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October 31, 2001

(Mat 5:43-45)  "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

CONGREGATION MOURNS SLAIN PAKISTANI CHRISTIANS; PRIEST CALLS FOR FORGIVENESS

Preaching over survivors' wails, a priest called for forgiveness Monday as thousands of Christians and some Muslims mourned 16 people slain when masked gunmen opened fire on a church service in Pakistan.

More than 5,000 people packed into St. Dominic's Roman Catholic Church, where the assailants stormed into a Protestant service Sunday morning and sprayed the congregation with bullets.  The victims' bodies lay outside the stone church in white coffins during the 2-hour funeral service.

Catholic bishop Andrew Francis urged Christians to adhere to the biblical principle of turning the other cheek.  "We are the followers of a man who loves, who sacrificed his life for a noble cause," Francis said, referring to Jesus Christ.  "We are forgiving those who killed innocent people.  But their case will now be heard in the court of God Almighty."

FROM THE MAILBAG

FORWARDED VIA Brother Anthony: Hope and prayers from Pakistan.  Bahawalpur where this brutal act of terrorism occurred, in this town my family lived for almost 22 years, my Father was a catechist in St.  Dominic Church and he served in this church for 19 years, after his retirement we were migrated to our native village Rangpur but my elder brother is still working in Bahawalpur.  I received my education from St.  Dominic School and I received my first Holy Communion and sacrament of Confirmation in the same church where 26 people were massacred. My whole body is trembled, I am weeping and preparing the report for my commission.  I request you to pray for the protection of the Christian community after this gruesome accident.

The country's INTELLGENCE agencies had clearly warned the Government of Pakistan, both at the federal and Punjab (provincial) level that the minorities-especially Christians may be attacked to avenge the killings in Afghanistan, but these warnings were not taken seriously.  Sources said that it was also significant to note that a politician belonging to Punjab whose identity however could not be confirmed, in a letter to the federal Government earlier this month had also warned about the possibility of attacks on Christians.  The Islamic religious terrorist groups are still warning the Christians in Pakistan that they will kill them since USA is killing Muslims in Afghanistan.  The Sipah-i- Sahaba and Lashkar-i-Umer (extremist Groups) accepted the responsibility of the attack.

Your spiritual encouragements and prayers will be a source of satisfaction for us.  Do remember us in your special prayers.

Yours truly, Farooq Aziz Joseph.

RELATED: Pakistan Pushes for Quick End to U.S. Military Strikes

COMING TOMORROW! A TRIB TIMES EDITORIAL: ON SECRETS, SEERS AND PRAYER

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

85. It is more serious to lose hope than to sin. The traitor Judas was a defeatist, inexperienced in spiritual warfare; as a result he was reduced to despair by the enemy's onslaught, and he went and hanged himself. Peter, on the other hand, was a firm rock: although brought down by a terrible fall, yet because of his experience in spiritual warfare he was not broken by despair, but leaping up he shed bitter tears from a contrite and humiliated heart. And as soon as our enemy saw them, he recoiled as if his eyes had been burnt by searing flames, and he took to flight howling and lamenting.

October 30, 2001

CELEBRATION OF THE NOVEMBER FEAST OF ALL SOULS

VIA Fr. Mark Kalwak, SVD: As the colder winds are approaching it is a sign that Autumn has settled down.  It is also a sign that we are about to celebrate the feast of ALL SOULS --when we remember and honor our beloved departed.

To celebrate this special day I prepared a page on our web site devoted to the remembrance of those who have gone before us.  You can also light a candle for your deceased family members and friends in our Memorial Chapel.  You are very welcome to come and visit at:
http://www.svd-ca.com/feasts/allsouls.htm.

There are many more exciting things on our web site that will provide you with spiritual experiences and opportunities to learn, pray and meditate so please, visit our missionaries at: http://www.svd-ca.com.

RELATED: The Purgatory Project- Next Pilgrimage is on All Souls Day, Nov 2nd, 2001

ALL SAINTS DAY

VIA Joseph Trentacoste MD: Isn't it fascinating that the first All Saint's Day was celebrated on May 13th, the same date as the first apparition at Fatima?!!  More information follows:

All Saints' Day is a Christian holy day observed by many Western churches on November 1 and by Eastern churches on the first Sunday after Pentecost.  The day now honors all saints of the church, even those not known by name.

The first All Saints' Day occurred on May 13, 609 when Pope Boniface IV accepted the Pantheon as a gift from the Emperor Phocas.  Boniface dedicated it as the Church of Santa Maria Rotonda in honor of the Blessed Virgin and all martyrs. During Pope Gregory III's reign (731-741), the festival was expanded to include all saints and a chapel in St.  Peter's church was dedicated accordingly.  Pope Gregory IV officially designated the day in 837.  Roman Catholics are required to attend Mass and to "refrain from unnecessary servile work" on this day.

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

84. So long as you remain a monk, you will be like a brave soldier who faces the blows of the enemy; and God will commend you, because even when struck you refused to surrender or run away. But if you give up the monastic life, running away like a coward and a deserter, the enemy will strike you in the back; and you will lose your freedom of communion with God.

October 27, 2001

THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN ON TUESDAY OCT 30, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).

THE SECRET OF FATIMA: MORE TO COME?

News has just emerged that Sister Lucia dos Santos, the last surviving Fatima visionary, several weeks ago sent Pope John Paul II a letter reportedly warning him that his life is in danger.

According to Vatican sources, the letter, claiming that events spoken of in the "Third Secret" of Fatima had not yet occurred, was delivered sometime after September 11 to John Paul by the bishop emeritus of Fatima, Alberto Cosme do Amaral.  The Vatican has not confirmed publicly receipt of the letter.

One source for the story, which was reported on in the Italian press yesterday and today, is Italian priest Father Luigi Bianchi.  Bianchi claims to have met Sr. Lucia dos Santos last week at her cloistered Carmelite convent in Coimbra, Portugal. (She is not allowed to speak with anyone who has not received prior permission from the Vatican, so it is not immediately clear whether Bianchi received that approval, circumvented the need for it, or did not actually meet Sister Lucia as he maintains.)

"She told me she is very worried about the international situation," Don Bianchi told Italian journalist David Murgia. "She said we have entered a crucial time for the Church and for the world -- and that the only salvation is prayer." The letter is said to contain this warning: "Soon there will be great upheaval and punishment." And it reportedly asks the Holy Father to pray because "your life is in danger."

Sr. Lucia, when asked by Fr. Bianchi what could be done to stop the terror that is increasing in the world, is said to have taken the rosary in her hand and said: "This is the only 'weapon' we have."

