"IF YOU ARE WHAT YOU SHOULD BE, YOU WILL SET THE WHOLE WORLD ON FIRE."
"LET THE TRUTH BE YOUR DELIGHT.... PROCLAIM IT..., BUT WITH A CERTAIN CONGENIALITY." ~ St. Catherine of Siena
"To be actively pro-life is to contribute to the renewal of society through the promotion of the common good. It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all the other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop." ~ Pope John Paul II, The Gospel of Life, n.101
Everything is grace, everything is the direct effect of our Father's love.Everything is grace because everything is God's gift.Whatever be the character of life or its unexpected events -- to the heart that loves, all is well.
"Thank you Jean, you are a beautiful soldier for the cause. I appreciate your superb work. Keep it up!"
Lisa Mladinich
Amazing Catechists and Catholic Mom Puppet Show Ministry
" I’m amazed at your blog. I can barely get out one post a day and sometimes you have a few (and I now know how much work it takes to do that). You do a great job! "
Michelle, Unborn Word of the Day
"When I read your blog, I just want to comment on everything, your insights are just so on-key!" Leticia, Causa Nostrae Laetitiae and Cause of Our Joy.
"I enjoy your blog every day. It is the best Catholic blog out there. Thank you so much for all the work you put into it!"
Ellen Gable, author, "Emily's Hope"
"I love the zeal Jean puts into her posts, especially when it comes to the prolife movement." Esther, A Catholic Mom in Hawaii.
"Thank you, Jean....Awesome, Awesome information for those of us who are........may I say politically illiterate, but wanting to vote educated!! I'm leaning on you for voting info!!"
Ebeth, A Catholic Mom climbing the Pillars
"Jean of Catholic Fire...provides so much informative content. She posts about pro-life issues and events, what happened 'on this day', biographies of saints, prayer intentions, and lots more each day. No matter what she's posting about, I can always come away each day feeling uplifted...and that's saying a lot for me, as I'm someone who often tries to avoid thinking about some of the political and other issues that she posts about. It must be her strong faith and trust in God, as well as her love, shining through her posts, that inspire me." Margaret Mary Myers , Reflections, Catholic BVI Readers, VIP Homeschooler.
"PH, NC, RT, IT, O, H+, R+, T, C, NLU, AM, BS, F... Take that, Catholic Fire! You think you can curse us with your Latin language stuff? Well, try this on for size: May your life-spirit be exchanged with that of an polar bear who has just been stranded on an ice-floe that broke off because of global warming!" Father Tim, Spirit of Vatican 2
“They don’t speak of abortion but rather the ‘voluntary termination of an unwanted pregnancy,’ and everybody swears they are not in favor of abortion itself. But they do not recognize the value and dignity of human life as a principle value. They all worry about defending the pregnant woman and nobody worries about defending the human being who is going to be born."
~ Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Abelardo Alvarado of Mexico City
Flint, MI (LifeNews.com) -- Caitlin Bruce is the victim of a forced abortion that saw abortion practitioner Alberto Hodari and a staffer forcibly restrain her as she screamed no. Now, Bruce has given an interview to a local television station where she describes how Hodari and his associate "ripped the life" out of her.
Bruce told WJRT-TV about her lawsuit she has filed against Hodari and said that she changed her mind and withdrew her consent for the abortion after seeing an ultrasound of the unborn baby.
Despite her subsequent decision, Hodari held her to her original one. More here.
For more information on forced abortions, go here.
Learn more about Hodari from this graphic and truthful video put out by Catholic News Agency:
Today is the optional memorial of St. Catherine of Alexandria (292 - 310), virgin and martyr.
Catherine was beautiful, brilliant, and extremely wealthy at the age of eighteen when she debated the Emperor Maximin (311-313) and harshly criticized him for his persecution of Christians who refused to worship pagan gods. Astounded by her wisdom, Maximin ordered her to be kept confined, and summoned fifty of his most learned philosophers, promising them great rewards if they could get Catherine to abandon her Christian faith. However, her arguments were so convincing that all fifty of the philosophers were converted to Christianity. Outraged by this, Maximin ordered all of them to be burned alive.
