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September 30, 1999
TIME HAS ARRIVED FOR AMERICA TO BE MISSIONARY
(ZENIT)- The American Missionary Congress hopes to "encourage the local and individual Churches of the continent to take up their missionary responsibility in the task of the evangelization of all peoples. In this way, these congresses will be value instruments that are virtually indispensable to give depth, form and life to the missionary conscience of local Churches," Cardinal Tomko said.
The Cardinal went on to clarify that those who are baptized have the obligation to cooperate with the missions, a collaboration that "must be, above all, spiritual, in other words, (the result) ... of a life that is coherent with the faith, with fervent and assiduous prayer, and with ... suffering."
NEW EVANGELIZATION MUST BE ROOTED IN JESUS CHRIST
Leading others to an encounter with God is at the heart of the Church's mission in America.
CONDITIONS RIPE FOR MORE HURRICANES, SATELLITES SHOW
(CNN) -- Weather satellites operated by NASA and other agencies show conditions this fall that point to a hurricane alley in the Atlantic Ocean.
Now that communities from the Caribbean to the Gulf and East coasts of the United States have girded for, and sometimes been pounded by, tropical storms Harvey and Hurricanes Gert and Floyd, scientists are looking down the pipeline for the remainder of this hurricane season.
What they see is the meteorological equivalent of airplanes stacked on the runway waiting for take-off -- warmer than usual ocean temperatures with sea surface winds ready to suck up moisture and bring it down in a torrent of hurricane-strength rain and wind.
Weather Related News Briefs- (past 24 hours)
Cresting
rivers add to North Carolina flood woes
Floods
kill 8 in El Salvador, 20 in Honduras
Drought
in Israel brings Sea of Galilee to record low levels
Severe
thunderstorms cause flight delays, cancellations
More weather headlines: http://www.wildweather.com/
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
88. 'And He spake a parable to them to this end, that men ought always to
pray, and not to lose heart.' So do not lose heart and despair because you
have not yet received the gift of prayer. You will receive it later. In the
same parable we read: 'Though I do not fear God, or man's opinion, yet because
this widow troubles me, I will vindicate her.' Similarly, God will speedily
vindicate those who cry to Him day and night (cf. Luke 18:1-8). Take heart,
then, and persevere diligently in holy prayer.
September 29, 1999
(Rev 21:5) The one who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." Then he said, "Write these words down, for they are trustworthy and true."
"JUST WAKE UP!"
I began to toss and turn in bed. No, not tonight Lord!! You know what a busy day I have tomorrow! It's late and I'm tired. I'll have time to pray tomorrow morning. I need to sleep now. We can talk tomorrow.....
Soon I was fast asleep. I began to dream. I was sitting in the corner of a room I did not recognize. In front of me was some sort of still or distilling apparatus. I was making and consuming illegal alcohol. I knew it was wrong but I didn't care. Nobody knew and nobody would ever find out.
Moments later I was no longer alone in the room. A man approached me, having seen what I was doing, and said: "so you're the Christian! How can you expect me to believe in Jesus when someone like you, who supposedly loves and follows Him is committing this sin. I will never listen to another word you say about Him. You are a fraud. Because of you, I will never develop a relationship with Jesus. And I am going to make sure that there is no one in this world who doesn't know the truth about you!"
He disappeared as quickly as he had appeared. I was overwhelmed with anguish.
What had I done?!
My sin has ruined my ability to witness about Jesus. I had wasted my life. All my prayers, all my good deeds, all my efforts, ruined. Because of one act of disobedience. One mistake. One attempt at indulging myself. How intensely I hated alcohol now! How intensely I hated sin! But it was too late. There was no turning back.
What now?
Was life worth living?
What do I do now?!!
From the deafening silence I heard a voice say "just wake up"!
Huh? What do you mean "just wake up"?!!
Then suddenly I realized I had been dreaming and shook myself awake. Though I was now awake, the horrible guilt I had been feeling in the dream was still with me, squeezing my soul. But slowly as I grew more alert, I became greatly relieved to realize that I had nothing to feel bad about. It had been a dream!! A nightmare! Thank God!!
Then I prayed fervently to the Lord: How I wish, God, that it was always this easy! That I could dismiss all my prior sins as easily as I can this dream. That all the times that I really did fail You had never happened. That I could "just wake up" without having ever offended you!
He wasted no time in answering:
"There is a time coming soon when no one will ever again remember their sins. I will make all things new".
What a promise!!
Thanks, God! Glad we talked.
(Psa 103:11-12) For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
87. If you have not yet received the gift of prayer or psalmody, persevere
patiently and you will receive it.
September 28, 1999
(Mat 18:5) "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.
VATICAN RESTATES ITS OPPOSITION TO ABORTION, 'MORNING-AFTER' PILL
(AP) _ Responding to a U.N. official's statement that the Vatican had conceded defeat on reproductive issues, a spokesman reiterated Monday the Church's opposition to abortion and the "morning-after" pill. Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls issued a two-page statement Monday insisting that "the Holy See has not changed at all its well-noted position," reiterating its opposition to abortion and use of the "morning-after" pill, which it considers to be abortive.
FAMILY PLANNING PREVENTED 338 MILLION BIRTHS- CHINA
(Reuters) - China, already the world's most populous nation with 1.2 billion people, would have had 338 million more mouths to feed if not for family planning, state media said on Monday. The spread of contraceptives in the early 1970s gave way to more draconian measures a decade later when China introduced the One Child policy.
CHINESE PRESIDENT REPEATS THREATS OF FORCE AGAINST TAIWAN
(CNN) -- Chinese President Jiang Zemin said on Monday that China wanted "peaceful unification" with Taiwan, but added that it would not back down from threats to use force, if necessary, to bring the island back under Chinese control.
"We will not undertake to renounce the use of force precisely for the purpose of bringing about a peaceful resolution of the Taiwan question," he said. "The Chinese people have both the determination and ability to achieve the complete reunification of their motherland."
IS RUSSIA ON THE BRINK OF ANOTHER WAR IN CHECHNYA?
(AP) More than two weeks of air and artillery strikes and the deployment of Russian soldiers around the borders of Chechnya have raised a stark question: Is Russia on the brink of another protracted, bloody war with the breakaway republic?
Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev said that he could not rule out the possibility of ground operations in Chechnya. But Putin said Russia would rely on air raids to eliminate the militants.
Russian warplanes unleashed rockets and bombs on Grozny for a fifth straight day Monday, and the military pledged to keep bombing Chechnya until the militants are wiped out. The strikes the first against Grozny since the Chechen war have hit an airport, oil refineries and communications centers.
RUSSIA AND CHINA TO HOLD JOINT NAVAL EXERCISES
(Rev 6:4) Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
86. Spiritual knowledge has great beauty; it is the helpmate of prayer, awakening
the noetic power of the intellect to contemplation of divine knowledge.