BISHOPS ISSUE STRONG CONDEMNATION OF TERORISM COUPLES WITH CALL TO CORRECT INEQUALITIES IN WORLD

The Vatican on Friday released the closing message of a special monthlong assembly of bishops summoned to Rome by Pope John Paul II to update the role of churchmen.  Terrorism topped the list of concerns in the bishops' closing message.

"Our assembly, together with the Holy Father, has expressed its deepest sympathy for the victims of the outrages of Sept.  11 and for their families.  We are praying for them and all the other victims of terrorism in the world," the message said.  "We absolutely condemn terrorism, which nothing can justify." But, the bishops went on, "we could not close our eyes to many other collective tragedies.  It is both urgent and necessary to keep also in mind what Pope John Paul II has spoken of as `the structures of sin,' if we want to point new ways forward for the world."

"The persistence of gross inequalities between nations is a threat to peace," the bishops declared.  They noted that some 80 percent of the world's population lives on some 20 percent of its income and concluded: "A drastic moral change is required."  Added the bishops: "Some endemic evils, when they are too long ignored, can produce despair in entire populations." The bishops deplored hunger, extreme poverty and the fact that refugees must flee war, political oppression or economic discrimination, among other miseries.

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

84. Do all in your power not to fall, for the strong athlete should not fall. But if you do fall, get up again at once and continue the contest. Even if you fall a thousand times because of the withdrawal of God's grace, rise up again each time, and keep on doing so until the day of your death. For it is written, 'If a righteous man falls seven times'- that is, repeatedly throughout his life- seven times 'shall he rise again' (Prov. 24:16). So long as you hold fast, with tears and prayer, to the weapon of the monastic habit, you will be counted among those that stand upright, even though you fall again and again.

October 26, 2001

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

POPE CALLS FOR RESTORING RELATIONS BETWEEN VATICAN, CHINA

Pope John Paul II called Wednesday for the restoration of diplomatic ties between the Vatican and China and again apologized for any "errors" made by missionaries in the past.

"I feel deep sadness for those errors and limits of the past, and I regret that in many people these failings may have given the impression of a lack of respect and esteem for the Chinese people on the part of the Catholic Church, making them feel that the church was motivated by feelings of hostility towards China," he said.

"For all of this, I ask the forgiveness and understanding of those who may have felt hurt in some way by such actions on the part of Christians."

The pontiff said the "present moment of profound disquiet in the international community calls for a fervent commitment on the part of everyone to creating and developing ties of understanding, friendship and solidarity among peoples.

"In this context, the normalization of relations between the People's Republic of China and the Holy See would undoubtedly have positive repercussions for humanity's progress."

RELATED: China Says Improvement in Vatican Ties Possible

VATICAN RATIFIES CHILD SOLDIER, PROSTITUTION PACT

The Vatican ratified on Wednesday two amendments to a treaty that would stop the use of child soldiers and protect children from sexual abuse, and it promised to lobby other governments to do the same.  The amendments, called optional protocols to a 1990 landmark treaty on the rights of children, prohibit the use of child soldiers and outlaw child prostitution, sexual slavery, ography and forced labor.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most widely approved treaty in the U.N.  history, with ratifications from 191 countries. The United States and Somalia are the only two countries that have not ratified the treaty.

"In depositing its instruments of ratification, the Holy See encourages all other states to join in furthering the legal protection of children by ratifying or acceding to the protocols," said Archbishop Renato Martino, the Vatican representative to the United Nations.

Martino recalled U.N.  figures that some 300,000 children under 18 were fought in conflicts around the world.  About 2 million have been killed, 6 million injured, 10 million traumatized and 1 million without parents because of wars.

(Isa 1:16-17)  ....Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

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

83. Blessed is he who, with a hunger that is never satisfied, day and night throughout this present life makes prayer and the psalms his food and drink, and strengthens himself by reading of God's glory in Scripture. Such communion will lead the soul to ever-increasing joy in the age to come.

October 25, 2001

RAMADAN FACTOR ADDS NEW URGENCY TO U.S. EFFORTS TO SCORE A MAJOR VICTORY SOON

Muslim allies, whose support is considered essential to the U.S. anti-terrorism campaign, are pressuring the United States to score a major victory on the ground before the Islamic holy month Ramadan begins around Nov. 17 or agree to a lengthy delay in the Afghan operation.

Such a delay, however, would cost the United States considerable momentum at a critical period.  By the end of Ramadan, the harsh Afghan winter will have set in, closing key passes through the mountains and limiting air and ground operations.

Ramadan a lunar month of 29 or 30 days is the month when the Prophet Muhammad first began receiving revelations of the Quran, Islam's holy book.  During the month, Muslim abstain from food, drink and sex from sunrise to sunset and are supposed to be charitable toward others.

"The pressure is now on for the American military to do something before winter and preferably before Ramadan," said Hamid Gul, a retired Pakistani general and former head of Pakistan's secret service.  "They now have to achieve a certain target in a certain time-frame.  The clock is ticking."

MORE: Ramadan looms large in Afghan strikes

Statement by Archbishop R. Martino, Holy See Permanent Observer to the U. N.:
Reprisals are an "illusionary solution"

FROM THE MAILBAG

VIA Dr. Stephen A. Rinehart: What does a person who oversleeps, a young man who does not listen, and a lady who cannot keep her doctor's appointment straight all have in common?

The young lady who overslept by thirty minutes lives in a condo behind my mother in Southern California.

The young man is the best friend of my son who played basketball together and he left Florida to make some "real money".

The lady who got on a train [sister of a Eucharistic Minister at my church] and went to see her doctor but found out she had no appointment that day - picked the wrong day and missed a whole day's work.

The date all this occurred was Sept 11th.

The young lady is a stewardess and her Flight 11 originated out of LA to Boston and she missed it.  Her flight crew are all dead.

The young man works on the 78th floor of WTC (stock broker in NY) and decided to leave after the first building exploded - he was told to stay.  (As he ran out of the building he saw the plane hit it). His boss decided to leave as did everyone in his office right after this young man told them to get out fast.

The lady with the wrong doctor's appointment [is the sister of a Eucharistic Minister at my church in Florida] lives in New Jersey and works at a building next to WTC #1.  Her building and company do not exist anymore after the rubble fell on it. She got on a train to New Jersey thinking she had a doctor's appointment.  Her appointment actually was for Sept 12th.

(Eph 5:20)  Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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

82. Struggle to preserve unimpaired the light that shines within your intellect. If passion begins to dominate you when you look at things, this means that the Lord has left you in darkness; He has dropped the reins with which He was guiding you, and the light of your eyes is gone from you (cf. Ps. 38:10). Yet even if this happens, do not despair or give up, but pray to God with the words of David: 'O send out Thy light and Thy truth to me in my gloom, for Thou art the salvation of my countenance and my God' (cf. Ps. 43:3, 5); 'Thou shalt send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created; and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth' (Ps. 104:30).