Then the Emperor attempted to win Catherine by flattery and by promises, but his efforts proved equally fruitless. Next, he had her thrown into a dungeon, without food and water. He ordered her whipped with rods, scourged with leaden nodules, and then left to languish eleven days without food in prison.
In the Emperor's absence, his wife and Porphyrius, general of the army, visited Catherine in prison and both were converted to Christianity. Porphyrius then converted 200 soldiers. When the Emperor returned, he had them all executed, including his wife, and offered to make Catherine his new wife.When she refused, he designed a new means of torture.
Catherine's next torture consisted of being placed upon a wheel with sharp and pointed knives, which was designed to tear her body into pieces, but when she was bound to it, a heavenly fire destroyed it. Finally, on November 25, Catherine was beheaded. By the hands of angels her body was carried to Mt. Sinai, where it was interred in the convent which bears her name.
Ranked with St. Margaret and St. Barbara as one of the fourteen most helpful saints in heaven, she was unceasingly praised by preachers and sung by poets. In several dioceses in France, her feast day was observed as a Holy Day of obligation up to the beginning of the seventeenth century.Saint Catherine became the patroness of young maidens and female students. Looked upon as the holiest and most illustrious of the virgins of Christ, it was but natural that she, of all others, should be worthy to watch over the virgins of the cloister and the young women of the world.
Patronage: Apologists; craftsmen who work with a wheel (potters; spinners; etc.); archivists; attorneys; barristers; dying people; educators; girls; jurists; knife grinders; knife sharpeners; lawyers; librarians; libraries; maidens; mechanics; millers; nurses; old maids; philosophers; potters; preachers; scholars; schoolchildren; scribes; secretaries; spinners; spinsters; stenographers; students; tanners; teachers; theologians; turners; unmarried girls; wheelwrights.
Symbols: Wheel set with sharp knives; broken wheel; sword; crown at her feet; hailstones; bridal veil and ring; dove; scourge; book; spiked wheel; woman strapped to the spiked wheel on which she was martyred; woman arguing with pagan philosophers.
Sarah Palin soars, and her return seems to have contributed to a new low in public opinion towards Barack Obama. Get ready for the pending 2012 showdown.
On Monday Bishop Thomas Tobin tangled with television pundit Chris Matthews on MSNBC’s “Hardball” about the relation between religion and politics as well as the legal status of abortion. Matthews’ comments, which charged that the bishop has overstepped his authority, were criticized as a “rant” and an “extended lecture.” (CNA story here.)
Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the way MSNBC host Chris Matthews handled his interview with Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin last night on “Hardball”:
We were deluged with phone calls, faxes and e-mails after what happened yesterday on “Hardball.” After watching the first portion of the interview between Chris Matthews and Bishop Tobin, I wondered what all the fuss was all about: Chris was just being his usual aggressive self. But it didn’t take long before Matthews literally spun out of control.
Matthews proceeded with an extended and quite insulting lecture. He had absolutely no interest in a discussion on the question of the morality and legality of abortion—all he wanted to do was to make the bishop sit there and listen to his rant. Indeed, his tirade was simply over-the-top.
No non-Catholic would ever treat a bishop this way. But too many liberal Catholics, especially Irish Catholics, think they are exempt from the same standards of civility that apply to others. They are flatly wrong.
I was on MSNBC twice yesterday on this same subject and was treated with respect both times. Ed Schultz, who can be quite tough, was totally respectful, and I’m a lay person. Chris could learn a thing or two from Ed, who not only does not insult his guests, he actually gives them a chance to respond.
Ever since Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, D.D., arrived in the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, he has been an articulate defender of truth. Since his installation in May 2005, he has focused his attention on shepherding his people, not only with a vision of faith through understanding, but with a clear set of Catholic moral principles that clearly guide his actions and shape his words.
Snip
Bishop Tobin does not mince words. During the latest scuffle with Congressman Patrick Kennedy, for example, he suggested that pro-abortion Catholic public figures “really have to question their membership in the [C]hurch.”
Further, Bishop Tobin published an open letter to Kennedy after the congressman chose to take his disagreement with his bishop to the public square.
