Keep
your eyes open!...
September 28, 2010
(Rev 3:14-17) And
to the angel of the church of Laodicea write: These things saith the
Amen, the faithful and true witness, who is the beginning of the
creation of God: I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot.
I would thou wert cold or hot. But because thou art lukewarm and
neither cold nor hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth.
Because thou sayest: I am rich and made wealthy and have need of
nothing: and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor
and blind and naked.
CNA: Christians' lack of faith prevents cultural renewal, Archbishop Chaput tells Catholic scholars
HLI: Politics and the American Person by Monsignor Ignacio Barreiro-Carámbula
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Father Corapi: Education, Faith & America
In speaking with faithful Catholics all over the world for the past
twenty years there is a consensus among them that the average Catholic
doesn't know much about their faith. Likewise there is an overwhelming
consensus that if we did, the world would be a very different place. In
the United Sates of America we have over sixty million Catholics. If
these Catholic citizens knew their faith and then voted and lived their
faith, this country would be incalculably better off. In turn, so would
the entire world.
As Bishop Robert Vasa pointed out, clarifying the teaching of the
United States Catholic Conference of Bishops in their excellent
pastoral letter "Faithful Citizenship," a candidate or office holder is
disqualified from receiving the vote of a Catholic in good conscience
if they hold a pro-abortion position. In other words pro-choice
candidates under the current set of circumstances are disqualified
because of their pro-death political positions. We cannot vote for
them. As the Bishops of Kansas asserted in their voter's guide,
"Catholics would 'commit moral evil' by voting for a candidate who
supports abortion and other intrinsically evil things. Voting is a
moral act, and voting for pro-chice candidates is evil in itself. One
becomes a collaborator in evil by so doing. No amount of
rationalization can escape this logical and moral conclusion."
There was some confusion over this, based on a statement made some time
ago by Pope Benedict, who was speaking in general terms, saying that
for a "proportionate reason" it would be possible to vote for such
candidates. However, in the concrete situation we face, with the
candidate who is pro-life, this would not be possible. No amount of
"other reasons" would excuse voting for a pro-choice candidate. The
Church clearly teaches that life begins at conception. As Pope John
Paul II state many times, "abortion is murder." Following logically
from this, if a single abortion is murder, then 48,000,000 (the
approximate number of abortions in this country since Roe v. Wade) of
them is genocide. What would be the "proportionate reason" supporting
such an outrage? There is none.
Lack of understanding of what the Catholic Church teaches is grossly
harmful to the individual Catholic and to society in general. It is for
this reason that I have always tried to promote and teach the Catechism
of the Catholic Church. It is a sure norm for teaching the faith, as
Pope John Paul II asserted in promulgating the Catechism. "Guarding the
Deposit of Faith is the mission which the Lord entrusted to His
Church," are the first words of the Apostolic Constitution " "Fidei
Depositum." These are the worlds the Holy Father used to introduce us
to the Catechism.
Ignorance of the Faith can prove fatal - for individuals and for
nations. Learning our faith is the best investment we can make. The
Catechism of the Catholic Church is the very best way to do this.
CATHOLIC TRANSCRIPT: Infertility, sex trafficking, death penalty among USCCB Respect Life topics
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
18. As too many sticks often choke a fire and put
it out, while making a lot of smoke, so excessive sorrow often makes the
soul smoky and dark, and dries the stream of tears.
September 23, 2010
THE TRIB TIMES WILL
RETURN NEXT
WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(Mat
9:9) And when Jesus passed on from thence, he saw a man sitting in the
custom house, named Matthew; and he saith to him: Follow me. And he
arose up and followed him.
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI: Mass With the Beatification of Venerable Cardinal John Henry Newman
SECULAR VIEW: Maureen Messent looks at the life of John Henry Newman
MEDITATION FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Father Ted: Reflection by Father Ted – September 21, 2010
My dearest Lord Jesus, what love you reveal to us today as You remind
us that like Saint Matthew we too have been called to follow You, to
become Your disciples, to enjoy a close and intimate relationship with
You.
You know the hunger in our hearts – for love, for truth, for eternal life.
For You are the one who placed that hunger within our hearts.