October 24, 2001

Satan’s Double Play: September 11 and the Windfall for Abortion
By Louie Verrecchio

On September 11, 2001 and the days and weeks that followed, we witnessed the best and the worst that humankind has to offer.  Following a sobering display of anger and hatred; death and destruction, we witnessed bravery and love; charity and hope.

Following the deadliest terrorist attack in American history, celebrities and common folk alike not only opened their hearts to those in need, they opened their wallets too.  In a heart-warming display of love for neighbor, charitable contributions nearing $1 Billion have been raised thus far to help those who are suffering.  As Christians we can clearly discern the Spirit of Christ in the midst of this outpouring, yet we know just as well that a mere 30 pieces of silver can purchase a great deal of evil.

Among the charitable organizations involved in the relief effort, perhaps none is handling more money than the United Way.  According to information obtained on their http://www.September11fund.org web site, UW has received pledges totaling $320 million.  Yet according to this same source, a mere $15.9 million of this money has been granted directly to relief agencies.  So where is the rest of the money?

Among those who are calling UW to accountability is Daniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy.  In a recent interview with Fox News, Mr.  Borochoff pointed out that "each nonprofit group has their administrative costs and fees.  So I don't like them [United Way] saying that every dollar collected will go to the victims and the family, because that's not true."

It is extremely important for Catholics to understand clearly that administrative fees are the life-blood of any charitable organization.  Even the most well-intentioned donation to UW provides them with the capital they need to stay in business, and part of their business is a long-standing commitment to abortion.  In fact, United Way has provided financial support for Planned Parenthood for over a quarter of a century.  As a people who are called to build a "Culture of Life" by Pope John Paul II, Catholic donors should consider UW off-limits. Contributions instead should be made directly to agencies like Catholic Charities, a world-wide organization that administers care to the world’s suffering in a way that respects every human life.  You may reach Catholic Charities USA by calling (800) 919-9338.

So how has Planned Parenthood responded to the events of September 11?  According to information obtained from Planned Parenthood of New York’s web site, http://www.ppnyc.org/, they responded by offering area women free "reproductive health services." Apparently 6,000+ killed and numerous wounded wasn’t enough to satisfy Satan’s voracious appetite.  Shame on us if we’re surprised.

As the Holy Spirit moves us as a people and as individuals to provide financial support for those who suffer, let us be wise as serpents and innocent as doves, recognizing those wolves in sheep’s clothing among us; ever mindful that our enemy is exceedingly cunning.

O’ Dear Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Life, guide us in loving service to your Son.  Amen.

MORE FROM THE SAME AUTHOR:
United We Fall: The Unholy Alliance Between Catholic Charities and United Way

MORE ON THE ABORTION SCOURGE:
China, U.N. Linked in Abortion Program

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

81 (cont.). The Holy Spirit whom we worship is all-powerful, and in an astonishing way He brings into existence what does not as yet exist within us. The intellect that was previously defeated He now makes victorious; for the Paraclete who in compassion comes upon us from above 'is higher than all' (John 3:31), and He raises us above all natural impulses and demonic passions.

October 23, 2001

POPE DECRIES WAR'S ARRIVAL IN MANGER SQUARE

Pope John Paul II, saying he was deeply saddened today by the latest news from the Middle East, decried the shooting death of a youth in Bethlehem's Manger Square, a few meters from the traditional birthplace of Jesus.  "It is with deep sadness that I receive the sorrowful and worrisome news from Bethlehem, likewise from the cities of Beit Jala and Beit Sahour," the pope said during his noon prayer delivered inside St.  Peter's Basilica.  "War and death arrived even on the square of the Basilica of the Nativity of Our Lord."

"In the name of God, I repeat yet again:violence is for everybody only a path of death and destruction which dishonors the holiness of God and the dignity of man," the pope said.  Referring to the relatives of victims, John Paul added: "They have the gift of living in the Holy Land for Jews, for Christians and for Muslims.  It must be the commitment of everyone to finally make it the land of peace and brotherhood."

He began his comments on current events by saying: "Unfortunately, in the present hour, there is no shortage of dangerous situations, which keep entire humanity in anxiety."

RELATED: Israel says Palestinians deliberately use church areas for attacks on Israelis

REVIEW ARTICLE: Jerusalem: a Walk through the Divided City

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

81. Sometimes our soul grows despondent at the huge swarm of its sins and temptations, and says, 'Our hope is gone and we are lost' (Ezek. 37:6). Yet God, who does not despair of our salvation, says to us: 'You shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord' (Ezek. 37:6). To the soul that doubts how it can ever give birth to Christ through great acts of holiness, these words are said: 'The Holy Spirit shall come upon you' (Luke 1:35). Where the Holy Spirit is present, do not expect any more the sequence and laws of nature and habit.

October 20, 2001

THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN ON TUESDAY OCT 23, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).

(1 Th 5:17-18)  Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

AROUND THE WORLD PRAYER ON MISSION SUNDAY

As the sun’s rays travel across the continents on Mission Sunday, October 21, successively in more than twenty countries hearts will be lifted to the Lord in a special prayer.

To celebrate this first Mission Sunday of the century, people in parishes, Religious houses, church movements, missionary groups, individual Catholics and others will unite for an around the world prayer-link for one hour 8-9 in the morning (local time).

The initiative, suggested during the World Mission Congress held in Rome in October 2000 during the Holy Year, was taken up by the Pontifical Mission Societies Office in Lyon and has the support of the Pontifical Mission Societies head office in Rome.

MORE: Letting God Back In-  Prayer, long banned from schools, is making a post-terror comeback

WORLD FACES BIGGEST CHALLENGE SINCE COLD WAR

The U.S.-led coalition against terrorism faces the world's most daunting challenge since the Cold War and victory will be even harder to achieve, according to a leading think-tank.

"A new strategic era has dawned," the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said in its annual report on the "Military Balance" around the globe, changed forever by last month's suicide attacks on New York and Washington.

"The enemy is diverse and invisible and victory will be even harder to declare than for the Cold War," institute Director John Chipman told a news conference to brief reporters on the report.

"The political, financial and diplomatic challenges in prosecuting this campaign are enormous.  The geopolitical challenges are huge," the report said.

MORE: Saudis pledge millions for Afghan war victims as Muslims across Mideast denounce U.S.  war

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

80. If the base of a felled tree that has grown old in earth and rock 'will bud at the scent of water... like a young plant' (Job 14:9), it is also possible for us to be awakened by the power of the Holy Spirit and to flower with the incorruptibility that is ours by nature, bearing fruit like a young plant, even though we have fallen into sin.

October 19, 2001

Pope John Paul II: “The legal toleration of abortion or of euthanasia can in no way claim to be based on respect for the conscience of others, precisely because society has the right and the duty to protect itself against the abuses which can occur in the name of conscience and under the pretext of freedom".