In the letter, Bishop Tobin states: "Your rejection of the Church’s teaching on abortion falls into a different category – it’s a deliberate and obstinate act of the will; a conscious decision that you’ve re-affirmed on many occasions. Sorry, you can’t chalk it up to an “imperfect humanity.” Your position is unacceptable to the Church and scandalous to many of our members. It absolutely diminishes your communion with the Church."
"Congressman Kennedy, I write these words not to embarrass you or to judge the state of your conscience or soul. That’s ultimately between you and God. But your description of your relationship with the Church is now a matter of public record, and it needs to be challenged. I invite you, as your bishop and brother in Christ, to enter into a sincere process of discernment, conversion and repentance. It’s not too late for you to repair your relationship with the Church, redeem your public image, and emerge as an authentic “profile in courage,” especially by defending the sanctity of human life for all people, including unborn children. And if I can ever be of assistance as you travel the road of faith, I would be honored and happy to do so."
Patrick Kennedy has been whining to the mainstream media, telling them that the big bad Bishop Tobin is picking on him by not allowing him to receive Communion. However, Bishop Tobin states that the demand was a voluntary request that he made in 2007 in the form of a letter and was meant to be private. It was Kennedy who made it public. In his comments to the Providence Journal, Tobin called the letter a “pastoral” message and said it was “absolutely inaccurate” for Kennedy to say that he told priests in the diocese to not allow him to receive the sacrament.
Consequently, Bishop Tobin has been under attack by the mainstream media.
Here are some things we can do to show our support of Bishop Tobin (as recommended by Judie Brown):
Take action:
1. Thank Bishop Tobin for his courage in standing up for the truth and for his concern for CongressmanKennedy’s soul.
Contact the bishop’s public affairs manager, Karen Davis (call 401-278-4600, fax 401-278-4659 or e-mail kdavis@dioceseofprovidence.org), or write to this address:
Most Rev. Thomas J. Tobin, D.D.
Diocese of Providence
One Cathedral Square
Providence, RI 02903
2. Contact Congressman Patrick Kennedy to let him know that you are praying for his conversion to truth. E-mail him through his congressional web site, call 202-225-4911, fax 202-225-3290 or write to this address:
Representative Patrick Kennedy
407 Cannon House Office Building
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
This sounds like a great way to rid the Republican party of RINO's and pro-aborts:
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) --National Republican Party leaders may vote on a purity resolution at their January meeting that would prevent the party from funding candidates that did not adhere to a set of GOP principles, one of which includes opposing abortion. The resolution is sparking an internal party debate on the best way to advance pro-life principles. The resolution is sponsored by Jim Bopp, a prominent pro-life attorney who is the legal counsel for the National Right to Life Committee and a longtime Republican committeeman from Indiana.
There are 117 martyrs in this group and although they died at different times, they were all canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 19, 1988. Of the group, 96 were Vietnamese, 11 were Spaniards, and 10 were French. There were 8 bishops, 50 priests and 59 lay Catholics in the group. Of the priests, 11 were Dominicans, 10 belonged to the Paris Mission Society, and the rest were diocesan priests plus one seminarian. Certain individual martyrs were mentioned by name in the process of canonization: Andrew Dung-Lac, a diocesan priest; Thomas Tran-Van-Thien, a seminarian; Emmanuel Le-Van-Pung, father of a family; the Dominican bishops Jerome Hermosilla and Valentine Berrio-Ochoa; and John Theophane Venard.
~Excerpted from Saints of the Roman Calendar by Enzo Lodi
St. Andrew Dung-Lac's name was originally Dung An Trân, and he was born about 1795 in a poor and pagan family in Bac-Ninh in North Vietnam. When he was twelve the family had to move to Hà-Nôi (Hanoi) where his parents could find work. There he met a catechist and got food and shelter from him. He also got education in the Christian faith for three years, and was baptized in Vinh-Tri with the Christian name Andrew (Andrew Dung). After learning Chinese and Latin he became a catechist, and thereafter taught catechism in the country. He was chosen to study theology, and on March 15, 1823 he was ordained a priest. As parish priest in Ke-Dâm he was tireless in his preaching. He often fasted and lived a simple and moral life, he was a good example for the people, and many were baptized. In 1835 he was imprisoned under emperor Minh-Mang's persecutions (he was called Vietnam's emperor Nero), but his freedom was purchased by donations from members of the congregation he served. To avoid persecutions he changed his name to Lac (Andrew Lac) and moved to another prefecture to continue his work. But on November 10, 1839 he was again arrested, this time with Peter Thi, another Vietnamese priest whom he was visiting so that he might go to confession.