And so I ask You this afternoon, as I sit before my computer, touch our
hearts so that we will respond to Your call as did Saint Matthew.
Call out to each one of us with Your gentle voice – “Come to Me, my
child! Come; spend some time with Me so that I may speak to Your
heart of My love for you.” Lord Jesus, provide us with the opportunity
to be quiet – so that we can hear Your call.
Help us to let go of all that distracts us so that we can hear Your call.
Let us feel the promptings of Your gentle voice – “Here I am, My
child. Come to visit with Me. Tell me of your struggles,
your worries, your concerns. Tell me about your doubts, your
disappointments, your hurts. I am here to hear you.” Jesus, may I
not be afraid to express to You all that You want me to. May I
speak from my heart – hiding nothing from You.
Then may I listen to You – with patiences.
You know how impatient I am. You know how I want instant
answers. You know that I want simple solutions to my problems, to
my difficulties.
What I don’t realize, what I often do not want to accept is that there are no instant answers – there are no simple solutions.
But if I go to You, and let You show me Your love, I will be willing to
follow You and to follow Your directives – which You will reveal to me
gradually – so that I will begin to trust You – who are true love.
You have the solutions to all of my problems, to all of my difficulties.
You are the solution – for You are the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Lord Jesus, help me to believe.
Help me to come to You.
Help me to listen to You.
Help me to respond to You – to Your call to accept Your Love, to accept Your Way, to accept the Truth.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
17. Dried up mire offers no attraction for swine,
and in exhausted flesh demons no longer find anywhere to rest.
September 22, 2010
(Col 1:22-24) Yet
now he hath reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to
present you holy and unspotted and blameless before him: If so ye
continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and immoveable from the
hope of the gospel which you have heard, which is preached in all the
creation that is under heaven: whereof I Paul am made a minister. Who
now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up those things that are
wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which
is the church
EXCERPT: POPE BENEDICT XVI HOMILY AT WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL
"The visitor to this cathedral cannot fail to be struck by the
great crucifix dominating the nave, which portrays Christ's body,
crushed by suffering, overwhelmed by sorrow, the innocent victim whose
death has reconciled us with the Father and given us a share in the
very life of God.
The Lord's outstretched arms seem to embrace this entire church,
lifting up to the Father all the ranks of the faithful who gather
around the altar of the eucharistic sacrifice and share in its fruits.
The crucified Lord stands above and before us as the source of our life
and salvation, "the high priest of the good things to come", as the
author of the letter to the Hebrews calls him in today's first reading
(Heb 9:11).
It is in the shadow, so to speak, of this striking image, that I would
like to consider the word of God which has been proclaimed in our midst
and reflect on the mystery of the precious blood. For that mystery
leads us to see the unity between Christ's sacrifice on the Cross, the
eucharistic sacrifice which he has given to his church, and his eternal
priesthood, whereby, seated at the right hand of the Father, he makes
unceasing intercession for us, the members of his mystical body.
Let us begin with the sacrifice of the cross. The outpouring of
Christ's blood is the source of the church's life. St John, as we know,
sees in the water and blood which flowed from our Lord's body the
wellspring of that divine life which is bestowed by the Holy Spirit and
communicated to us in the sacraments (Jn 19:34; cf Jn 1:7; 5:6-7).
The letter to the Hebrews draws out, we might say, the liturgical
implications of this mystery. Jesus, by his suffering and death, his
self-oblation in the eternal Spirit, has become our high priest and
"the mediator of a new covenant" (Heb 9:15).
These words echo our Lord's own words at the Last Supper, when he
instituted the Eucharist as the sacrament of his body, given up for us,
and his blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant shed for
the forgiveness of sins (cf Mk 14:24; Mt 26:28; Lk 22:20).
Faithful to Christ's command to "do this in memory of me" (Lk 22:19),
the church in every time and place celebrates the Eucharist until the
Lord returns in glory, rejoicing in his sacramental presence and
drawing upon the power of his saving sacrifice for the redemption of
the world.
The reality of the eucharistic sacrifice has always been at the heart
of Catholic faith; called into question in the 16th century, it was
solemnly reaffirmed at the Council of Trent against the backdrop of our
justification in Christ.