BRITISH WOMAN LOSES RIGHT TO DIE IN LANDMARK CASE

A terminally ill British woman lost a landmark court battle on Thursday to "die with dignity" in a setback for supporters of euthanasia. Diane Pretty, 42, who has motor neuron disease, had wanted her husband Brian to be immune from prosecution if he helped her commit suicide.

In a test case that underscores Britain's long-standing legal block on euthanasia, three High Court judges dismissed Pretty's challenge and denied her permission to appeal their ruling except to the House of Lords. "Having regard to the fact that we have said that the conclusion we have reached is inescapable, we do not think it appropriate to give permission to appeal," Lord Justice Simon Tuckey said.

The Prettys claimed the refusal infringed their human rights by subjecting Diane to degrading treatment and by failing to respect her private life.

But Lord Justice Tuckey said her human right was "to live with dignity, not die with dignity."

EXCOMMUNICATING PRO-ABORTION POLITICIANS:
PERU CARDINAL PUTS LAWMAKERS ON THE SPOT

The archbishop of Lima and primate of Peru, Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani, has instructed pastors to eventually deny Communion to politicians and other public figures if they support abortion.

At the request of Cardinal Cipriani, the archdiocese's Pastoral Commission has sent all his pastors a document titled "The Moral and Legal Dimension of Abortion," aimed to provide "a pastoral and sacramental response to the worsening culture of death, as well as consistent criteria to deal with this grave moral problem."

The impact of the document has gone beyond the Archdiocese of Lima, and even beyond Peru.

Judie Brown, president of the American Life League, in Stafford, Va., says the document is a source of inspiration for a national campaign asking the Holy See to step in and excommunicate pro-abortion Catholic politicians in the United States.

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

79. We are aware of the torment that the enemy frequently inflicts upon us visibly or invisibly. But we do not perceive the torment and anguish that we inflict upon him, when we sometimes succeed in practising the virtues, when we repent over our transgressions or show long-suffering and perseverance in our difficulties, or when we pray and do other things which pierce him to the heart, torture him and cause him bitter grief. God in His providence conceals all this from us, so as to prevent us from growing sluggish. Be sure, however, that 'God thinks it right to repay with affliction those who afflict you' (2 Thess. 1:6).

October 18, 2001

AID GROUPS URGE PAUSE IN AIR RAIDS, WARN OF CRISIS

A day after U.S.  bombs hit a Red Cross warehouse in Kabul, a group of aid agencies urged the United States on Wednesday to suspend air strikes on Afghanistan so that food supplies can be sent to hundreds of thousands of needy people before winter sets in.

The statement issued by Oxfam International, Christian Aid, Action Aid and Islamic Relief said time was running out to ensure that at least two million people have food during the winter.

"Today we call on all the parties to the conflict, including the Taliban, the Northern Alliance and the United States and British-led coalition to pause all military action to allow food to be delivered in safety and in sufficient quantities to keep people alive through the winter," Oxfam representative Nick Roseveare told a news conference.

"We believe that the pause in the military campaign gives us the best possible hope of averting a humanitarian crisis on a large scale," he said.

REBUILDING AFGHANISTAN COULD TAKE 10 YEARS, BRITISH GOVERNMENT SAYS

Rebuilding Afghanistan as a stable state after the current conflict is over could take a decade, Britain's government said Tuesday.  "Realistically it will be difficult for (reconstruction) to start until there is a secure environment within Afghanistan," the Foreign Office said in a paper outlining the objectives of U.S.-led bombing raids on Afghanistan.

"But a program of emergency relief will have to be available early.  The cost of reconstructing Bosnia was $5 billion and Afghanistan has four times Bosnia's population.  "Reconstruction of Afghanistan could take five to 10 years to complete. Only a sustained international development effort has any chance of ridding Afghanistan of heroin and domination of war lords," the report said.

RELATED HEADLINES

In Europe, thousands take to the streets urging end to U.S.  airstrikes in Afghanistan
Tens of thousands march in Italy for peace
Nationwide strike called across Pakistan to protest support of U.S.-led coalition
Pakistan Says Afghan Taliban Not Terrorists
Saudi Arabia Unhappy with U.S.  Raids on Afghanistan

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

78. We give the name of Levites and priests to those who dedicate themselves totally to God, alike through the practice of the virtues and through contemplation. Those who do not have the strength to hunt down the passions may be called 'the cattle of the Levites' (Num. 3:41). They have a genuine and continuing thirst for holiness, and try to attain it so far as they can; but they frequently fail, hamstrung by sin. Yet we may expect that at the right moment God will grant the gift of dispassion to them as well, solely by virtue of His love; for 'the Lord has heard the desire of the poor' (Ps. 10:17).

October 17, 2001

ISRAELI MINISTER DIES AFTER SHOOTING

Right-wing Israeli cabinet minister Rechavam Zeevi has died after being shot at a hotel in Jerusalem.  Zeevi, 75, a far-right member of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's coalition government, was shot three times in the head and neck early Wednesday morning.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine claimed responsibility for the attack, in a letter faxed to news agencies.  It said the shooting was carried out to avenge the killing of its leader, Mustafa Zibri, who died in an Israeli rocket strike in August.  Israel said Zibri, widely known as Abu Ali Mustafa, was involved in bomb attacks on Israelis.

RELATED

Third Palestinian Militant Killed in Three Days
Palestinians celebrate murder in Lebanon refugee camps
Israel on High Alert for Possible Anthrax Attacks

(Mat 26:52)  "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.

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

77. When David went out from the city of Ziklag to fight the Amalekites, some of the men with him were so exhausted thaty they stayed behind at the brook Besor and took no part in the battle (cf. 1 Sam. 30:10). Returning after his victory, he heard the rest of his troops saying that no share in the spoils should be given to the men who had stayed behind; and he saw that these themselves were ashamed and silent. But David recognized that they had wanted to fight, and so in his kindness he spoke in their defence, saying that they had remained behind to guard the baggage; and on this ground he gave them as large a share in the spoils as he gave to the others who had fought bravely in the battle. You should behave in the same way towards a brother who shows fervour at first, but then grows slack. In the case of this brother and his salvation, the baggage consists of faith and repentance, humility and tears, patience, hope, long-suffering and the like. If in spite of his slackness he yet guards his baggage, waiting expectantly for Christ's coming, he is rightly given an eternal reward.

October 16, 2001

POPE JOHN PAUL II: "Because of the international situation, I invited all people and all communities to say the Rosary for peace.  Today I renew this invitation."

POPE JOHN PAUL II: 7TH LONGEST PONTIFICATE IN HISTORY

October 16 marks the 23rd anniversary of the election of Pope John Paul to the papacy.