Once again Andrew was liberated, along with Peter Thi, in exchange for money. Their freedom was brief. They were soon re-arrested and taken to Hanoi, where both suffered dreadful torture. Finally they both were beheaded December 21, 1839.
The liturgical season of Adventbegins on the first Sunday in Advent, opening a new year in our Church's Calendar. The word Advent is from the Latin adventus, which means "coming" and is associated with the four weeks of preparation for Christmas.
Advent blends together a penitential spirit, very similar to Lent, a liturgical theme of preparation for the Second and Final Coming of the Lord, called the Parousia, and a joyful theme of getting ready for the birth of Christ.
During Advent, we are called upon to:
1) prepare ourselves to worthily to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord's coming into the world as the incarnate God of love,
2) make our souls fitting abodes for the Redeemer coming in Holy Communion and through grace
3) make ourselves ready for His final coming as judge, at death and at the end of the world
~from New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia
Advent is a season of waiting, a season filled with hope. Here are twelve tips that will help you and your family keep this season holy:
1. Use an Advent calendar and/or a wreath to mark this time of preparation. Pray Advent prayers with the family and the rosary when you light up the candle on the wreath. Sing 'O Come, O Come, Emmanuel' throughout Advent.
2. Keep outdoor lights and decorations simple, using religious CHRISTmas scenes like the Nativity or a star.
3. Use a Jesse tree or an Advent tree.
4. Have your Christmas tree blessed. Remind your children that the tree is a Christian symbol and relates to many aspects of our faith.
5. Let your children know that "Santa Claus" is another name for the real St. Nicholas and tell them his story. Celebrate the day. Encourage your children to leave their shoes outside their bedroom doors on Dec. 5. When they awaken, they will find small gifts like candy or fruit if they’ve been good.
6. Participate in the Giving Tree at church. Have your children buy a gift to donate to children in need or perform some service for the poor or elderly.
7. Put a Nativity set in a prominent place in your home, but only put out some of the animals. You can put the other statues out, but in another place in your home. Each week, read a little from the Christmas story in Luke's Gospel, and move the statues a little closer.
8. Have the children place a piece of straw in the manger for each good deed they do during Advent as a gift to the baby Jesus.
9. Take the entire family, when possible, to daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and to the sacrament of Reconciliation.
10. Light a candle before the Blessed Mother when visiting the Blessed Sacrament.
11. The Mary candle: Some families have the custom of decorating the Christ candle with a blue veil on December 8th, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. On this great feast, others place a candle with a blue ribbon before a statue or picture of the Blessed Virgin, whose “yes” to God enabled our Lord’s coming at Christmas. The candle is lit during meal times to serve as a delightful reminder of Mary’s eager expectation of the “Light of the World.”
12. St. Lucy cakes: The feast of St. Lucy, virgin and martyr, is on December 13th. This marks the opening of the Christmas season in Sweden. Her life story can be found in most saints books, as can the recipe for the traditional cakes. The symbolism is rich and her life story worthwhile reading.
Outside my window... it's sunny, bright, and in the 50's today...not windy at all, which is unusual here.
I am thinking...of the week ahead and all that I have to do, but with God's grace it will get done and focus on the things that are most vital.
I am thankful for...my ever deepening relationship with Jesus Christ as He carries me and my family through these challenging times. I am ever thankful for my Catholic faith which sustains me and provides all the graces I need to take things one day at a time.
From the kitchen...I am preparing chicken and brown rice with veggies for supper.
I am wearing...a blue dress.