In England, as we know, there were many who staunchly defended the
mass, often at great cost, giving rise to that devotion to the most
holy Eucharist which has been a hallmark of Catholicism in these lands.
The Eucharistic sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ embraces in
turn the mystery of our Lord's continuing passion in the members of his
mystical body, the church in every age. Here the great crucifix which
towers above us serves as a reminder that Christ, our eternal high
priest, daily unites our own sacrifices, our own sufferings, our own
needs, hopes and aspirations, to the infinite merits of his sacrifice.
Through him, with him, and in him, we lift up our own bodies as a
sacrifice holy and acceptable to God (cf Rom 12:1). In this sense we
are caught up in his eternal oblation, completing, as St Paul says, in
our flesh what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his
body, the church (cf Col 1:24). In the life of the church, in her
trials and tribulations, Christ continues, in the stark phrase of
Pascal, to be in agony until the end of the world (Pensées, 553, ed
Brunschvicg).
We see this aspect of the mystery of Christ's precious blood
represented, most eloquently, by the martyrs of every age, who drank
from the cup which Christ himself drank, and whose own blood, shed in
union with his sacrifice, gives new life to the church.
It is also reflected in our brothers and sisters throughout the world
who even now are suffering discrimination and persecution for their
Christian faith. Yet it is also present, often hidden in the suffering
of all those individual Christians who daily unite their sacrifices to
those of the Lord for the sanctification of the church and the
redemption of the world."
IN THE NEWS: Pope visit declared 'overwhelming success' by Lord Patten
EDITORIAL: If only the Archbishop of Canterbury dared to speak with a fraction of Benedict's authority
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
15. As a snake cannot strip itself of its old skin
unless it crawls into a tight hole, neither can we shed our old predispositions,
our oldness of soul and the garment of the old man unless we go by the
strait and narrow way of fasting and dishonour.
September 21, 2010
(Mat
10:32-33) Every one therefore that shall confess me before men, I will
also confess him before my Father who is in heaven. But he that shall
deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in
heaven.
FIRST THINGS: Catholics and the Next America by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput
VIA INSIDE THE VATICAN: Excerpt Pope Benedict XVI Address to Politicians
Pope Benedict XVI then went to Westminster Hall, where he spoke to both
houses of the British Parliament. It was a much-awaited speech,
as it dealt with the obligations of politicians in pluralistic
democracies.
The Pope's essential point is that religious faith should not be
excluded from the public discourse, or the public policy, of a secular
democracy.
The Pope said: "I would suggest that the world of reason and the world
of faith – the world of secular rationality and the world of religious
belief – need one another and should not be afraid to enter into a
profound and ongoing dialogue, for the good of our civilization.
Religion, in other words, is not a problem for legislators to solve,
but a vital contributor to the national conversation."
And Benedict said that he is very concerned about the increasing
attacks on religious belief and its expression in the Western
democracies.
The Pope said: "In this light, I cannot but voice my concern at the
increasing marginalization of religion, particularly of Christianity,
that is taking place in some quarters, even in nations which place a
great emphasis on tolerance.
"There are those who would advocate that the voice of religion be silenced, or at least relegated to the purely private sphere.
"There are those who argue that the public celebration of festivals
such as Christmas should be discouraged, in the questionable belief
that it might somehow offend those of other religions or none.
"And there are those who argue – paradoxically with the intention of
eliminating discrimination – that Christians in public roles should be
required at times to act against their conscience."
What does the Pope propose? He makes only a very modest request:
that room be made for religious faith in public life: "I would invite
all of you, therefore, within your respective spheres of influence, to
seek ways of promoting and encouraging dialogue between faith and
reason at every level of national life."
ENTIRE TEXT: http://www.thepapalvisit.org.uk/Replay-the-Visit/Speeches/Speeches-17-September/Pope-Benedict-s-address-to-Politicians-Diplomats-Academics-and-Business-Leaders
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
14. By means of things in the natural order, we
can be trained to a clear perception of all spiritual truths.
September 20, 2010
(Rom 12:1-2) I
beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercy of God, that you present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God, your
reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be reformed
in the newness of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and
the acceptable and the perfect will of God.