September 27, 1999
(Luke 1:46 -48) And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,
CARDINAL AND ACTIVISTS TAKE SIDES OVER VIRGIN MARY PAINTING
(AP) Cardinal John O'Connor on Sunday asked Catholics to join him in condemning a painting of the Virgin Mary embellished with a clump of elephant dung, while civil rights activists defended the Brooklyn Museum of Art's right to show the piece.
''I'm saddened by what appears to be an attack not only on our blessed mother ... but one must ask if it is not an attack on religion itself and in a special way on the Catholic Church,'' said O'Connor in his weekly sermon at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
O'Connor urged his listeners to write to the museum: ''You might want to express your deep sadness at this disrespect.''
Click HERE to email the Brooklyn Museum of Art or call (718) 638.5000.
INDIAN CHRISTIANS PROTEST STRIPPING, HUMILIATION OF NUN
(AP) Singing prayers and songs of defiance, Christian nuns in flowing white robes and church activists staged a sit-in on a New Delhi thoroughfare Sunday to protest the stripping and humiliation of a nun in eastern India.
Earthquake Updates- Past Weekend Activity
Mild
Tremor Shakes Southeast Turkey, No Casualties
Earthquake
Rattles Iran
Aftershock
rattles Taiwan, but survivors still emerging
Moderate
earthquake rattles Calif.-Nevada border
Click here for a review article on recent earthquake activity. And please join me in praying that America, particularly our vulnerable West Coast, will continue to be spared from a terrible earthquake!
(Mat 24:7-8) Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
85. Psalmody appertains to the wisdom of the world of multiplicity; prayer
is the prelude to the immaterial knowledge of the One.
September 26, 1999
(Exo 33:1) Then the LORD said to Moses, "Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants.'
POPE CONFIRMS PLANNED TRIP TO MIDDLE EAST
(IsraelWire-9/23) "You young people, and all those whom you represent, must be the first to realize the hopes of your peoples and of the world at large," stated Pope John Paul II on Wednesday in a message to Israeli and Arab youth. The pope confirmed reports concerning his planned visit to Israel in 2000.
"At the threshold of the new millennium, you must come to see more clearly that the future of peace, and therefore the future of all humanity, depends on the fundamental choices your generation will make," the Pope said in his message.
"You know that, if God wills, I plan to go to the Holy Land on a pilgrimage tracing the stages of the history of salvation. God willing, therefore, we shall have the chance to meet again on your own soil," he said.
Complete text of Papal mesage: http://www.zenit.org/english/archive/documents/youth-middle-east.html
VIA EMAIL Jim Collins:
The Lord has shown me that these times which represent "Tribulation" to the world also represent great hope. Most important of these events has been the outpouring of the Spirit in accordance with Job 3 and Acts 2 (this was demonstrated to me beginning with Pentecost last year). God is going about "rocking the boat" so that people will turn to Him in faith while at the same time pouring our His Spirit to help the numerous people who have troubled souls and need His comfort.
We are in a very special time. One not so much of "distress" but a time of renewed hope for it will result in the salvation of many and the healing of families and societies.
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
84. Prayer is the energy which accords with the dignity of the intellect;
it is the intellect's true and highest activity.
September 25, 1999
(Mat 19:13-15) Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
VIA EMAIL Pat Na'ea:
URGENT CONGRESSIONAL ALERT FROM NATIONAL RIGHT TO LIFE -- HOUSE TO VOTE IMMEDIATELY ON UNBORN VICTIMS!
The House Republican leadership has scheduled the NRLC-backed Unborn Victims of Violence Act (HR 2436) for a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Sept. 28, or (more likely) Wednesday, Sept. 29.
This is two weeks earlier than originally anticipated! This leaves only a few days to contact U.S. House members (or appropriate staff members) by telephone to urge the lawmakers to (1) support the bill, and (2) oppose all weakening amendments, especially the hostile substitute amendment that would remove from the bill any legal recognition of the unborn child as a human victim.
Currently, unborn children simply are not recognized in federal criminal law -- if an unborn child is injured or killed during the commission of a federal crime, it adds nothing to the assailant's legal liability. Under the bill, however, an unborn child who is injured or killed during the commission of a violent federal crime would be recognized as a human victim, and the assailant could be punished for manslaughter, murder, or another crime of violence for the harm that he did to the unborn child.
Even though the bill deals with acts of violence other than abortion, NARAL, the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and other pro-abortion groups are lobbying hard to kill it. The pro-abortion groups are pushing a substitute amendment, cynically labeled the "Motherhood Protection Act," which would re-define the crime as "interruption" or "termination" of a "pregnancy" during an assault. This amendment would remove the unborn child entirely from bill, and establish the nature of the offense as (in effect) a property crime. A vote for this phony "Motherhood Protection" substitute is a vote to kill the Unborn Victims of Violence Act.
Contact Congress! : http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/ or by phone (202) 224-3121.
PRAY FOR THE UNBORN! MORE NEWS HEADLINES:
GERMAN
BISHOPS DEFY VATICAN FOR NOW ON ABORTION
U.S.
APPEALS COURT THROWS OUT ANTI-ABORTION LAWS
FEAST OF ST. GENNARO: MIRACLE TAKES PLACE IN NAPLES
21-Sep-99(NE) In the day that Naples (Italy) celebrates the city's Patron saint, St. Gennaro, hundreds of faithful witnessed last Sunday the miracle of the liquefaction of the saint's blood, kept dried up in a small glass phial. The Cathedral, where the miracle took place, was completely filled with people, who saw once again the miracle that repeatedly occurs since the XIV century.
After a liturgy in the Cathedral last September 19, Feast day of St. Gennaro, the Archbishop of Naples held the silver reliquary where the blood is kept, turning it upside down from time to time. After a moment, the Major of the city, also present, waived a white handkerchief. It was the signal that the miracle had once again taken place, while the people present applauded and cried "Evviva San Gennaro!" as the Archbishop showed the saint's liquefied blood.
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
85. Psalmody appertains to the wisdom of the world of multiplicity; prayer
is the prelude to the immaterial knowledge of the One.
September 24, 1999
(Deu 4:19) And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars--all the heavenly array--do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.
LOOKING UP FROM TENT CITY, TAIWAN'S MOON FESTIVAL IS MAINLY SAD
(AP) _ Thousands of Taiwanese left homeless by this week's deadly earthquake have little to celebrate Friday as they mark one of their most important holidays, the Autumn Moon Festival.
People traditionally go outside to gaze at the moon, but this year many will be looking to the skies from tent cities quickly erected after more than 6,000 homes on the island were destroyed by Tuesday's magnitude-7.6 quake. By Thursday night, Taiwan's Disaster Management Center had counted 2,109 people dead, 7,800 injured and 1,844 still missing.