I am creating...a beautiful and organized home for Thanksgiving or at least I'm attempting to do so.
I am going...to the bank and to the chiropractor later this afternoon, followed by Mass and exercise -- walking.
I am reading...my devotionals and the Bible.
I am hoping...to have my second book published and to land a writing job soon... prayers appreciated.
I am hearing...the washing machine whir.
Around the house...we still have roses in bloom and some other flowering plants -- I'm amazed by this!
One of my favorite things...is watching old classic movies...especially around the holidays.
A few plans for the rest of the week: get the flat tire on my car repaired, attend Light Weigh, journal, prepare Thanksgiving dinner, work on writing projects, major house cleaning, shopping, Advent/Christmas planning.
The panelists discussed the controversy between Rep. Patrick Kennedy and Bishop Thomas Tobin on the propriety of an abortion-rights Catholic politician receiving Holy Communion. Why anyone would go on television and discuss something she knows absolutely nothing about is a mystery, but I’ll tell you this much—it makes for a great laugh.
So here’s the transcript. Which one of them was the most brilliant is debatable, but what’s for certain is that all the gals really sparkled.
Let producer Bill Geddie know your choice for first prize.
Contact: bill.geddie@abc.com
Miguel Agustin Pro was born January 13, 1891, in Mexico. From his childhood, he was known for his high spirits and happy personality. The son of an affluent mining engineer and a pious and charitable mother, Miguel had a special affinity for the working classes.
At 20, he became a Jesuit novice and shortly afterward was exiled due to the Mexican revolution. He traveled to the United States, Spain, Nicaragua and Belgium, where he was ordained in 1925. Father Pro suffered greatly from a severe stomach disorder. When his health did not improve after several surgeries, his superiors permitted him to return to Mexico in 1926.
At this time, the revolutionary government in Mexico had banned all religious practice. The churches were closed and priests were in hiding. The government was particularly focused on finding and persecuting priests. Father Pro became a great master of disguise and spent the remainder of his life in a secret ministry to the Mexican Catholics who helped hide him from the authorities. In addition to fulfilling their spiritual needs, Fr. Pro also assisted the poor of Mexico City with their temporal needs. In all that he did, he remained filled with the joy of serving Christ, his King.
Falsely accused in a bombing attempt on the President-elect, Pro became a wanted man. On November 18, 1927, he was arrested and sentenced to death without the benefit of any legal process.On November 23, the day of his death, Father Pro prayed, forgave his executioners, bravely refused a blindfold, and faced the firing squad with his arms extended in the form of a cross, proclaiming, "Viva Cristo Rey!" ("Long Live Christ the King!) as his body was racked with a hale of bullets.
Pope John Paul II beatified him on September 25, 1988.
A Prayer Composed by Blessed Miguel Pro, S.J.
According to one of Fr. Pro’s biographers, Rec. M.D. Forrest, M.S.C., the following was composed shortly before his death:
"Does our life become from day to day more painful, more oppressive, more replete with afflictions? Blessed be He a thousand times who desires it so. If life be harder, love makes it also stronger, and only this love, grounded on suffering, can carry the Cross of my Lord Jesus Christ. Love without egotism, without relying on self, but enkindling in the depth of the heart an ardent thirst to love and suffer for all those around us: a thirst that neither misfortune nor contempt can extinguish... I believe, O Lord; but strengthen my faith... Heart of Jesus, I love Thee; but increase my love. Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee; but give greater vigor to my confidence. Heart of Jesus, I give my heart to Thee; but so enclose it in Thee that it may never be separated from Thee. Heart of Jesus, I am all Thine; but take care of my promise so that I may be able to put it in practice even unto the complete sacrifice of my life."
WASHINGTON -- Sweeping health care legislation cleared its first hurdle Saturday in the Senate on a party-line vote, paving the way for debate on a massive health insurance overhaul.
The 60-39 vote opens the door for debate on the $848 billion legislation to start after Thanksgiving. The measure is designed to extend coverage over six years to an estimated 31 million Americans who lack it and crack down on insurance industry practices that deny benefits.