EXCERPT: Pope Benedict's Address to Pupils
It is not often that a Pope, or indeed anyone else, has the opportunity
to speak to the students of all the Catholic schools of England, Wales
and Scotland at the same time. And since I have the chance now, there
is something I very much want to say to you. I hope that among those of
you listening to me today there are some of the future saints of the
twenty-first century. What God wants most of all for each one of you is
that you should become holy. He loves you much more than you could ever
begin to imagine, and he wants the very best for you. And by far the
best thing for you is to grow in holiness.
Perhaps some of you have never thought about this before. Perhaps some
of you think being a saint is not for you. Let me explain what I mean.
When we are young, we can usually think of people that we look up to,
people we admire, people we want to be like. It could be someone we
meet in our daily lives that we hold in great esteem. Or it could be
someone famous. We live in a celebrity culture, and young people are
often encouraged to model themselves on figures from the world of sport
or entertainment. My question for you is this: what are the qualities
you see in others that you would most like to have yourselves? What
kind of person would you really like to be?
When I invite you to become saints, I am asking you not to be content
with second best. I am asking you not to pursue one limited goal and
ignore all the others. Having money makes it possible to be generous
and to do good in the world, but on its own, it is not enough to make
us happy. Being highly skilled in some activity or profession is good,
but it will not satisfy us unless we aim for something greater still.
It might make us famous, but it will not make us happy. Happiness is
something we all want, but one of the great tragedies in this world is
that so many people never find it, because they look for it in the
wrong places. The key to it is very simple – true happiness is to be
found in God. We need to have the courage to place our deepest hopes in
God alone, not in money, in a career, in worldly success, or in our
relationships with others, but in God. Only he can satisfy the deepest
needs of our hearts.
Not only does God love us with a depth and an intensity that we can
scarcely begin to comprehend, but he invites us to respond to that
love. You all know what it is like when you meet someone interesting
and attractive, and you want to be that person’s friend. You always
hope they will find you interesting and attractive, and want to be your
friend. God wants your friendship. And once you enter into friendship
with God, everything in your life begins to change. As you come to know
him better, you find you want to reflect something of his infinite
goodness in your own life. You are attracted to the practice of virtue.
You begin to see greed and selfishness and all the other sins for what
they really are, destructive and dangerous tendencies that cause deep
suffering and do great damage, and you want to avoid falling into that
trap yourselves. You begin to feel compassion for people in
difficulties and you are eager to do something to help them. You want
to come to the aid of the poor and the hungry, you want to comfort the
sorrowful, you want to be kind and generous. And once these things
begin to matter to you, you are well on the way to becoming saints.
RESOURCES FOR POPE'S VISIT TO UK
http://www.thepapalvisit.org.uk/The-Visit-Live
http://www.radiovaticana.org/en1/index.asp
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/travels/2010/index_regno-unito_en.htm
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
13. The deer is a destroyer of all visible snakes,
but humility destroys spiritual ones.
September 17, 2010
THE TRIB TIMES WILL
RETURN NEXT
WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(1Co
15:1-2) Now I make known unto you, brethren, the gospel which I
preached to you, which also you have received and wherein you stand. By
which also you are saved, if you hold fast after what manner I preached
unto you, unless you have believed in vain.
HEADLINE: Pope Benedict XVI goes to war with 'atheist extremism'
Benedict XVI used the first papal state visit to Britain today to
launch a blistering attack on "atheist extremism" and "aggressive
secularism", and to rue the damage that "the exclusion of God, religion
and virtue from public life" had done in the last century.
The leader of the Roman Catholic church concluded a speech, made before
the Queen and assembled dignitaries at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in
Edinburgh, with the argument that the Nazi desire to eradicate God had
led to the Holocaust and a plea for 21st century Britain to respect its
Christian foundations.
"Today, the United Kingdom strives to be a modern and multicultural
society," he said. "In this challenging enterprise, may it always
maintain its respect for those traditional values and cultural
expressions that more aggressive forms of secularism no longer value or
even tolerate. Let it not obscure the Christian foundation that
underpins its freedoms; and may that patrimony, which has always served
the nation well, constantly inform the example your government and
people set before the two billion members of the Commonwealth and the
great family of English-speaking nations throughout the world."
