" said he had also
received communication from the Virgin Mary. However, he said he was
unwilling to reveal the message. Speaking earlier this week Coleman had
he warned that the visitation would only be visible "to people who come
with an open heart".
Earlier this month
an estimated 5,000 gathered at Knock Shrine with some people claiming
to have seen the sun dancing in the sky. Mr Coleman said the Virgin
Mary had asked him to recite the Rosary with a priest in the Basilica
and he said he was disappointed that the Catholic Church had declined
to make one available.
EYEWITNESS REPORT: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/knock-knock-whos-there-15000-pilgrims-seek-answer-1930436.html
STATEMENT by Archbishop Michael Nearyon: On the Shrine of Knock
The Meaning of Knock
Knock
is a much loved place of pilgrimage and prayer. Ever since the
apparition in 1879, believers from home and abroad have made the
pilgrimage there in increasing numbers. The most renowned of all
pilgrims to the Shrine of Our Lady of Knock was his Holiness, Pope John
Paul II, who came for the centenary of the shrine in 1979, thus
reaching 'the goal of his journey to Ireland' where he was able to
'make yet another pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Mother of Christ, the
Mother of the Church, the Queen of Peace.' (Homily at Mass in Knock, 30
September 1979).
The great gift of Knock consists in a
particular way in prayer and the celebration of the sacraments, in
penance and the conversion of life. 'All those who have come to Knock
have received blessings through the intercession of Mary…The sick and
suffering, people handicapped in body and in mind, troubled in their
faith or their conscience, all have been healed, comforted and
confirmed in their faith because they trusted that the Mother of God
would lead them to her Son Jesus' (Pope John Paul II). It is this
trust in the Mother of God, this turning to her divine Son borne out in
the practical care of the sick, and in the celebration of the
sacraments of reconciliation, anointing and Eucharist that lie at the
core of the Knock pilgrimage.
For one hundred and thirty years
now the pilgrims to Knock have been pilgrims in faith. They 'walk
by faith and not by sight' to quote the words of St Paul (II Cor
5:7). This is their great blessing, the blessing in fact that
Jesus mentions to the doubting Thomas: they have not seen and still
they believe (Jn 20:29).
The Authentic Identity of the Shrine
Such
faith makes Knock pilgrims firm in hope and active in love for the sick
and suffering. They do not expect visions or seek further apparitions.
God has manifested Himself in Jesus Christ and His people have
responded ever since. It is not healthy, does not give glory to
God and certainly is not good witness to the faith to be looking for
extraordinary phenomena.
The apparition of 1879 was neither
sought nor expected by the humble, honest people who were its
astonished witnesses. Their faith reveals the patience and
humility that characterises true belief. The Shrine of Knock is
living witness to that faith.
Unfortunately, recent events at
the Shrine obscure this essential message. They risk misleading
God's people and undermining faith. For this reason such events
are to be regretted rather than encouraged.
LINK TO OFFICIAL SHRINE WEBSITE: http://www.knock-shrine.ie/
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 24- "On meekness, simplicity and guilelessness"
1. The morning light precedes the sun, and the
precursor of all humility is meekness.
November 2, 2009
(II
Maccabees 12:43-46) And making a gathering, he [Judas] sent twelve
thousand drachms of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for
the sins of the dead, thinking well and religiously concerning the
resurrection, (For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should
rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the
dead,) And because he considered that they who had fallen asleep with
godliness, had great grace laid up for them. It is therefore a holy and
wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from
sins.
LINKS
Purgatory Project
Litany for the Souls in Purgatory
Indulgences for the Poor Souls
PIA: Mercy for the Dead: Remembering the Dead on All Souls Day
One
great act of mercy that we should perform is to pray for the dead. The
Church observes All Souls Day today as the living remember their dearly
departed.
The Lord asks us, the living, to continuously offer
prayers, masses and sacrifices, drawing from the treasury of the
Church, for departed souls. "Oh, if you only knew the torments they
suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and
pay off their debt to My justice," Jesus told St Faustina. In fact, the
Lord encouraged St Faustina, the Apostle of Divine Mercy, remember the
souls in purgatory. He told her: "Enter into purgatory often, because
(souls) need you there (from the Diary of St Faustina, entry 1738).
The
Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: "All who die in God's grace
and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of
their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so
as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven."
We,
the living, can assist the dead by imploring God's infinite mercy for
them. Not just during this day, but always - as we receive the holy
sacraments, pray, perform sacrifices - we must be in communion with the
suffering souls.
St Faustina once saw in a vision the souls in
purgatory, and she saw their great need for our assistance. She wrote
in her diary (entry 20):
"I saw my Guardian Angel, who ordered
me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in
which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying
fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their
aid. The flames which were burning them did not touch me at all. My
Guardian Angel did not leave me for an instant. I asked these souls
what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that
their greatest torment was longing for God. I saw Our Lady visiting the
souls in purgatory. The souls call her 'The Star of the Sea.' She
brings them refreshment. I wanted to talk to talk with them some more,
but my Guardian Angel beckoned me to leave. We went out of that prison
of suffering. (I heard an interior voice) which said, 'My mercy does
not want this, but Justice demands it.' Since that time, I am in closer
communion with the suffering souls."
FROM THE MAILBAG
REFLECTION by Father Ted – October 27, 2009: My dearest Lord Jesus, on this day, 79 years ago, my brother was born. He was the 2nd child born to our mother. I am the 3rd.
We are not only her beloved children and the beloved children of our father. We are Your beloved children.
As
You have so frequently reminded me we are all Your beloved children
whom You created through our human parents to experience Your eternal
love.
Both of my siblings have died. Both, I believe, have received Your Merciful judgment.
I am the only one who is still struggling to live on earth – awaiting also Your Merciful judgment.
I still have to seek to do Your Will.
I
still have to deal with my weaknesses. I still have to resist
temptations. I still have to experience the seductions of the devil –
even daily.
Although he is cunning, although he is brighter than
me, with Your Merciful help, I can resist his strategies and resist
giving into his evil enticements.
I can succeed only if I take
advantage of all the graces that You offer to me – which are available
through my daily prayers, through my various acts of self-denial,
through my reception frequently of the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist
and of Penance.
I have learned – sometimes the hard way, that
the evil one strives to persuade me, as he does to others, not to pray
as often as You prompt me to do. I know that he strives to urge me not
to celebrate Holy Mass as often as I do. I know that he does not want
me to visit You and to adore You in the Blessed Sacrament as frequently
as I do. I know that he does not want me to confess my sins as often as
You want me to do.
When I listen to him, and do not take
advantage of the helps that You offer to me, I lack the spiritual
strength that I need in order to resist his temptations.
I sin,
because I have not accepted the graces that You provide me with;
because I lack the spiritual strength that You provide me through
prayer, sacrifices, the Holy Eucharist and Penance.
Lord, may I
do all that You ask of me – so that I will not only resist the
temptations of the devil, but above all, so that I will become the holy
man, the holy priest that You desire me to be; so that I will be able
to assist my other brothers and sisters in being able to resist the
devil’s temptations and becoming the saints that You want them to be as
well.
Jesus, send us Your Spirit. Enkindle in us the fire of Your Divine Love.
May we come to know You, to love You, to serve You each day so that we may be with You and my family in Your heavenly home.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 23- "On mad pride and unclean, blasphemous
thought"
31. A proud monk has no need of a devil; he has
become a devil and enemy to himself.
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