Only six Popes, including St.  Peter, have reigned longer than Pope John Paul.  In ascending order, they are: Pius VII (23 years, 5 months, 6 days; Adrian I (23 years, 10 months, 24 days); Pius VI (24 years, 6 months, 7 days); Leo XIII (25 years, 5 months); Pius IX (31 years, 7 months, 21 days) and St.  Peter (unknown dates).

FROM THE MAILBAG

VIA Dennis DeLaurier: A prayer for this world on this Sunday, October 14th.  2001

OH Heavenly Father Out of our smallness and sinful ways, we your most unworthy children lift ourselves up in prayer.

For we are burdened with the things of this man made world and seek the peace of Your love.  We come to You Oh Father out of fear of this world and what it is becoming.  We come to You as we have lost all hope in the things of men, as they have abandoned You and only seek their will, not Yours.  Oh Father, we fear for our country and our children, and we come to You with abandonment and trust.  Be our shield in these times Father, for without You the secure walls of our existence will quickly be breached by the evil one.

When we feel this way Father we soon realize how small we are and that we are Your scared little children.  We quickly realize that You are our very essence Father and that we must fully abandon what we want and seek what You will.  For in fear, we quickly realize as things fade into nothingness that You are our loving God, and that our greatest possession is Your love and Your Sons mercy.

On this day of rest and filled with Your Sons love received in communion this day, we plead through Him whom we trust for Your protection and care.  Father, send down Your Spirit on this earth and awaken the hardest hearts, for the evil one prowls like a wolf and has devoured the hearts of many.  With great hope we make this plea Oh Great and Loving God.  Amen

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

76. Fire makes iron impossible to touch, and likewise frequent prayer renders the intellect more forceful in its warfare against the enemy. That is why the demons strive with all their strength to make us slothful in attentiveness to prayer, for they know that prayer is the intellect's invincible weapon against them.

October 13, 2001

THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN ON TUESDAY OCT 16, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).

SCHOLARS FIND FURTHER SIGNS OF BIG FLOOD EVOKING NOAH

Archaeologists have found evidence that appears to support the theory that a catastrophic flood struck the Black Sea region more than 7,000 years ago, turning the sea saline, submerging surrounding plains and possibly inspiring the flood legends of Mesopotamia and the Bible.

In their first scientific report, the expedition leaders said that a sonar survey in the sea off Sinop, a city on the northern coast of Turkey, conducted in the summer of 2000, revealed the first distinct traces of the preflood shoreline, now about 500 feet underwater.

At one site, the sonar detected more than 30 stone blocks on a gently sloping but otherwise featureless bottom. Further investigation with remote controlled cameras revealed pieces of wood and other objects, possibly ceramics.

The site "appeared uniquely rectangular" in the sonar image, and the stone blocks did not appear to be part of a natural geological formation, expedition scientists reported in today's issue of The American Journal of Archaeology.  Analysis of core samples yielded chemical evidence that archaeologists said were consistent with the interpretation that the site was once occupied by people.

"The expedition clearly has found a subaquatic landscape with materials that belong to the period before the inundation," said Dr.  Bruce Hitchner, an archaeologist at the University of Dayton, Ohio, and editor of the journal, a publication of the Archaeological Institute of America. "They have confirmed an important element of the flood theory, quite convincingly I think."

FROM THE MAILBAG

VIA Jim Bramlett:

Here is some new information that might interest you:

The Turkish Embassy announced on October 10, 2001 that for the first time in practically a decade an international research group, ArcImaging (http://arcimaging.org), Archaeological Imaging Research Consortium, has received federal permission from the Turkish Government and the various Turkish Ministries (including the Military and the Ministry of Culture) to perform scientific research on Mount Ararat.  ArcImaging is very pleased and grateful to the nation of Turkey and to Ataturk University for their support in this research.  ArcImaging looks forward to working together with the nation of Turkey as this research continues over the upcoming years.
Thanks also go to everyone who has given support to ArcImaging and other research groups over the years. Currently, ArcImaging is analyzing and studying various options and plans for research this fall.

ArcImaging Vice President B.J.  Corbin and President Rex Geissler will be giving a Radio Interview on the history of the Noah's Ark Search October 20th on WSNL-AM 600, Flint, Michigan, which will be aired in late October or early November.

The History Channel video (http://historychannel.com) on the search for Noah's Ark is being repeated occasionally. The video is a good introductory overview and features explorers and researchers.

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

75. A monk should understand what it means to be weak, and he should remember the words: 'Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak' (Ps. 6:2). He should understand what it means to be in rebellion against God; for this is the sickness with which the devil and his angels are afflicted.

October 12, 2001

POPE JOHN PAUL II: "From the heart of man, may the Lord uproot every trace of rancor, hostility and hatred, and render it open to reconciliation, solidarity and peace".

SAVED BY GRACE

While praying today I began to meditate on a different kind of "salvation" by Grace.  Please don't worry, as this is not intended to be a theological discussion but a practical one.

What did I do to be "saved" from the destruction going on in Afghanistan?  Why was I born an American Christian rather than an Afghan muslim?  How did I earn the security I have (though admittedly less than one month ago), compared to the horrible fear experienced by Afghans listening to bombs exploding all around them?

The only answer I could come up with was: Grace.  In a variation of "there go I but for the Grace of God", I have concluded that only by God's Grace do I live in the relative security that I enjoy.

But Grace given demands a response.  How will I respond?  How can all of us respond to God's gifts?

A wonderful practice my CCD students began several years ago was to pray for children whose mother's were contemplating abortion.  They would name the baby, and for the subsequent nine months would pray on a daily basis for the health and safety of both mother and child.  We won't know until eternity how many babies have been saved by this practice but I am certain that the Lord would not have left such passionate entreaties completely unanswered.

I propose that a similar approach be taken in this present situation.  Let us each resolve to "spiritually adopt" an Afghan brother or sister, be they muslim or Christian, and lift them up in prayer before our heavenly Father every day.  Those who are more spiritually mature might even consider praying for a member of the Taliban, for their conversion of heart and soul.  Intercessory prayer for Bin Laden himself we can leave to the saints in heaven.

Are you with me?  Can you respond to God's unmerited Grace as He would have you?

Praise God we have been made in His image and likeness.  Let us live (and pray) in a manner that demonstrates that this is indeed true.

(Mat 5:44-48)  But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even s do that?  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

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

74. Keep in mind that high priest at whose right hand the devil stood, opposing all his good thoughts and words and actions (cf. Zech. 3:1). Then you will not be astonished at what happens to yourself.

October 11, 2001

POPE JOHN PAUL II: "I invite you all to pray for peace and to be committed to building a world without violence, founded on respect for the dignity of every human being."