The pontiff's speech set the wide-ranging tone for his four-day visit:
despite attacking atheism, he paid tribute to the UK's historic
achievements and offered "a hand of friendship" to all its people.
FULL ADDRESS: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/unitedkingdom10/resource.php?res_id=1438
TELEGRAPH.CO.UK LINK: Pope Visit UK 2010: Live
OFFICIAL WEBSITE FOR PAPAL VISIT: http://www.thepapalvisit.org.uk/
RELATED: Pope admits failures in abuse scandal
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
13. The deer is a destroyer of all visible snakes,
but humility destroys spiritual ones.
September 16, 2010
(Rev
22:18-19) For I testify to every one that heareth the words of the
prophecy of this book: If any man shall add to these things, God shall
add unto him the plagues written in this book. And if any man shall
take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take
away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and
from these things that are written in this book.
BLOG POST: HILAIRE BELLOC: A Disintegrated Christianity Will Lead to the Rise of Islam
VIDEO: Islamization of France!
AINA NEWS: Islamist Propaganda in the K-12 Classrom
NEW AMERICAN: A Review of Spencer's "Complete Infidel's Guide to the Koran"
RELATED: Austrian Counter-Jihad Activist Facing "Hate Speech" Charges for Criticizing Koran
IN THE NEWS: Cyber-jihad hacker claims credit for 'Here you have' worm
A virus writer who claims to have created the 'Here you have' worm that
flooded corporate email boxes last week claims the malware was designed
as a propaganda tool.
The cracker, who uses an Iraq Resistance email address associated with
the worm, told IDG that "the creation of this is just a tool to reach
my voice to people maybe ... or maybe other things". The
miscreant confessed surprise at the spread of the worm, which accounted
for an estimated 10 per cent of internet spam last week, spread.
The VXer boasted that he could have designed a more destructive
payload. "I could smash all those infected but I wouldn't," he
told IDG. "I hope all people understand that I am not negative
person!"
Over the weekend, Iraq Resistance posted a video protesting the war in
Iraq and arguing that his actions paled by comparison to those of Terry
Jones, the obscure pastor at a small Florida church who became the
centre of worldwide attention after he threatened to burn copies of the
Koran on the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
The 'Here you have' worm has marked coding similarities to an earlier
strain of malware, called Imsolk-A, released last month. Both
make reference to a Libyan hacker using the nickname Iraq Resistance,
who has recently attempted to form a hacking crew called Brigades of
Tariq ibn Ziyad. the name reference a Muslim commander who
conquered much of Spain in the eighth century.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
12. Visible pride is cured by grim conditions,
but invisible pride can be healed only by Him who before the ages is invisible.
September 15, 2010
(John 19:25) So
the soldiers did this. But standing by the cross of Jesus were his
mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary
Mag'dalene.
BEAUTIFUL YOU TUBE VIDEO: Stabat Mater (Marco Frisina)
TEXT: Stabat Mater dolorosa- At the Cross Her Station Keeping
VIA MANILLA: Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows
A day after celebrating the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross,
we celebrate today the memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the
little “Our Lady of Sorrows.” The image of the Mater Dolorosa is a
prominent figure in our churches especially during Holy Week
processions. She is depicted as a sorrowful mother dressed in black.
Her heart is seen pierced with a lance. It is an artistic
representation of the prophecy of Simeon: “And a sword will pierce your
own soul too.” (cf. Luke 2:34)
The church instituted this feast to give the faithful an opportune
moment to meditation on the role that Mary played in our salvation.
She, who accompanied Jesus faithfully throughout his life and ministry,
also shares in the glory of eternal life. Likewise, today, we ask for
her intercession so that we may follow her example in following Christ
her Son.
She is the first and perfect disciple of Jesus. She followed Jesus all
the way to the foot of the cross. In joyful moments as well as in
moments of sadness and defeat, Mary stood by her Son. Traditionally, we
reflect on the Seven Sorrows of Mary.
These are events in the life of Mary which “pierced her heart,” to
experiencing suffering because of the sufferings her Jesus had to
endure.