The festival falls in the middle of the eighth lunar Chinese month, when the moon is supposed to be at its fullest. With a ripe, round moon considered a symbol of happiness, the national holiday is also a time for family reunions. During this year's holiday, some people say they simply feel lucky to be alive.
"It's not very festive," said Hsaio Ji-sen, a salesman. "But everyone's safe and we're all together."
(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."
VIA EMAIL "chris" <[email protected]>:
My parents live in a very remote region of Nova Scotia, Canada. They travelled several hours deep into the Inverness county to hear a representative of Fr. Gobbi's two days ago. He spoke of being in Szechuan, China. An hours drive outside the city is a Holy Place where pilgrims pray to the Mother of God. The Chinese government put up barb wire and persecuted the people from going there. Then for several days lights appeared and the then Our Lady herself came and opened up all the barbed wire fences. I do know that we just need to pray like never before! God is good.
MODERATE EARTHQUAKES RATTLE CALIFORNIA, OHIO
(AP) A moderate earthquake measuring 4.2 in magnitude rattled Northern California on Wednesday, but no damage or injuries were reported.
Click here for a review article on recent earthquake activity. And please join me in praying that America, particularly our vulnerable West Coast, will continue to be spared from a terrible earthquake!
Albert Einstein said, "God does not play dice"... meaning there is a predictable pattern in everything.
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
84. Prayer is the energy which accords with the dignity of the intellect;
it is the intellect's true and highest activity.
September 23, 1999
(Psa 127:3 -5) Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.
U.N. SAYS FUNDS DOWN AS POPULATION NEARS 6 BILLION
(Reuters) - World-wide spending on family planning and women's health has fallen billions of dollars below target as the world's population climbs relentlessly towards six billion, U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) Director Nafis Sadik said on Wednesday. The world's population is due to hit six billion next month, a doubling since 1960.
Sadik said differences with conservative Catholic and Moslem countries, who see UNFPA family planning and education policies as encouraging abortion and casual sex, continued to trouble international talks on population growth.
Negotiations in New York in July pitted a handful of Roman Catholic and Moslem states against more liberal countries, with disagreements holding up a final document until the last minute.
Editors Comment: AMEN!!!! We CAN make a difference!
UPDATE ON EUCHARISTIC MIRACLE VIDEO
The "Bleeding Host of Betania" (Venezuela) bled in 1991, and has since been kept in repository in a chapel and has been inactive since then, showing only small discolorations that appear to be fissures in its surface.
On November 13, 1998, Dan Sanford, from New Jersey, USA, was video taping after the Mass at the chapel when he happened to point his camera at the Host of Betania in the tabernacle. At that same moment, the Host became covered in flames, while blood exuded against the front of the glass barrier. Some say they can see a beating heart in the flames, as well, while others report that they can see additional al phenomena.
The bishop of the diocese of Los Teques has given his approval to use the video of the Eucharistic miracle to evangelize belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
The tape of this momentous Eucharistic miracle has been professionally duplicated and is now available to EVERYONE who requests it, at NO COST (but any small donation you care to make would be gratefully appreciated). Those who receive it may NOT duplicate it themselves because of image degradation, but are allowed to share it with other faithful who have doubts about the Real Presence of Jesus in consecrated Hosts. To obtain the video contact:
Dan Sanford
329 Cypress Avenue
Woodlynne, NJ 08107
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
83. Psalmody calms the passions and curbs the uncontrolled impulses in the
body; and prayer enables the intellect to activate its own energy.
September 22, 1999
(Rom 11:17-18) If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
CARDINAL SAYS HE'S SORRY FOR ANTI-SEMITISM
(AP) -- Cardinal John O'Connor has expressed sorrow for the anti-Semitic history of the Catholic Church in a letter made public over the weekend by Jewish leaders.
"I ask this Yom Kippur that you understand my own abject sorrow for any member of the Catholic Church, high or low, who may have harmed you or your forebears in any way," the cardinal said in the letter.
In the letter, the cardinal also referred to the pope's bid to make next Ash Wednesday -- March 8, 2000 -- a day for Catholics to reflect upon the suffering of Jews at the hands of Catholics this millennium.
"We most sincerely want to start a new era," the cardinal said.
(Rom 11:25-26) I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
NEWS HEADLINES- (past 24 hours)
Taiwan
quake couldn't come at a worse time
Hardships
grow in Bahamas as aid trickles in
Post-hurricane
health threat mounts in N.C.
Hurricane
Gert tears down walls, destroys beaches, floods roads in Bermuda
Three
Dead, Thousands Homeless In Mexican Floods
Some
1,500 flee restive Philippine volcano
Monastery
evacuated as Big Sur, Calif., fire spreads
Click here for a review article on recent earthquake activity. And please join me in praying that America, particularly our vulnerable West Coast, will continue to be spared from a terrible earthquake!
(Isa 64:9) Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look upon us, we pray, for we are all your people.
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
82. Pray gently and calmly, sing with understanding and rhythm; then you
will soar like a young eagle high in the heavens.
September 21, 1999
JUBILEE 2000 ON-LINE STUDY: 'Understanding and Living the Great Jubilee'
An Internet-based Jubilee course -- "Understanding and Living the Great Jubilee" -- will be offered through the Archdiocese of Denver website beginning September 27. The 10-week course will conclude the first week of Advent.
Instructor Bill Beckman, adviser for special projects to the archbishop, will lead a reflection on Tertio Millennio Adveniente, Pope John Paul II's 1994 apostolic letter. Participants will experience an interactive learning process that includes online discussions, audio clips and roadmaps to Jubilee-related resources.
The cost of the course is $45. For online registration and a course description, click here.
Post your Catholic testimony at: Jubilee 2000: Bringing the World to Jesus!
(ZENIT).- The Vatican Library Press has just published the book of a Roman priest, Fr. Alessandro Olivieri Pennesi, which contains detailed research on the person of Christ as seen and presented by New Age leaders.
The New Age, or Age of Aquarius, announces an imminent, radical and positive change in our society, and promotes a kind of "salvation" that inevitably contrasts with the person of the one savior announced by Christianity.
Given the current religious panorama, these clarifications were necessary for the contemporary Christian. For Christianity, Christ is not one more savior, but the Savior.
(Gal 1:6-8) I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
81. Know that the holy angels encourage us to pray and stand beside us, rejoicing
and praying for us (cf. Tobit. 12:12). Therefore, if we are negligent and
admit thoughts from the enemy, we greatly provoke the angels. For while they
struggle hard on our behalf we do not even take the trouble to pray to God
for ourselves, but we despise their services to us and, abandoning their
Lord and God, we consort with unclean demons.