CATHOLIC BISHOPS' CONFERENCE PRESIDENT STATEMENT ON MILITARY ACTION

"As our nation undertakes military action, our Bishops' Conference calls for continued prayer, resolve and restraint in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11.  We ask for prayers for our President and national leaders, for our servicemen and women, and for all those touched by those terrorist attacks".

"We renew our call that our military response must be guided by the traditional moral limits on the use of force. Military action is always regrettable, but it may be necessary to protect the innocent or to defend the common good.  We support efforts to make clear that this response is directed at those who use terror as well as those who assist them, not at the Afghan people or Islam.  Measures to insure the safety of innocent civilians are both necessary and important.  We strongly support humanitarian initiatives which respond to the plight of the Afghan people, especially refugees and displaced civilians".

"We are encouraged by the efforts to build a global coalition to seek justice and a comprehensive response using diplomatic, economic and humanitarian as well as legitimate military means.  Beyond the crisis of the moment, we continue to urge the renewal of diplomatic and other measures to secure a just peace for Palestinians and Israelis, and a world which is more just and more peaceful for all who suffer the loss of their God-given rights.  Our every effort should be guided by our desire for a world which truly respects the rights and dignity of every human person".

FROM THE MAILBAG

VIA SISTER MARIA: I believe that it is important the fact that the US started the military action on Afganistan on the 7th of October (Our Lady of the Rosary). Our Blessed Mother is very much present in this situation; I hope and pray that we and all men will open the hearts with generosity in response to the Fatima message of penance, prayer (rosary) and communion of reparation, conversion of heart.

God is giving us a wake-up call, specially we Americans.  May this great nation respond to this call.

Pray, Pray, Pray !  Penance, Penance, Penance for World Peace !

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

73. 'Then the devil left Him, and angels came and ministered to Him' (Matt. 4:11). It does not say that the angels were with our Lord during the actual time when He was being tempted. In the same way, when we are being tempted, God's angels for a time withdraw a little. Then, after the departure of those tempting us, they come and minister to us with divine intellections, giving us support, illumination, compunction, encouragement, patient endurance, joyfulness, and everything that saves and strengthens and renews our exhausted soul. As Nathanael was told, 'You will see the angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man' (John 1:51); in other words, the ministry and assistance of the angels will be given generously to mankind.

October 10, 2001

(Psa 10:13-14)  Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, "He won't call me to account"?  But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.

SULAIMAN ABU GHAITH, BIN LADEN SPOKESMAN: "America must know that the storm of airplanes will not stop and there are thousands of young people who look forward to death like the Americans look forward to life."

AS BOMBS FALL, FRIGHTENED AFGHAN FAMILIES PRAY FOR SAFETY

As bombs crash and anti-aircraft guns roar in the night, Mohammed Quasi and his wife huddle with their seven children, praying for safety while the walls tremble and the door shakes.

"My younger ones scream and cry, my wife prays aloud all night ... My heart seems to pound inside my head," said Qasim, a 35-year-old tailor who has the misfortune to live near Kabul's airport, a prime target of the U.S.-led air assault.

During the air attacks, people can't flee their homes. The Taliban have ordered them to stay indoors and adhere to an all-night curfew. Mohammed Ashraf, a middle-aged barber, said the streets of Kabul are deserted now by early evening.

"People rush back to their homes," he said. "There is little work to do these days and it is very difficult to earn enough money to buy nan (Afghan bread) for each member of the family."

Qasim said he too has given up hope.

"Wouldn't it be better if the world unites and drops a big bomb which kills us all?" he said bitterly. "It would be better than this slow, painful death."

MORE: Christian Detainees in Kabul Safe, Scared

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

72. The humility which in due time and by God's grace, after many struggles and tears, is given from heaven to those who seek it is something incomparably stronger and higher than the sense of abasement felt by those who have lapsed from holiness. This higher humility is granted only to those who have attained true perfection and are no longer under the sway of sin.

October 9, 2001

POPE JOHN PAUL II: "Let us renew to Him the prayer for peace: 'Da pacem Domine in diebus nostris! - Give to us Lord peace in our days!"

WORLD IN TURMOIL: TENSION AND FEAR AMONG CHRISTIANS, MUSLIMS

For Africa, Bishop Cesare Mazzolari, of Rumbek in Sudan tells Fides he fears the conflict will spread with unpredictable consequences.  "I hope that the US administration will maintain precise and limited objectives.  Islam has powerful forces and it wants to unleash a war to change the world: I hope Washington does not provide the opportunity."

The Bishop said that Westerners find it difficult to understand the Muslim world. "Fundamental Muslim groups play on the fact that the West is unfamiliar with Islam.  World leaders must realise that this war could degenerate into a world war.  Maximum prudence is necessary to prevent further tragedies" the Catholic Bishop warned.

MORE: Tensions in Muslim World Mount Over U.S.-Led Strikes

SYRIA WINS SEAT ON U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL DESPITE BEING ON U.S. LIST OF TERRORISM SPONSORS

Syria won a seat on the U.N. Security Council on Monday with overwhelming support from the nations of the world, despite being on the U.S. list of countries sponsoring terrorism.

The General Assembly elected Syria to the powerful U.N.  body for a two-year term on the first ballot.  It received 160 "yes" votes from the 177 nations voting.  Syria was the unanimous choice of Arab and Asian nations for the Asian seat on the council being vacated by Bangladesh on Jan. 1.

Last year, the United States led a successful campaign to keep Sudan, also on the U.S.  list of terrorism sponsors, off the council.  But this year, despite opposition from Israel and a last-minute appeal from 38 members of the U.S.  Congress to President Bush to oppose Syria's candidacy, the U.S. administration has remained silent.

Israel's U.N. Ambassador Yehuda Lancry said Syria's election went against the "spirit and letter" of the U.N. Charter, which stipulates that every candidate for the Security Council "should prove its adequacy in terms of its contribution to international peace and security."

"Syria indeed backs terrorist groups inside Syria and outside Syria," Lancry said.  "It is really a sheer absurdity and a sheer nonsense to have Syria as a member of the Security Council."

MORE: Syria to Washington: Punish Israel too

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

71. 'Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed' (John 20:29). Blessed also are those who, when grace is withdrawn, find no consolation in themselves, but only continuing tribulation and thick darkness, and yet do not despair; but, strengthened by faith, they endure courageously, convinced that they do indeed see Him who is invisible.

October 8, 2001

ACROSS MUSLIM WORLD, MANY SEE RETALIATORY STRIKES AS WAR ON ISLAM

Moderate Arab countries were slow to comment on the U.S. and British strikes on Afghanistan, but in the streets across the Muslim world, many denounced it as a war against Arabs and Muslims.

Moustafa Abdel Salam, a 28-year-old Cairo accountant, said "America is now fighting terrorism, when it is the one that has created terrorism from the beginning."  He said he was worried the United States would use the attacks to falsely accuse Arab and Islamic countries of terrorism.