The seven Sorrows of Mary are: The Prophecy of Simeon over the Infant
Jesus (Gospel of Luke 2:34); the Flight into Egypt of the Holy Family
(Gospel of Matthew 2:13); the Loss of the Child Jesus for Three Days
(Luke 2:43); the Meeting of Jesus and Mary along the Way of the Cross
(Luke 23:26); the Crucifixion, where Mary stands at the foot of the
cross (Gospel of John 19:25); the Descent from the Cross, where Mary
receives the dead body of Jesus in her arms (Matthew 27:57); and the
Burial of Jesus (John 19:40).
May we, like Mary, be a faithful disciple of Jesus and follow Him in
times of great difficulty and persecution as well in times of joy and
gladness. Discipleship is not an easy task but it is not impossible to
stay with Jesus. Mary has shown us how to persevere. May we also
persevere in our faith and follow Jesus wholeheartedly.
CATHOLIC SENTINEL: Stabat Mater by Most Rev. John Vlazny Archbishop of Portland
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Our Lady of the Rosary Library:
Now, owing doubtless to the sad times we are going through, Christian
souls turn instinctively to Mary, the sorrowful Mother. Their pains are
so like an echo to Mary's pains.
In meditating on her sorrow, they find much relief and strength. The
contemplation of the Passion of Christ is a fruitful source of
spiritual help, nor can we ever know or understand His sufferings, as
when we meditate on them in the company of His most Holy Mother. For no
one in this world ever entered so deeply into those sorrowful
mysteries. Houses of the Servite Order being established in England and
America are so many means to help the development of that so Christian
devotion to the Mother of Christ in English speaking countries.
O sweet Virgin, made sad by our sins and former ingratitude to Jesus
and to thee, to thee we turn, humbled and contrite that thou mayest
show thy mercy towards us, as thou didst upon the seven glorious Saints
called by thee to establish the Order of thy Servants.
Yes make us thy true servants, make us serve Jesus faithfully, increase
the number of thy faithful ones and their fidelity, that even as thy
pains merited for thee the queenly diadem, so our affection for thee
may entitle us to be thy happy subjects forever. Amen.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
11. Silence and stillness are the foes of vainglory.
And if you are amongst people, seek dishonor.
September 14, 2010
(1Co
9:22-24) To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have
become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. I do
it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one
receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.
POPE BENEDICT XVI:
"Dear brothers and sisters, on Thursday I will travel to the United
Kingdom, where I will proclaim Cardinal John Henry Newman blessed," he
said. "I ask everyone to accompany me with prayer on this apostolic
voyage. To the Virgin Mary, whose most holy name is celebrated today by
the Church, I entrust our path of conversion to God."
IN THE NEWS: Vatican is not worried by planned anti-pope protests in Britain
The Vatican is not concerned by a "hostile minority's" plans to
demonstrate against Pope Benedict XVI during his three-day visit to
Britain next week, the pontiff's spokesman said Friday.
"It is not surprising because these (protests) have happened before,"
Father Federico Lombardi said at a Vatican briefing on Benedict's
Sept. 16-19 visit to England and Scotland.
"Such demonstrations have always occurred, also during other (papal) travels , Lombardi said.
In Britain, the issue of protests is "a broader one because in the
United Kingdom there are atheist groups, some of them anti-papal in
nature, but also this forms part of a plural society like the British
one," Lombardi said.
"However the resonance given to these sentiments by the media has been
greater than that given to several authoritative surveys which suggest
a substantial interest among the (British) population for Benedict
XVI's visit," Lombardi added.
Benedict's visit is the first papal trip to Britain since 1982, when
Pope John Paul II came on a pastoral visit in the year of the Falklands
conflict, during which he also visited Argentina.
ESSAY: Britain Can Benefit from Benedict by George Weigel
OFFICIAL WEBSITE FOR PAPAL VISIT: http://www.thepapalvisit.org.uk/
RELATED: Catholics in England suffered long repression
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
10. Detachment from things of the senses is divine
vision of spiritual things.
September 10, 2010
(Mar 16:15) And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature.