This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King and on Monday the feast of Blessed Miguel Pro, the Mexican martyr who died with the words "¡Viva Cristo Rey!" (Long live Christ the King!) on his lips. How ironic that the feast of Blessed Miguel falls every year somewhere near the feast of Christ the King in the Church calendar. This marvelous saint and, indeed all the saints, remind us that our lives are not our own, that we serve a great King whose service is sweet and blessed - and demanding. Our King does not need a political party or an army of pawns to do His Will. He needs saints to transform the kingdom of this world into the Kingdom of God. Will we join Him?
In the modern world we are not used to kings (and queens) being anything other than figureheads. In countries that have them, they are generally nothing more than symbols of the national identity or holdovers from a bygone era, or heads of state but without any political power.
Christ our King, however, is not one of these monarchs. His kingship is not political - indeed, He told Pilate that His kingdom was not of this world and He refused to be the political messiah that His people expected. Nor is His kingship just ceremonial, as if he were fulfilling a nostalgic social need for a national figurehead. Rather, He reigns over us with Truth and His Kingship is social. He demands that we be personally virtuous and conduct a worthy struggle against the enemies of His Kingdom - the world, the flesh and the devil - that affect everyone. He wants the total transformation of our culture so that the kingdom of this world may be purified of its evil and given over to authentic justice and charity. We all have something to do for Him, no matter how meek or mighty we might be.
The subjects of such a King bind themselves on oath to serve Him and carry out this project of social transformation to make the world one for Christ. We see that project most fully implemented in the lives of the saints. They fought the hard battles of their respective societies and sometimes they even gave their lives and their blood for Christ so that men could be saved from the power of evil. They first transformed the hearts of those who listened to them and in turn transformed the societies in which they lived to make them more fitting places for the ultimate coming of Christ. Politics tends to follow the transformation of society, for good or for evil, and the saints know that.
If we haven't already made the decision to do so, it's time to serve this King with our whole beings. Like the saints, we cast aside any fear of acknowledging our loyalty to Him and ask the King where He wishes us to serve His kingdom best. He will direct His loyal servants to their most effective way of overcoming the darkness and bringing His Light to the world.
What is it that the King calls you to do? Is it the humble service of a family? Is it offering faithful service to the poorest members of our society, the unborn, by sidewalk counseling, working in or supporting a crisis pregnancy center, or some other prophetic action directed at our culture of death? It may be that He calls you to "be fruitful and multiply" for His Kingdom and have more children. Every king is blessed by an abundance of citizens for His Kingdom and those who are able to do so must take seriously His call to transform our world by giving life and educating children in the ways of the Faith.
It is through humble service like this that we are given the opportunity to become saints. We transform culture first by transforming our hearts in His service. Blessed Miguel Pro lived a life of heroic service to others and died a joyful martyr. His final words are a call to each of us to glorify our King in our lives here on earth and a reminder of the gift of eternal life promised us in heaven.
I hope this brightens your day. Thanks, Joan, for sharing it with me:
As a bagpiper, I play many gigs.. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a grave side service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the Kentucky back-country.
As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost; and being a typical man, I didn't stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late..... and saw the funeral guy was evidently gone, and the hearse was nowhere in sight.
There were only the diggers and crew left.... and they were eating lunch. I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down. The vault lid was already in place. I didn't know what else to do, so I started to play.
The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I've never played before for this homeless man.
And as I played 'Amazing Grace', the workers began to weep.. They wept; I wept; we all wept together. When I finished, I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full.
As I was opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, "Sweet Mother of Jesus, I never seen nothin' like that before.... and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years.."
"God inspired in the heart of the pure Virgin Mary His own intense love for humility, and abhorrence of pride. She possessed, even from her infancy, a far greater horror of pride and ambition, and a far deeper love for humility than all the saints together. It was the first virtue that she practices. She abased and humbled herself before all. She esteemed herself, and would have been happy to be treated by others, as the last of the creatures. By marvelous radiance of her Immaculate Conception, she beheld herself susceptible to the guilt of the children of Adam, except that God miraculously preserved her, and she considered that she might have been capable of all the sins in the world, whose source is original sin. It was this humility which attracted to her the countless graces which rendered her worthy to be the Mother of God, Queen of heaven and earth.