In Pakistan, several influential clerics swiftly denounced the military strikes, calling them an attack against Islam. The influential Afghan Defense Council, which is sympathetic to the Taliban and based in the Pakistani city of Lahore, issued a call for holy war.  "It is the duty of every Muslim to support their brothers in this critical hour," said Riaz Durana, the council's central leader. "We will support the Taliban physically and morally against the aggression of America."

Munawar Hassan, deputy chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan's most powerful religious political party, called the strikes on the Afghan capital, Kabul, "an attack against Islam."

POPE BEATIFIES SEVEN, INCLUDING ONE HANGED BY NAZIS

Pope John Paul beatified seven people Sunday, elevating three women and four men to one step from sainthood, including one man hanged by the Nazis. German Nicholas Gross , 46 years old when executed in 1945, was a journalist who denounced the Nazis. A father of seven children, he was the only lay person to be beatified Sunday.

When the Nazis came to power in the 1930s Gross was editor of the Westdeutsche Arbeitszeitung, a Catholic backed newspaper for workers in the industrial Ruhr valley. Until the paper was shut down in 1938, Gross refused to publish any photos of Hitler or other leading Nazis.

"Gross recognized that Nazi ideology did not fit in with Christian faith and with courage he used his pen to write in favor of human dignity," the 81-year-old Pontiff told a crowd of thousands of people at a mass in St. Peter's Square.

In his 23-year reign as the head of the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope has beatified more than 1,000 people -- a number greater than all the previous popes combined. Beatification is the penultimate step before sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church.

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

70. It may happen that for a certain time a man is illumined and refreshed by God's grace, an then this grace is withdrawn. This makes him inwardly confused and he starts to grumble; instead of seeking through steadfast prayer to recover his assurance of salvation, he loses patience and gives up. He is like a beggar who receives alms from the palace, and feels put out because he was not asked inside to dine with the king.

October 6, 2001

THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN ON TUESDAY OCT 9, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).

CYPRIOT RESEARCHER SEES HUMAN CLONE IN FOUR MONTHS

Scientists could create the first cloned human before the end of the year, a doctor working on the controversial project said on Friday.

Dr.  Panayiotis Zavos, who along with his Italian colleague Severino Antinori has triggered worldwide alarm with plans to create tailor-made offspring, said research was going faster than initially expected.

"It is going well enough so we may attempt the first production of embryos, cloned embryos in the very near future.  That is, three or four months from now," Cypriot-born Zavos told Reuters in an interview on Friday.

But Zavos, who said the "genie was out of the bottle" when researchers cloned the first mammal, Dolly the Sheep, insisted there was nothing sinister in the endeavor.

"This is not an issue of morality, this is not an issue of being ethical or unethical, but rather assisting people to have children and that is the business we are in."

MORE: Cloning: A Diabolical Counterfeit of Eternal Life

FROM THE MAILBAG

VIA CatholiCity: WORLD ROSARY DAY- Please pray the Rosary with the Holy Father and countless millions around the world on Saturday, October 6th. This is a perfect way to kick off your participation in the International Week of Prayer and Fasting to End Abortion, October 7-16.

VIA Laurence D. Behr: The news release below has details about the 9th Annual Week of Prayer and Fasting to Convert All Nations and End Abortion, October 7-16. As advised previously, I will be representing the Arch of Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and International Shrine of the Holy Innocents, at the all day prayer vigil on October 8 at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. It would be nice to see you there, but if you cannot come please keep us in prayer, and do join the observances of this week, where you live.

For the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart,

Laurence D. Behr
Executive Director, Ass'n for the Arch of Triumph Of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and Int'l Shrine Of the Holy Innocents, Inc.,
A NY Non-profit 501(c)(3) Corporation
43 Court St., Ste. 530
Buffalo NY 14202 (716)856-1300 (FAX -1494)
http://www.ArchofTriumph.org
TOLL FREE: 1-866-205-6512

LINK TO NEWS RELEASE: http://www.catholicexchange.com/vm/index.asp?vm_id=3&art_id=9840

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

69. Pharaoh entreated, saying: 'May God take away from me this death' (Exod. 10:17), and he was heard. Similarly, when the demons asked the Lord not to cast them into the abyss, their request was granted (cf. Luke 8:31). How much more then, will a Christian be heard when he prays to be delivered from spiritual death?

October 5, 2001

(Mat 25:40)  "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

CATHOLIC AID IN FRONT LINE HELPING AFGHAN REFUGEES

Catholic aid organizations are working hard to provide some relief for tens of thousands of Afghan refugees pouring into Pakistan as the threat of war persists. Caritas Pakistan directed by Bishop Joseph Coutts of Faisalabad and American Catholic Relief Service (ACRS) are in the front line. The US aid organization based in Islamabad has opened a second office in Peshawar a northern town on the border with Afghanistan, where refugee camps are being set up.

After the September 11 attacks, thousands of Afghans began to leave the country.  In Pakistan there are at least three million, and more are coming. Afghan refugees are also gathering on borders with Iran, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

Afghans overseas say the Taliban are not Afghans. Tamim Ansary, an Afghan author who has lived in San Francisco for thirty years, said in press statement: "The Taliban and Bin laden are not Afghanistan. They are not even the government of Afghanistan. When you think Taliban think Nazi, when you think Bin Laden think Hitler. And when you think "people of Afghanistan" think "Jews in concentration camps". Afghans are the Taliban’s first victims: they are starved, exhausted, hurt, incapacitated, suffering. A few years ago the United States estimated that there are over 500,000 disabled orphans in Afghanistan – a country with no economy, no food."

How to contribute to Catholic Relief Services: http://www.catholicrelief.org/contribute/index.cfm

MORE: Muslim, Christian Leaders Set Up Cooperation Group

FROM THE MAILBAG

VIA Susan Taylor: This article, "Our Lady and Islam", was written by our Ntl. Exec. Director, Fr. Cizik--from the Blue Army.  Also, this Sat. on EWTN 11am Mountain time and 2pm Mt. time is a special program "Pilgrim Virgin Prison Ministry Program" for the Blue Army.

MUST READ: A Daily Mass Goer Helps Thwart Hijackers

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

68 (cont.). Therefore 'until iniquity shall pass away'- that is, as long as sin still troubles me- 'I will cry to God most high' (Ps. 57: 1-2), asking Him to bestow on me this great blessing: by His power to destroy within me the provocation to sin, blotting out the fantasies of my impassioned mind and rendering it image-free. So, if you have not yet received the gift of self-control, know that the Lord is ready to hear you if you entreat Him with prayer and hope. Understanding the Lord's will, then, do not be discouraged because of your inability to practise asceticism, but strive all the more to be delivered from the enemy through prayer and patient thanksgiving. If thoughts of weakness and distress force you to leave the city of fasting, take refuge in another city (cf. Matt. 10:23)- that is, in prayer and thanksgiving.