September 20, 1999
A Desmond Birch Commentary:
THE IMPLICATIONS OF JOHN LEARY’S WRITINGS BEING "HUMAN IN ORIGIN, NOT DIVINE"
Several weeks ago, part of a news story about John Leary was posted on the Tribulation Times. That story related the fact that on July 7, 1999, Bishop Matthew Clark of Rochester, N.Y. issued a formal statement which declared that Leary's 'alleged' messages, or "locutions", did not come from God, that in fact they were "human in origin, not Divine"..........
Please click HERE for the complete commentary. Readers without web access please click here or email Desmond Birch at [email protected] requesting a copy via email.
Part two, an overview of the Catholic Church's position with regards to Millenialism, will be presented on the Trib Times within the upcoming week.
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
80. If you pray truly, you will gain great assurance; angels will come to
you as they came to Daniel, and they will illuminate you with knowledge of
the inner essences of created things (cf. Dan. 2:19).
September 19, 1999
(1 Tm 6, 13-16) Before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who in bearing witness made his noble profession before Pontius Pilate, I charge you to keep God's command without blame or reproach until our Lord Jesus Christ shall appear. This appearance God will bring to pass at his chosen time.
JUDGE SETS ASIDE MISSOURI ABORTION BAN, INTENSIFYING LEGAL FIGHT
(AP) Missouri's new law banning a type of late-term abortion was put on hold Friday by a federal judge after opponents went to court to block what they called a direct attack on the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion.
Bans on the procedure sometimes called ''partial-birth'' abortion have been blocked or severely limited in 19 of the 20 states where they have been challenged, the New York-based Center for Reproductive Law and Policy said. Abortion providers have appealed a federal judge's decision upholding a ban in Wisconsin.
Backers of the Missouri law said its approach is different from an outright ban, because it creates a specific felony called ''infanticide.''
OUR LADY OF EMMITSBURG MESSAGE
Through Gianna Talone Sullivan
(Bishop's
Statement)
at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Emmitsburg, MD September 16, 1999
My dear little children, praise be Jesus!
Little ones, give thanks to your Father above for
all He has given to
you. You ask for many things but there are few prayers of thanksgiving
to
Jesus. Always begin your prayers with gratitude. It is very important
to
thank Jesus for His love and mercy. Jesus sees your actions and knows
your thoughts. Nothing is hidden in the soul from Jesus.
Be grateful, little children, of the light.
The more you thank God,
the more He will illuminate your mind and the more you will be able to
worship Him in reverence with affection and without fear.
Jesus manifests the beauty of the world. He
is God and He became
human because of His love. His love is incarnate and holiness flows
to
all living things through Him. He is love. Thank Him for all
the
wondrous gifts of life He gives to you. Because of His birth,
goodness
and holiness fulfilled the law of nature and your life was joined to
His.
Be grateful, little children. Ask of Jesus what you desire but first
thank Him with all of your heart. Without Him you would not have life and
there would not be any hope.
I take your petitions to Him in thanksgiving.
Peace to you. Thank
you for responding to My call. AD DEUM.
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
79. Surely, when you do realize where you are, you will gladly sorrow and,
like Isaiah, will reproach yourself because, being unclean, and dwelling
in the midst of an unclean people- that is, of enemies- you dare to stand
before the Lord of hosts (cf. Isa. 6:5).
September 18, 1999
(Rev 8:10-11) The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water-- the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
THE odds are that a comet with Earth's name on it is lingering in deep space, already on a course that will kill millions, a researcher has said.
Calculations by Matthew Genge, of the Natural History Museum in London, to be presented at the British Association meeting today, show that impacts large enough to cause enormous damage occur on average once a century.
Long-period comets from the Oort cloud, which lies at the fringes of the solar system, were most likely to take us by surprise, Dr Genge said. There were 10,000 comets in the cloud, in orbits that brought them close to the Sun, and Earth, only once every 30 million years. This meant we could not predict their arrival.
Given sufficient time, Dr Genge said, action might be taken to prevent disaster. A rocket sent to rendezvous with the incoming comet could nudge it off course with a nuclear explosion. But long-period comets may not give sufficient warning to allow such action.
VIRGIN MARY APPARITION 'AT HUME FUNERAL'
A picture taken of the funeral of Cardinal Basil Hume contains an image that could be an apparition of the Virgin Mary, it was claimed yesterday.
Terence Wynn, a former editor of the Catholic Herald, took photographs of the television coverage of the funeral at Westminster Cathedral in June. Mr Wynn, from South Benfleet, Essex, said: "In one shot, where two priests stood either side of the coffin, there was an image of what looked like a person.
"I was gobsmacked. I had it blown up and it appeared to me to resemble the traditional statue of Our Lady of Lourdes with her hands clasped together." He has sent copies of the photograph to the Pope's representative in Britain.
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
78. When you think that you do not need tears for your sins during prayer,
reflect on this: you should always be in God, and yet you are still far from
Him. Then you will weep with greater feeling.
September 17, 1999
Coming Monday!!!
Back to back commentaries from author Desmond Birch!
On Monday the Trib Times will post "The Implications of John Leary's Writings Being "Human in Origin, not Divine". This special editorial is a careful look at John Leary and the recent decision by Bishop Mathew Clark with regards to the authenticity of his locutions.
Tuesday will feature an overview of the Catholic Church's position with regards to Millenialism.
Don't miss it!! Please spread the word!!!
SUSPECTED BOMB BLAST KILLS 17 IN SOUTHERN RUSSIA
(CNN) -- A suspected terrorist bomb devastated an apartment complex Thursday in Volgodonsk in southern Russia, leaving at least 17 people dead and 115 injured in what authorities said was the fifth terrorist attack in recent weeks.
The latest explosion came as speculation mounted in Moscow that President Boris Yeltsin's government could face a political crisis because of its apparent inability to end the wave of attacks.
Thursday's attack was eight miles (13 km) from an unfinished nuclear power station -- but an atomic energy spokesman said it posed no danger to the plant.
Stratfor analysis: Who Gains From the Moscow Apartment Bombings?
OUR LORD'S
MESSAGE through Fr Jack Spaulding
(Bishop's Statement)
at
St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Phoenix, AZ SEPTEMBER 9, 1999
My dear ones, I come to you this night to call you again to a different way of living. I call you again this night to listen to what I say to you and have said to you through the Gospels. The life that I call you to is different from the life that this world offers. The life that I call you to is My life and the life of My Father. It is a life truly of putting God at the center, but the only way, My dear ones, that you can live this life of loving you enemies, of giving without counting the cost, without judging, without condemning; the only way is to come before Me in My Blessed Sacrament and to allow Me to b the King of your heart, to allow Me to dwell in you.