EXCERPT: When St. Francis preached to the Muslims
St. Francis sent some of his friars from this chapter on their
first missions to the infidels, to Tunis and Morocco, reserving to
himself the Saracens of Egypt and Syria. Innocent III’s appeal at
the Lateran Council in 1215 for a new crusade had resulted only in a
desultory attempt to bolster up the Latin kingdom in the East: Francis
would wield the sword of the Word of God.
He set sail with twelve friars from Ancona in June 1219, and came to
Damietta on the Nile delta, before which the crusaders were sitting in
siege. Francis was profoundly shocked by the dissoluteness and
self-seeking of the soldiers of the Cross. Burning with zeal for
the conversion of the Saracens, he desired to pass to their camp,
though he was warned that there was a price on the head of every
Christian. Permission was given him by the papal legate and he
went with Brother Illuminato among the infidels, crying out,
"Sultan! Sultan!" Being brought before Malek al-Kamil and asked
his errand, he said boldly, "I am sent not by men but by the most high
God, to show you and your people the way of salvation by announcing to
you the truths of the gospel".
Discussion followed, and other audiences. The sultan was somewhat
moved and invited him to stay with him. Francis replied, "If you
and your people will accept the word of God, I will with joy stay with
you. If you yet waver between Christ and Mohammed, cause a fire
to be kindled, and I will go into it with your priests that you may see
which is the true faith." The sultan answered that he did not believe
any of the imams would be willing to go into the fire, and that he
could not accept his condition for fear of upsetting the people.
After some days Malek al-Kamil sent Francis back to the camp before
Damietta. Disappointed that he could do so little either with the
crusaders or their opponents, St. Francis returned to Akka,
whence he visited the Holy Places. Then, summoned by an urgent
message of distress, he returned to Italy.
BOOK LINK: St. Francis of Assisi and the Conversion of the Muslims
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Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
9. Love of indignity is a cure for anger. Hymnody,
compassion and poverty are the suffocation of sorrow.
September 9, 2010
John 21:17 He said to him the
third time: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved
because he had said to him the third time: Lovest thou me? And he said
to him: Lord, thou knowest all things: thou knowest that I love thee.
He said to him: Feed my sheep.
INSPIRATIONAL: No rest for the holy
MEDITATION FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Father Ted: Reflection by Father Ted – September 8, 2010
My dearest Lord Jesus, help us to guide and to teach Your children and Your youth.
So many do not know You; they do not know their purpose in life; they do not know how to live.
My Jesus, we have failed to shepherd them. Forgive us, Lord. Have mercy on us.
Enable us to fulfill our responsibilities of feeding Your lambs.
We have not taught them that they are created by You.
We have not taught them that You want them to know You personally.
We have not taught them how to get to know You personally.
We have not taught them how much You love each one personally and passionately.
We have not taught them how to respond to Your passionate love.
We have not taught them how gifted each one of Your loved ones is.
We have not taught them how to deal with their weaknesses – by calling upon You who will help them – always.
We have not taught them how to talk to You and how to listen to You.
We have not taught them the joy of daily prayer.
We have not taught them how to experience Your Presence in the Eucharist.
We have not taught them how to grow in wisdom and in strength.
We have not taught them how to recognize temptations and how to resist them.
We have not taught them the reality of sin. We have not taught them the dangers of sin.
We have not taught them about angels and demons – how their guardian angels help them and how demons strive to seduce them.
We have not taught them the value of Holy Mass, the value of Adoration, the value of the Rosary, the value of confession.
Jesus, we have failed to feed Your lambs.
Forgive us. Help us to begin once again.
Mary, our Mother and the Mother of Jesus, help us to do His Will.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
8. Unflagging prayer is the ruin of despondency.
Remembrance of the judgment is a means of fervour.
September 3, 2010
(Mar 1:15) And saying: The time is accomplished and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel:
VIA MANILLA: A Communist’s Conversion
Let me relate the story of Douglas Hyde, a statesman, who was a
dedicated communist and former editor of Britain’s communist paper.
Douglas Hyde was converted to Catholicism through the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
As the editor of their communist paper, he began to read all about the
Catholic Church with the avowed intention of tearing it down in his
writings.
But something happened as he tried to gather more weapons to destroy
the church. The more he read, the more intellectually convinced
he became of its truthfulness and origin as a divine institution.