Give thanks to Almighty God who resists the proud and gives grace to the humble, and offer Him all the glory that this Maiden accorded to His majesty by her practice of the richest humility during her childhood and throughout the rest of her life."
~ St. John Eudes
What does the feast of the Presentation celebrate?
It celebrates the fact that the parents of Our Lady brought her to the Temple at the age of three and handed her over to live there for a long period as a virgin consecrated to the Temple, contemplating God exclusively.
What is the special beauty of this feast?
Our Lady was the one chosen before time began, the Queen of Jesse from whom the Messiah would be born. The Temple was the only place in the Old Testament where sacrifices were offered to God. It represented, therefore, the only true religion. Our Lady being received at the Temple was the first step to the fulfillment of the promise that the Messiah would come to the true religion. It was the encounter of hope with reality. When she was received at the Temple, Our Lady entered the service of God. That is, a soul incomparably holy entered the service of God. At that moment, notwithstanding the decadence of the nation of Israel, and even though the Temple had been transformed into a den of Pharisees, the Temple was filled with an incomparable light that was the sanctity of Our Lady. It was in the Temple atmosphere that, without knowing it, she began to prepare herself to be the Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It was there that she increased her love of God until she formed the ardent desire for the imminent coming of the Messiah. It was there that she asked God the honor to be the maidservant of His Mother. She did not know that she was the one chosen by God. This is so true that she wondered about the meaning of the salutation of the Archangel Gabriel when he greeted her to ask her permission for the Incarnation. That preparation for Our Lady to be the Mother of Jesus Christ began with the Presentation at the Temple, the feast the Church celebrates on November 21.
Is there a grace we should ask on this day?
We should ask for spiritual help to be better prepared to serve God as Our Lady did. But the best way to serve God is to serve Our Lady herself. So, on this feast day we should re-present ourselves before Our Lady, asking her to receive our offer of service and to give us her assistance in the task of our sanctification, just as the Holy Ghost helped her at the Temple of Jerusalem.
Felix, born in 1127, and John of Matha founded the Order of Trinitarians for liberating captured Christians from Saracen slavery. He belonged to the royal family of Valois. The breviary recounts several marvelous events from his life. As a boy he frequently gave away his clothes to clothe the naked. He pleaded for the life of a murderer condemned to death and foretold that he would reform and lead a highly edifying life-which prophecy proved true. With St. John of Matha he journeyed to Rome at the bidding of an angel and requested permission from Pope Innocent III to found a religious Order (1198). During holy Mass the Pope was granted a revelation regarding the proposed foundation; an angel appeared to him clothed in white with a red and blue cross. At Innocent's bidding the Order took the name of the Blessed Trinity.
In the newly-founded monastery at Cerfroi, Felix was favored with a visit by the Blessed Virgin. During the night preceding the feast of Mary's Nativity all the brethren slept through Matins by a special divine dispensation. Felix alone appeared at choir, where he found the Blessed Virgin clothed in the habit of the Trinitarians, accompanied by a great throng of angels similarly dressed. United with them, with Mary as choir leader, Felix recited the Office as usual. When he was about to leave the earthly choirs to join those of heaven, an angel foretold to him the day of his departure; he admonished his brethren to persevere in love toward captives and the poor, and died on November 4, 1212, mature in age and merit.
I'm not an Oprah fan, but found this interesting (particularly in light of the recent Sarah Palin interview):
From the Chicago Tribune: Oprah Winfrey plans to tell viewers on Friday's live edition of her top-rated daytime program that she will retire the Chicago-based syndicated talk show that made her rich, famous and, if not a kingmaker, a maker of bestselling authors and perhaps even a U.S. President at the end of the 2010-11 season, its 25th on national TV.
Harpo Productions confirmed Thursday both her decision and that she will discuss it on her program, her last live show of the calendar year, set to air at 9 a.m. on WLS-Ch. 7, her flagship station.
Speculation has been rampant that she might choose to leave daytime TV ever since it was announced in January 2008 that she and Discovery Networks planned to partner on a cable network: OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.