October 4, 2001

EXCELLENT COMMENTARY: Hell Had Its Say; May Heaven Respond
by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.

FROM THE MAILBAG

VIA Ia Forrester: Here is poem by one of the children at our school. I found it beautiful and asked permission to send it out on the internet.

I AM

I am smart and friendly
I wonder why there is death
I hear the screaming of injured people
I see a battlefield
I want the wars to silence forever
I am smart and friendly

I pretend there are no wars
I feel peace
I touch the people who are hurt
I cry for those dead, dying, or hurt in any way
I am smart and friendly

I understand that there can be peace
I say peace is what we want
I dream of peace
I try to help motivate peace
I hope there will be peace someday
I am smart and friendly

Written by Brendan, Grade 6, Saint Mark's School, San Rafael, California on Sept. 11, 2001.
Permission has been granted by the family and the school for distribution on the internet. Please include this statement if you pass the poem along to others.

(Psa 8:2)  From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

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

68. Once certrain brethren, who were always ill and could not practise fasting, said to me: 'how is it possible for us without fasting to rid ourselves of the devil and the passions?' To such people we should say: you can destroy and banish what is evil, and the demons that suggest this evil to you, not only by abstaining from food, but by calling with all your heart on God. For it is written: 'They cried to the Lord in their trouble and He delivered them' (Ps. 107:6); and again: 'Out of the belly of hell I cried and Thou heardest my voice... Thou hast brought up my life from corruption' (Jonah 2: 2, 6).

October 3, 2001

(Rev 6:9-11)  When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.

PAKISTANI CHRISTIANS FEAR ATTACKS BY MUSLIMS ANGERED BY U.S. HOSTILITY

Jammed into their unmarked old chapel, the small but fervent congregation of Sacred Heart Catholic Church prayed Sunday for America to defeat terror without creating Christian martyrs.

Since Sept. 11, Pakistani Christians say, hostility taints what was always tolerance. Many say close Muslim friends now keep their distance. And if any fighting starts over the border, many fear the worst.

"Every day we hear threats from Muslims," said a high school teacher who pleaded to be identified only as Anwar. "Sometimes, we don't sleep. We are terrified that if they attack Afghanistan, we may be killed."

Father Eric Lakman, a Sri Lankan who is the priest at Sacred Heart, dates Catholicism in the Indian subcontinent back to the 6th century. He says the religion flourished from the time of Saint Matthew.

In recent years, Father Eric said, Muslims and Christians have gotten along well in Pakistan. Today, however, he sees something new.  "Oh, definitely," he said, when asked if he felt extremists might attack Christians. "If they attack, we'll be among the first martyrs." With a nervous laugh, he added: "But we will not run anywhere."

RELATED: New Roman Martyrology is Presented

FROM THE MAILBAG

VIA Mike F. Russo:

The Book of Revelation is cyclical (Christ himself says he is Alpha and Omega, beginning and end, first and last both at the beginning and at the end of the Revelation). The horrors of Revelation have happened before the Book was revealed -- Babylon; during -- Rome; and since.

In light of our recent horror if we read Revelation Chapter 9 (could the second woe from the Euphrates -- Iraq -- of two hundred million horsemen wearing a variety of colors be bioterror?) or Chapter 11:13 where 7000 die in a crashing earthquake or worse of all Chapter 18 describe our horror far too closely even to the little over an hour it took for each tower to collapse after being hit. Revelation should make us wonder where is our humility?

"Nolite timore -- Be not afraid!" Such tragedy is always a call to repentance (Rev 9:21). In fact, an argument could be made that more prayer has happened in America in the last three weeks than since the end of World War II.

We must have faith and let him help us live righteous lives. America the Beautiful, we must let Him "mend thy ev'ry flaw". For Christians the reality of Revelation is the hope in Chapters 21 and 22. If we are faithful -- no matter what happens -- we will be in the City of God with the Lamb! He will wipe our tears! He will end death, sorrow, crying, and pain! (Rev 21:4)

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

67. We should mention in this connection an inward state that shows the degree of dispassion attained by the Joseph hidden within each of us. Our intellect, departing from Egypt, leaves behind it the burden of the passions and the builder's basket of shameful slavery, and it hears a language that it does not understand (cf. Ps. 81:5-6). It hears no longer the demons' language, impure and destructive of all true understanding, but the holy language of the light-giving angels, who convert the intellect from the non-spiritual to the spiritual- a language which illumines the soul that hears and accepts it.

October 2, 2001

(2 Tim 3:1)  But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.

POPE CALLS TERRORIMS 'A WICKED PLAGUE'

Pope John Paul said on Sunday the world had to be spared the "wicked plague of terrorism" and that the search for lasting peace could not be divorced from the application of justice.

In using some of his strongest words to date against the attacks, the Pope asked Roman Catholics to pray the rosary during the month of October "for peace, so that the world may be spared from the wicked plague of terrorism."

"The terrible tragedy of last September 11 will be remembered as a dark day in the history of humanity," he told pilgrims and tourists gathered in St. Peter's Square.

Speaking in Italian, he said the Church wanted to call on all people to "remember their duty to build a future of peace for the human family." "Certainly, peace is not divorced from justice but it must always be fed by clemency and love," he added.

He called for the banning of violence and asked for Christians, Muslims and Jews to pray so that "hate and death never have the last word."

TERROR IN THE HEADLINES

More terrorist activity likely, Ashcroft says
Car bomb explodes in Jerusalem
Car bomb damages courthouse in Basque capital, sets other vehicles afire
Car bomb explodes outside state legislature building in Kashmir

MORE HEADLINES: THE EMERGING BIOLOGICAL THREAT

Defense May Be Inadequate for Germ or Toxic Attacks
Nations should be prepared for bioterrorism attack that could kill millions, WHO warns
Experts fear U.S. plan against bioterrorism is inadequate
Frightened Europeans Snap Up Gas Masks
Gas masks sell out in New York

(Rev 6:7-8) When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

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

66. If a demon has such strength as to force a man, even against his will, to change from his natural state of goodness into a state of sin, how great must be the strength of the angel who at the appointed time is commanded by God to restore that man's whole condition. If the icy blast of the north wind is strong enough to give to water the hardness of rock, what cannot the warmth of the south wind achieve? If extreme cold forces everything to submit to it- for 'who can withstand His cold?' (Ps. 147:17)- cannot heat in the same way alter everything? 'Who can abide the burning heat?' (Ecclus. 43:3). So let us confidently believe that the cold, dark coals of our mind will sooner or later blaze with heat and light under the influence of the divine fire.

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