As you come to Me in My Most Blessed Sacrament you will realize how close I want to be with you. If you allow Me to become one with you, then My way of living will be your way of living. You will see others through My eyes. You will treat others as I would treat them. You will become a new person and this new way of life will be filled with love and peace because I will be within you.
My dear ones, I bless you this night with My merciful love. I give you My strength to begin this new way of life. Attach yourself to Me. Peace be with you.
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
77. The bowls of incense which the twenty-four elders offered are said to
be the prayers of the saints. By a bowl should be understood friendship with
God or perfect spiritual love, whereby prayer is energized in spirit and
in truth.
September 16, 1999
FLOYD FORCES LARGEST U.S. EVACUATION EVER
(Reuters) - More than two million coastal residents from north Florida to the Carolinas fled inland on Wednesday to escape the howling winds and blinding rains of Hurricane Floyd, jamming highways in what the most senior U.S. disaster official called the largest evacuation in the country's history.
Floyd, one of the strongest storms ever tracked in the Atlantic, was battering the north Florida coast on Wednesday morning as it steamed northward about 100 miles (160 km) out to sea.
It was expected it to make landfall near the South Carolina-North Carolina border early on Thursday morning, forecasters at the National Hurricane Centre in Miami said.
FLOYD STRIKES
LAND NEAR CAPE FEAR, NORTH CAROLINA
TYPHOON
YORK POUNDS HONG KONG
AIDS AFRICA'S REAL 'KILLING FIELD', SAYS UNICEF
(AP) Armed conflict killed 200,000 Africans last year, but AIDS killed 2 million Africans in the same period, a U.N. official said today.
''By any measure, the HIV-AIDS pandemic is the most terrible undeclared war in the world,'' said Carol Bellamy, executive director of UNICEF.
Africa accounts for two-thirds of the world's 31 million HIV-AIDS cases. The pandemic has claimed about 11 million lives.
ANTHRAX
OUTBREAK LEAVES 42 HOSPITALIZED IN FORMER SOVIET REPUBLIC
LOUISIANA
OFFICIALS WARN AGAINST ENCEPHALITIS
NEW
YORK TAKES MOSQUITO BATTLE INTO CENTRAL PARK
(Rev 6:8) 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: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
76. The statement in the Apocalypse that the angel brought incense and offered
it with the prayers of the saints (cf. Rev. 8:3) refers, I think, to this
grace which is energized through the angel. For it instills knowledge of
true prayer, so that the intellect stands firm, free from all agitation,
listlessness and negligence.
September 15, 1999
(2 Cor 1:10-11) He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
A Word of Thanks
I want to sincerely thank all who prayed for our protection from the potentially devastating effects of Hurricane Floyd. Thanks be to God thus far Florida has been barely grazed by the storm. Please join me in praying for continued protection for all those in the path of this imposing storm.
MIAMI HERALD ARTICLE: The Poor Put God Above Floyd
OUR LADY OF EMMITSBURG MESSAGE
Through Gianna Talone Sullivan
(Bishop's
Statement)
at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Emmitsburg, MD September 9, 1999
My dear little children, praise be Jesus!
Little ones, My desire is for all people to love God with the same heart and mind. There is so much turmoil and so many atrocities in the world. There are many people who suffer and who are in need of love and assistance. All of these people are loved by God.
Pray for all people and love with the heart of God. Constancy in prayer will bring enlightenment to your minds; and when you love with your heart, your soul becomes the source of beauty. Love and compassion remove the infection of avarice and truly clean the soul making it beautiful.
If you are sorrowful, do not despair, for your sorrow will turn to joy. Rejoice in God. An understanding heart, a listening ear, an inviting tone of voice and a supportive comment, a gentle smile will help soothe the agony and pain in someone's life and will give them the hope and encouragement to persevere. God will take all His loved ones to His heart and comfort those who mourn.
Do not lose hope. Move forward and love one another. Pray with all your heart. Pray each day without fail in all you do. God must be on your minds, hearts and lips.
I take your petitions to Him this night. I bless you and give you His peace. Thank you for responding to My call. AD DEUM.
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
75. When the angel of God comes to us, with his presence alone he puts an
end to all adverse energy within the intellect and makes its light energize
without illusion.
September 14, 1999
(Psa 57:1) Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.
HURRICANE FLOYD STRENGTHENS TO MAJOR STORM
(Reuters) - Hurricane Floyd, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Atlantic, pounded the central Bahamas early on Tuesday and was expected to give parts of Florida a foretaste of its strength in just a few hours.
More than one million people living along Florida's Atlantic coast were preparing to evacuate their homes as Floyd, bearing winds of 155 mph , churned a course toward the south-eastern United States.
"It's capable of almost catastrophic destruction," said Todd Kimberlain, a forecaster at the hurricane center.
FAIRLY STRONG EARTHQUAKE JOLTS TOKYO
(AP) A fairly strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 shook Tokyo and surrounding areas Monday morning, Japan's Meteorological Agency said.
ANOTHER QUAKE STRIKES DEVASTATED AREA OF TURKEY
(AP) A strong earthquake struck western Turkey, collapsing buildings already damaged in a deadly quake last month. Monday's jolt was felt as far away as Istanbul, where people rushed into the streets in panic. Telephones lines in Istanbul were down after the quake.
Last month's quake, which registered 7.4, killed more than 15,000 people and devastated western Turkey, the country's industrial heart.
(Mat 24:7-8) Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
74. I think that the demon, by touching this area, changes the light surrounding
the intellect as he likes. In this way he uses the passion of self-esteem
to stir up in the intellect a thought which fatuously attributes form and
location to divine and principial knowledge. Not being disturbed by impure
and carnal passions, but supposing itself to be in a state of purity, the
intellect imagines that there is no longer any adverse energy within it.
It then mistakes for a divine manifestation the appearance produced in it
by the demon, who cunningly manipulates the brain and converts the light
surrounding the intellect into a form, as we have described.
September 13, 1999
(Mat 18:21-22) Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
E.TIMOR'S BELO URGES SPIRIT OF FORGIVENESS
Reuters) - East Timor's spiritual leader Bishop Carlos Belo appealed on Sunday for the triumph of good over evil and urged a spirit of forgiveness despite the killings in the territory.
"We must open a spirit of forgiveness without limits and work to transform bad into goodness, dark into light, battle fields into fields of bread, and arid desert into a water-spring," he told a packed congregation during Mass at Lisbon's Salesian church.
Belo, who arrived in Lisbon on Friday and who travels to Rome on Monday to brief Pope John Paul, said he was strengthened by the faith and hope shown by the Portuguese who have held dozens of rallies to protest against the killings in East Timor. He said he would ask Pope John Paul to pray for peace for East Timor.
"The church prays for those who suffer and prays with hope," he said. "The Christians in Timor are firm in their faith."
