Happy Feast Day of St. John!
Today is the feast day of the patron saint of my Community -- the Congregation of St. John--and what a beautiful feast day it has been. Two women made their Oblature today in our local monastery, consecrating their lives to God, taking vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
Brief Biography of St. John
Jesus chose St. John, a fisherman, during his first year of ministry. He traveled everywhere with Jesus and became so close to Him that he became known as the "beloved disciple", "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 13:23). John reclined on the chest of Jesus at the Last Supper and he was the only the only one of the twelve apostles not to forsake Our Lord and Savior in the hour of His Passion, but remained with Him until the very end, standing at the foot of the cross. It was there that Jesus appointed him the "Son" of Mary, when He uttered, "Woman, behold your son.... Behold, your mother" (John 19:26b, 27
Posts
The Meaning of the Season is the Birth of Jesus Christ
The ‘holidays’ exist because of Christmas the holy day
(Denver Catholic Register) The people of Denver elected John Hickenlooper as their mayor because they saw in him the common sense that guides every good leader. He earned their confidence last week. In the face of a strong and unhappy public response, he reversed his decision to retire the “Merry Christmas” lights on City Hall. “Merry Christmas” will remain part of Denver’s public celebration of the holidays for at least the foreseeable future.
Mayor Hickenlooper deserves the thanks of the city. He certainly has the gratitude of Denver’s Catholic community.
Looking back on the events of the last two weeks, a fight over “Merry Christmas” would have baffled our parents. Roughly 80 percent of Americans are Christians. The United States has the highest church-going rate in the developed world. The public institutions and founding documents of the country are filled with Ch
NEW STUDY SHOWS POST-ABORTION SUPPORT GROUPS WORK
(The Elliot Institute News Vol.2, No. 12 -- Dec. 7, 2004 )
A new study published in the journal Research on Social Work Practice has highlighted the importance of faith-based post-abortion support groups in helping women heal after abortion. The researchers found that women who went through post-abortion support groups with a spiritual component experienced a significant decrease in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and feelings of shame. More than 80 percent of the 35 women in the study reported that their religious beliefs and spiritual intervention played a strong to very strong role in the groups they attended. The researchers recommended that social workers screen women for symptoms of post-abortion grief and make referrals to organizations offering post-abortion help.
Study Citation: SD Layer, C Roberts, K Wild, J Walters. Postabortion Grief: Evaluating the Possible Efficacy of a Spiritual Group Intervention.
THOMAS: One Vote is Too Close For Comfort on Stem Cell Legislation
OPINION - That was close. Too close for comfort.( The Leader ) The Illinois Senate, by ONE vote, defeated House Bill 3589--a bill that would have allowed for government funded human cloning and experimentation on human embryos and fetuses, regardless of the age of the embryo or fetus. That means, had this passed, it would have been perfectly legal to take a 9 month old, unborn fetus, kill it, experiment with it, and harvest its "adult" stem cells for biotechnological reasons.I'll give the sponsors and supporters of this Frankenstienesque bill the benefit of the doubt. I'll presume that they never intended to provide the state funded legal basis for creating a market for mass fetus production. I'll presume they had all "good intentions" as the feel-good end that justifies the mad scientist means. But, ultimately, it is usually not the well-meaning, softhearted, well-intentioned publi
Evening Prayer Service for Healing of Abortion
Tonight, I attended a beautiful evening prayer service sponsored by the Rachel Network for anyone whose life has been touched by abortion – for those who have had abortions, for family members, friends, and counselors. It was open to those of all denominations, but had a distinctively Catholic flavor in that it focused on God’s inner healing, love, and forgiveness, and mercy. The candlelight service, which included scripture readings, melodic, meditative music and imagery focusing on the healing power of God’s forgiveness, individual reflection, and prayers culminated with individual prayer with a deacon and his prayer partner, counseling with a pro-life specialist, and the sacrament of Reconciliation.
This event was so touching – the answer to many prayers. Let us continue to pray for all those who attended the service tonight and for those who suffer from the pain and the trauma of abortion – that they will be healed spiritually,
"Heaven's Key to Peace"
"Heaven’s Key to Peace"is a riveting, one-hour documentary which explains how the world can achieve lasting world peace.
It will air in the United StatesWednesday, December 8, 2004 on PAX TV Network at11:00 a.m. (Central/Mountain)12 Noon (Eastern/Pacific) and11:00 p.m. (Central/Mountain)12:00 Midnight (Eastern/Pacific)
It will air in Canada on Vision TV Saturday, December 4, 2004 at5:00 p.m. Pacific, 6:00 p.m. Mountain7:00 p.m. Central, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 9:00 p.m. Atlantic, 9:30 p.m. NFLDand Wednesday, December 8, 2004 at12 noon Pacific, 1:00 p.m. Mountain2:00 p.m. Central, 3:00 p.m. Eastern, 4:00 p.m. Atlantic, 4:30 p.m. NFLD
You can honor Our Lady on The Feast of Her Immaculate Conception (and the 150th Anniversary of the Solemn Proclamation of this Dogma of Catholic Faith) by watching this all-important national TV viewing. If you have cable, please check your local listings for PAX or Vision TV in your area.
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