But he could not yet bring himself to believe. Something was holding him back.
One day, he was going to work in London on the daily commuter
train. When the train arrived at the Ely Place station, he saw a
sign he had seen a hundred times. It read, “St.
Etheldreda’s Catholic Church.” He decided to get off the train and go
to it.
When he arrived, he sat in the last pew, wondering what strange power
had brought him here. Suddenly a teenage girl came in. She
walked down the center aisle and went straight to a statue of
Mary. As she passed, Hyde noticed the troubled look on her face.
The girl knelt at Mary’s feet for a long time. Then she got up
and left the church. As she did, Hyde noticed that her troubled
look was gone. She was totally at peace.
When she had gone, he decided to do what she had done. He decided to take his problem to Mary.
As he knelt down and looked up into the face of the Virgin, he wondered
how one prayed to Mary. These are his exact words, written in his
book titled I Believed:
“How did one pray to Our Lady? I did not know... At last I
heard myself mumbling something which seem appropriate enough, when I
began it, but petered out, becoming miserably inappropriate.
“But it did not matter. I knew my search was at an end...
Outside the church I tried to remember the words I had said and almost
laughed as I recalled them. They were those of a secular dance
tune:
“O sweet and lovely lady, be good, O lady be good to me.”
Mary is indeed a sweet and lovely lady. And she will indeed be good to
you – as she was to an atheist and communist Douglas Hyde.
NCR: Hadley Arkes Speaks About His Reception Into the Catholic Church
CATHOLIC.NET: Cardinal Newman's cost of discipleship
On Sept. 19, 2010, in Birmingham, England, the long awaited
beatification ceremony will take place for the great Victorian Catholic
theologian, John Henry Cardinal Newman, one of the most influential
English Catholics of the 19th century. He journeyed from
Anglicanism to Catholicism and used his great intellect and masterful
writing ability to win over thousands of people to Christ and the Roman
Catholic Church.
In becoming Catholic, Newman had to make many sacrifices. Many of
his friends broke off relations with him after his conversion, and his
family kept him at a distance. He had to resign his teaching
fellowship and lost his only source of income. He lived the
terrible pain of misunderstanding from his own family, from Church
leaders, and those closest to him. Newman said that the one thing
that sustained him during this trying period was Christ's presence in
the Blessed Sacrament.
As a tribute to his extraordinary work and devotion, Pope Leo XIII
named Father John Henry Newman a Cardinal in 1879. After a life
of trials, Newman received the news with joy and declared, "The cloud
is lifted forever."
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
7. Faith and exile are the death of cupidity. But
compassion and love betray the body.
September 1, 2010
(Eph 6:11-12) Put
you on the armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the
deceits of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood;
but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world
of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places.
EDITORIAL: Mel Gibson and the Cleverness of Satan: "It is the Reality"
NEWS REPORT: Gibson crashed his Maserati into a hillside in Malibu
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Christian-Witness: Trapped by the Devil
If you, O Lord, will not give me who am miserable understanding, nor
enlighten my heart, then, due to my great indifference, shall I be
unable to recognize my ruin and decay.
Because I am trapped by the merciless enemy who oppresses me, with
tears do I ceaselessly cry day and night to your goodness to deliver me
from his snares.
For hourly does he renew the trickery he wields against me; hourly does
he disturb my soul with wanton thoughts and desire for pleasure.
May your power, O Christ, that rebuked the waves of the sea also rebuke
him, that he may have no influence on me, your useless servant. Be
quick to send, O Master, your grace that it might drive away from your
servant the great serpent and all his defilements and evil thoughts.
For the wounds that his arrows have inflicted on my heart have become
fetid sores, and I in my folly try to hide them every way I can.
The good Physician calls me and demands no payment, nor does he spill my blood.
But my slothfulness prevents me from going to him. He comes himself to
heal me, but always finds me engaged in acts that prevent his remedies
from rendering me their healing power.
O Lord, enlighten and sober me. Cure me and I will be cured!
Saint Ephrem the Syrian, deacon and hermit (+ 373)
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
6. The helper and foundation of chastity is stillness.
The quenching of fleshly burning is fasting. The adversary of evil and
shameful thoughts is a contrite spirit.
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