POPE SAYS GENOCIDE ALIVE AND WELL IN WORLD
Italy, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Pope John Paul said on Saturday that genocide was alive and well in the world and young people must acquire a "culture of peace" to avoid repeating the horrors of the past.
"Authentic genocides which we thought had been forever done away with are still perpetrated all over the planet," the Pope said in accepting the credentials of the new Japanese ambassador to the Vatican.
"In order not to forget the atrocities of the past, we must teach young people the incomparable values of peace," he said.
"The culture of peace is contagious, but it is far from being widespread, as demonstrated in certain hot spots where conflict dies hard," he added, in apparent reference to the violence in East Timor.
"We must constantly repeat that peace is the primordial principle of collective life."
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
73. When the intellect attains prayer that is pure and free from passion,
the demons attack no longer with sinister thoughts but with thoughts of what
is good. For they suggest to it an illusion of God's glory in a form pleasing
to the senses, so as to make it think that it has realized the final aim
of prayer. A man who possesses spiritual knowledge has said that this illusion
results from the passion of self-esteem and from the demon's touch on a certain
area of the brain.
September 12, 1999
(John 16:21-22) A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
WILD EXPERIMENT: SEVENTY-YEAR-OLD MOTHERS
(ZENIT).- To a proposal of a team of British doctors to enable 70-year-old women to bear children through the cloning of fertilized eggs and uterine implantation, Professor Antonio Spagnolo of the Bioethics Center of the Catholic University of Rome reacted with disbelief. "It is really hard to imagine a worse accumulation of ethically unacceptable practices," he stated.
With these techniques, ethical lines are crossed in at least two areas. "The first is that already confronted in cloning," explained the professor. "The second is that of motherhood at such an advanced age, which presents enormous problems."
Concerning the increasingly alarming new items in this field, Spagnolo stated, "I think these stories are reported to see what the public reaction will be like; that these reactions will determine whether or not the processes go forward. The most secret objective is disquieting, because they probably want to create a sort of habituation to these anomalies, so that they will be able to carry forward their investigations, which are nothing more than a way to do business at the cost of innocents."
(L1 news)- A blueprint for the creation of life is about to be unveiled by scientists.
The mystery of creation, which took nature hundreds of millions of years, may now be accomplished by Man within five years.
A leading genetics researcher has worked out the process to create a synthetic bacterium. Scientists say it is only a short step to the creation of much more complex lifeforms. It raises the prospect of humans ultimately being able to create new species of plants and animals.
The work appears to have the blessing of much of the religious establishment, which has reacted with caution to the development.
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
72. A man who is tied up cannot run. Nor can the intellect that is a slave
to passion perceive the realm of spiritual prayer. For it is dragged about
by impassioned thoughts and cannot stay still.
September 11, 1999
RUSSIANS AGREE TO PLACE OFFICERS AT MISSILE WARNING CENTER IN COLORADO DURING Y2K
(AP) -- Russia has accepted an American offer to place a team of Russian officers at a joint monitoring center in Colorado to observe U.S. missile warning data during the Year 2000 transition, the Pentagon said Friday.
The purpose of the center is to provide reassurance to the Russians on potential accidental missile launches -- either by the United States or other countries -- resulting from Y2K computer glitches. U.S. officials have said they do not anticipate Y2K problems with either U.S. or Russian missile systems.
"It's not because we think we're teetering on the edge of a potential false launch, or anything of the sort," the senior official said. However, "were there to be some sort of problem, it would certainly be useful to have our people in direct contact and in direct communication with one another."
100,000 TECHNICIANS TO STAND VIGIL FOR MILLENIUM HICCUPS
(AP) _ About 100,000 technicians from top Japanese electronic companies will camp out in their offices on New Year's Eve to guard against any computer failures at the turn of the millennium, an industry official said Wednesday.
Haruhisa Suzuki, spokesman for the Japan Electronic Industry Development Association, said the leading companies will be on alert "not because they expect problems, but because they need to be there in the unlikely event there is a problem."
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
71. You cannot attain pure prayer while entangled in material things and
agitated by constant cares. For prayer means the shedding of thoughts.
September 10, 1999
"The gift of grace increases as the struggles increase" (St. Rose of Lima)
INDONESIA REJECTS U.N. PEACEKEEPERS FOR EAST TIMOR
(AP) The United Nations prepared to evacuate all but a skeleton staff from East Timor amid allegations by the Roman Catholic Church today that anti-independence militiamen massacred nuns, priests and civilians.
The Vatican's missionary news service FIDES cited local sources as saying three priests were slain in a grenade attack in Suai on Sept. 6. One of the three priests, Rev. Hilario Madeira, was well-known as an independence backer, FIDES said. FIDES also said witnesses reported that 15 priests were killed in Dili and Baucau and some nuns were killed in Baucau.
East Timor is a predominately Roman Catholic province in mostly Muslim Indonesia, where religious violence has killed hundreds.
Related News Links:
Vatican
Says Genocide Taking Place In E.Timor
U.S. report
criticizes countries for religious persecution
Timor
vote monitor says U.N. knew of militia plans
Pope
condemns East Timor 'slaughter' as U.N. evacuates
CHINESE PASTORAL BIBLE PRESENTED TO HOLY FATHER
(ZENIT).- The first copy of the Chinese edition of the Pastoral Bible was presented to John Paul II by Fr. Bernard Hurualt and Fr. Alberto Rossa, representing the Pastoral Bible Foundation, and the General Superior of the Society of St. Paul, Fr. Pietro Campus. The new work, using the simplified writing system of mainland China, opens the door to a whole new group of Christians.
The Pastoral Bible was realized by an international group of students, including two Chinese, Cao Xue and Wang Ling.The new translation is "pastoral," in the sense that it contains notes and commentaries to help the reader understand the text, interweaving it in the living tradition of the Church. The team of translators and Biblical scholars labored for eight years on the project, working in Taiwan, Manila, and Madrid.
(Mat 24:14) And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
70. Stand on guard and protect your intellect from thoughts while you pray.
Then your intellect will complete its prayer and continue in the tranquility
that is natural to it. In this way He who has compassion on the ignorant
will come to you, and you will receive the blessed gift of prayer.
September 9, 1999
LAST U.N. FOOD DEPOT IN DILI TORCHED BY MILITIAS
(Reuters) - Pro-Jakarta militias torched the United Nations' last food depot in Dili on Wednesday and the U.N. mission in the East Timor capital has only enough supplies for another 24 hours, a Portuguese journalist reported.
East Timor refugees flee U.N. compound
VIA EMAIL [email protected]:
EMBROIDERY - Author Unknown
When I was a little boy my mother used to embroider a great deal. I would sit at her knee and look up from the floor. I'd ask what she was doing. She informed me that she was embroidering. I told her that it looked like a mess from where I was. As from the underside I watched her work within the boundaries of the little round hoop that she held in her hand, I complained to her that it sure looked messy from where I sat.