According to the Diocese of Paterson, memorial masses are scheduled to be celebrated worldwide on December 9th to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the death of famed author, lecturer and television evangelizer Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, as well as promote his cause for canonization. More here.
His family and friends will gather for a special Memorial Mass on December 9, 2009, 5:00 pm at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, NY, where Sheen preached so many memorable homilies and where he is buried. A special reception will follow the Mass to help raise funds to support the works of the Sheen Foundation. For more information or to be placed on the invitation list, please contact Jane Peverly at the Sheen Foundation, PO Box 728, Peoria, IL 61762, or info@archbishopsheencause.org
Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the latest developments regarding the health care bill:
On November 15, presidential advisor David Axelrod made it clear that President Obama opposes the Stupak amendment that bans abortion funding in the House’s version of the health care bill. The Senate has just completed its version, and it contains nothing like the language of the Stupak amendment. As reported today by AP, “On a controversial issue that threatened to derail the House legislation, [Senate Majority Leader] Reid would allow the new government insurance plan to cover abortions and would let companies that receive federal funds offer insurance plans that include abortion coverage.”
President Obama, after telling the public that he would not support a bill that provided federal funds for abortion (he was hailed by the bishops for doing so), is now championing a bill that would do just that. Moreover, he is pushing for legislation that the American people do not support: CNN posted survey results yesterday showing that 61 percent of the public is in favor of banning the use of federal funds to pay for abortion; only 37 percent favor it.
In other words, Obama has decided to renege on his promise, betray the bishops and defy the American people. Risky business given that today’s Rasmussen presidential tracking poll shows only 46 percent of voters approve of Obama’s performance. Worse, only 27 percent strongly approve and 41 percent strongly disapprove of the job he has been doing. Wait until the public learns about Obama’s double cross on abortion!
This doesn't surprise me one bit! Obama is a radical supporter of the culture of death and has been for as long as I can recall. He lied to the Pope, he lied to the Bishops, and he lied to the American people. I have been warning my readers about him for years. What surprises me is that anyone believed him in the first place. After all, he is the "Abortion President".
Saint Rapahel was born in 1835 as Joseph, son of Andrew and Josepha Kalinowski in present day Lithuania. Saint Raphael felt a call to the priesthood early in his life, but decided to complete his education. He studied zoology, chemistry, agriculture, and apiculture at the Institute of Agronomy in Hory Horki, Russia, and at the Academy of Military Engineering in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Saint Raphael became a Lieutenant in the Russian Military Engineering Corps in 1857. During his post he was responsible for the planning and supervised the construction of the railway between Kursk and Odessa. He was promoted to captain in 1862 and stationed in Brest-Litovsk. In Bret-Litovsk he started, taught, and covered all the costs of a Sunday school, accepting anyone interested.
In 1863 he supported the Polish insurrection. He resigned from the Russian army and became the rebellion's minister of war for the Vilna region. He only took the commission with the understanding that he would never hand out a death sentence nor execute a prisoner. He was soon arrested by Russian authorities and in June of 1864 he was condemned to death for his part in the revolt. Fearing they would be creating a political martyr, they commuted his sentence to ten years of forced labour in the Siberian salt mines. Part of his sentence was spent in Irkutsk where his relics have been moved to sanctify the new cathedral.
Upon his release in 1873, he was exiled from his home region in Lithuania. He moved to Paris, France, and worked as a tutor for three years. In 1877 he finally answered the long-heard call to the religious life, and joined the Carmelite Order at Graz, Austria, taking the name Raphael. He studied theology in Hungary and then joined the Carmelite house in Czama, Poland. He was ordained on January 15, 1882.
Saint Raphael worked to restore the Discalced Carmelites to Poland, and for church unity. He founded a convent at Wadowice, Poland in 1889 and worked with Blessed Alphonsus Mary Marurek. He was a noted spiritual director for both Catholics and Orthodox. He was considered an enthusiastic parish priest and spent countless hours with his parishioners in the confessional. Saint Raphael died in 1907 and was cannonized by Pope John Paul II in 1991.
Atom Feed (xml)
Posts