She would smile at me, look down and gently say, "My son, you go about your playing for a while and when I am finished I will put you on my knee and let you see it from my side. I would wonder why she was using some dark threads along with the bright ones and why they seemed so jumbled from my view. A few minutes would pass and then I would hear Mother's voice say, "Son, come and sit on my knee."
This I did only to be surprised and thrilled to see a beautiful flower or a sunset. I could not believe it, because from underneath it looked so messy. Then Mother would say to me, "My son, from underneath it did look messy and jumbled, but you did not realize that there was a pre-drawn plan on the top. It was a design. I was only following it. Now look at it from my side and you will see what I was doing."
Many times through the years I have looked up to my Heavenly Father and said, "Father, what are You doing?" He has answered. "I am embroidering your life." I say, "But it looks like a mess to me. It seems so jumbled. the threads seem so dark. Why can't they all be bright?"
The Father seems to tell me, "My child you go about your business of doing My business, and one day I will bring you to Heaven and put you on My knee and you will see the plan from My side."
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
69. When the jealous demon fails to stir up our memory during prayer, he
disturbs the soul-body temperament, so as to form some strange fantasy in
the intellect. Since your intellect is usually preoccupied with thoughts
it is easily diverted: instead of pursing immaterial and formless knowledge,
it is decieved, mistaking smoke for light.
September 8, 1999
(AP) The strongest earthquake to hit Athens in nearly a century toppled buildings Tuesday, sending hundreds of thousands of terrified people into debris-littered streets.
Dozens of people were injured by falling glass, concrete and marble slabs shaken loose by the 10-second quake, which had a preliminary magnitude of 5.9. At least 50 people died and nearly 63 were reported missing.
EAST TIMORESE FLEE AS HOMELAND SINKS FURTHER INTO CHAOS
(AP) Driven by fear, killings and army gunfire, East Timorese jammed onto ships and into trucks Tuesday as their homeland sank further into chaos behind them. With an estimated 30,000 people having fled the provincial capital in the past few days, the streets of the city were empty save for looters and smoldering fires.
The United Nations estimates that 150,000 to 200,000 people have become refugees in East Timor in the days since the election.
Speaking in Darwin, Australia, East Timor's spiritual leader Bishop Carlos Belo said his people ''were unable to fight the waves of violence. The international community should act immediately to protect the people. We feel that we are no longer safe.''
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The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
68. Be on your guard against the tricks of the demons. While you are praying
purely and calmly, sometimes they suddenly bring before you some stange and
alien form, making you imagine in your conceit that the Deity is there. They
are trying to persuade you that the object suddenly disclosed to you is the
Deity, whereas the Deity does not possess quantity and form.
September 7, 1999
(Rev 6:4) Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.
AUSTRALIA CHURCHES, UNIONS RALLY AGAINST INDONESIA
(Reuters) - Australian churches and trade unions on Monday called for U.N. peacekeepers to be sent to East Timor and warned of industrial bans against Indonesia, as armed militias went on a violent rampage in East Timor.
The head of the Catholic Church in Australia, Cardinal Edward Clancy, said if the Indonesian army-backed violence was not stopped it could lead to mass murder in East Timor.
INDONESIAN ARMY, MILITIAS FORCIBLY EMPTYING DILI, ATTACK NOBEL WINNER'S COMPOUND
(AP) Indonesian troops and pro-Indonesia militiamen torched scores of homes including that of Nobel Peace laureate Bishop Carlos Belo and rounded up and deported thousands of terrified people from East Timor's capital Monday.
The home of Bishop Belo, East Timor's spiritual leader and winner of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize, was burning out of control after militiamen, escorted by soldiers, attacked 6,000 refugees who had taken refuge in his compound with gunfire, witnesses said. Belo was at home at the time of the attack but was uninjured. He was later flown in a police helicopter to the eastern town of Bacau.
Pro-independence leader Manuel Carrascalao said that ''the attack on Bishop Belo's residence left at least 39 people dead.'' The death toll could not be independently confirmed.
Indonesia releases Gusmao, declares martial law in East Timor
REPORT: CHINA PLANS LARGE-SCALE MILITARY EXERCISES
(AP) _ Continuing its show of military might, China's army is planning large-scale exercises on the coast across from Taiwan, a Beijing-backed newspaper reported Sunday.
The drills will be a closer simulation of war than those performed in 1996, when heightened tensions with Taiwan last prompted China to conduct large-scale exercises and missile tests, Chinese-language daily Wen Wei Po reported, quoting an unidentified military expert.
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
67. When you are praying, do not shape within yourself any image of the Deity,
and do not let your intellect be stamped with the impress of any form; but
approach the Immaterial in an immaterial manner, and then you will
understand.
September 6, 1999
(John 14:1-3) "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
OUR LORD'S
MESSAGE through Fr Jack Spaulding
(Bishop's Statement)
at
St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Phoenix, AZ September 2, 1999
My dear ones, I come to you this night to ask of you what I asked of Simon Peter long ago, that is very simply, to trust me, to believe what I am saying to you because truly, My dear ones, it is always the same. I love you. I am with you. You are not children of the darkness, but children of light. You are the beloved children of My Father. You are loved in His light. You are redeemed. You are graced with the power of Our Holy Spirit. My dear ones, the evil one attempts to lie to you. He wants you to believe that you are in darkness and therefore, fear overcomes your life. Loneliness seeps into your soul. He lies to you.
You are never alone. I am always with you, but you need to trust and to listen to Me, not to the evil one and not to the world. Come close to Me this night. I will give you comfort for your sorrow. I will give you healing for your pain and I will give you My mercy. All of these will be tendered to you if you simply trust and listen. I bless you, My dear ones and I tell you again, as I told Peter, there is nothing to fear, neither sin nor death. I have conquered them both for you. I love you.
(Rom 8:38-39) For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
66. If you long to pray, do nothing that is opposed to prayer, so that God
may draw near and be with you.
September 5, 1999
(1 Th 5:3 ) While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
BARAK, ARAFAT SIGN NEW MIDEAST PEACE ACCORD
(Reuters) - Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak signed a deal in Egypt Sunday that puts stalled Middle East peacemaking back on track after weeks of tortuous negotiations.
Pope calls Israeli-Palestinian accord a `ray of light'
(John 14:27) Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
OUR LADY OF EMMITSBURG MESSAGE
Through Gianna Talone Sullivan
(Bishop's
Statement)
at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Emmitsburg, MD September 2, 1999
My dear little children, praise be Jesus!
How much time do you spend wondering what should be done about your problems? How much time do you spend each day in prayer? If you weigh the two, you will notice less time is spent on the latter. Perhaps you have so many problems you are not able to pray.
Little children, prayer is the artery for bringing aid to your problems and peace in your life. Embrace God's plan for you each day and move forward in peace. Rest in My Son. This life, as you know it, is full of many different surges of waves, but the message of the Incarnation is peace. The angels brought the message of peace when Jesus entered the world, and before He died He entrusted His love, peace and life to you. Jesus overcame death so you could have life. His message was peace. Did He not say, "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you"?
Therefore, little children, be at peace in Jesus. Total surrender leads to total joy. Trust Jesus in every facet of life. Do not be anxious. Do not despair. Spend time in prayer. Tomorrow will come soon enough. Spend today in the peace of My Son, and through the fruits of prayer you will address your problems with His love and His peace. Follow the little way of Jesus.
I take your petitions to Him. Peace be with you. Thank you for responding to My Call. AD DEUM.
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
65. Whoever loves true prayer and yet becomes angry or resentful is his own
enemy. He is like a man who wants to see clearly and yet inflicts damage
on his own eyes.
September 4, 1999
TEXAS SCIENTISTS CLONE STEER FROM SKIN
(Reuters) -- Texas scientists have successfully cloned a steer from a scrap of skin taken from another steer, a Texas rancher said Wednesday.
Sandra Fisher, a rancher from La Grange, near Austin, said the Brahman steer, now three weeks old, was cloned from a steer she owned called Chance, which died a year ago.
Scientists from Texas A&M University had kept a scrap of the animal's skin, from which they had removed a wart.
"They had six attempts which were aborted in the carrier cow, but the clone was born last month. We've named him Second Chance," Fisher said.
(Heb 9:27-28) Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
For a look at the spiritual implications of cloning: Eyedoctor's Site: The Desolating Abomination.
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
64. While all else produces thoughts, ideas and speculations in the intellect
through changes in the body, the Lord does the opposite: by entering the
intellect, He fills it with whatever knowledge He wishes; and through the
intellect He calms the uncontrolled impulses in the body.
September 3, 1999
(Rev 16:8-9) The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.
VIOLENT SOLAR FLARE IS PREVIEW OF SPACE WEATHER TO COME
Solar flares, one type of "space weather" associated with the solar maximum, release tremendous amounts of energy, equivalent to a million hundred-megaton nuclear explosions, in just moments. The Sun is currently in the midst of its rise toward a peak of sunspot activity that has for some time been expected to occur between 1999 and 2004.
Past solar maximums, which are tied to increases in sunspot activity, have been known to disrupt satellite communications and cause widespread power blackouts on Earth. Cellular telephones, pagers and the Global Position System -- used for airline navigation -- could be particularly vulnerable, experts say. The last peak, in 1989, caused power blackouts, knocked satellites out of orbit and disrupted radio communications.
These violent flares may affect more than just satellites and power grids. An active Sun, known to heat the Earth's outer atmosphere, may also alter our climate. Scientists say a small ice age from 1645 to 1715 corresponded to a time of reduced solar activity, and current rises in temperatures might be related to increased solar activity.
SCIENTISTS ENGINEER SMARTER MICE, POINTING WAY TO SMARTER HUMANS
Scientists have genetically engineered brainy mice nicknamed ''Doogie,'' pointing the way for research that could lead to human babies with higher IQs as well as drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease and stroke.
''What we are looking at is the baby steps toward a world in which we can design our descendants,'' said Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. ''I don't think that is necessarily bad. Finding ways to repair autism or mental retardation associated with Down syndrome or Alzheimer's or other disabling neurological diseases is a very good thing.''
(Isa 44:8) Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
63. The Holy Spirit, out of compassion for our weakness, comes to us even
when we are impure. And if only He finds our intellect truly praying to Him,
He enters it and puts to flight the whole array of thoughts and ideas circling
within it, and He arouses it to a longing for spiritual prayer.
September 2, 1999
LUKEWARM WELCOME EXPECTED AS THE PILL HITS JAPAN
(http://www.nandotimes.com) - Come Thursday, Japanese women will finally have the pill - the convenient, effective birth control available elsewhere for four decades. But don't expect them to turn out in droves to get it.
One factor is suspicions about its safety. After years of hearing the official line that oral contraceptives pose health dangers, many women are hesitant to take them.
Another factor that could inhibit pill use: abortion. Safe abortions have been available in Japan for 50 years - without the moral and religious stigma and political opposition common in the United States. "It's easier for a Japanese woman to come out and say she's had an abortion than to say she's on the pill," said gynecologist Tomoko Saotome, who had pushed for the pill's approval.
THE CHURCH MUST GUIDE THE REVOLUTION
(ZENIT)- Given that the revolution has failed in many respects, Polish Father Stanislaw Grygiel, Vice-President of the John Paul II Institute for Studies of Marriage and the Family proposes that the Church lead a new revolution. "Society has repressed our , and it has been precisely the Church that, by telling the truth about the human body, has defended and its beauty," concluded Grygiel.
"Sexual differences create a space for total trust between one person and another. Those who are afraid to give themselves totally to others fear , and thus abuse it, deforming it to themselves. The objective of the John Paul II Institute is precisely to study the miracle of sexual difference. This is the beginning of a path in which we discover the ultimate and fundamental difference for human beings: the difference between God and creatures. If we don't live the sexual differences correctly that distinguish man and woman and call them to unite, we will not be capable of understanding the difference that distinguishes man and God, and constitutes a primordial call to union. Thus, we may fall into the despair of a life separated from others and from the Other, that is, God."
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
62. When your intellect in its great longing for God gradually withdraws
from the flesh and turns away from all thoughts that have their source in
your sense-perception, memory or soul-body temperament, and when it becomes
full of reverence and joy, then you may conclude that you are close to the
frontiers of prayer.
September 1, 1999
WILL 9/9/99 CREATE Y2K-LIKE HAVOC?
Reuters- A computer glitch that could cause system failures on Sept. 9 -- 9/9/99 -- is about to get a lot of attention.
In a kind of dry run for the Year 2000 glitch, authorities and computer scientists worldwide will be scrutinizing networks on that Thursday for any fallout from the so-called "Nines Problem." At issue is the impact of an old programming convention that used four nines in a row -- 9999 -- to tell computers to stop processing data or to perform a special task.
The U.N.-backed International Y2K Cooperation Center, a global clearing house for millennium bug data, is using Sept. 9 to rehearse a plan aimed at keeping up-to-the-minute tabs on how the world is faring as it enters 2000.
That reporting system, to be updated in real time on the center's Web site, www.iy2kcc.org, ultimately will reflect the input of 170 or more national Y2K coordinators.
The Philokalia excerpt: Evagrios the Solitary "On Prayer"
61. If you are a theologian, you will pray truly. And if you pray truly,
you are a theologian.
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