Catholic Fire

1.  Fr. Larry Richards was in Wichita this past week and gave a wonderful parish mission to a nearby parish, so I attended. I often listen to Fr. Larry on EWTN Radio and knew that I enjoyed his call-in show Open Line, but I had no idea he was such a dynamic and gifted speaker. He is filled with the Holy Spirit who keeps him very active, energetic, humorous, and upbeat! I have never seen a priest quite like him before anywhere! What a wonderful man of God and an amazing evangelist! Here was the schedule for the week: Monday:  God's Love and Prayer Tuesday:  Love of Others Done in the Context of the Mass Wednesday: Passion of Christ and the Need for Confession followed by individual confessions. Thursday:  Adoration and Healing done in the context of Church and then used St. Joseph's oil from Saint-Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, Canada to bless us with as he prayed St. Joseph's healing prayer. It was so comforting and peaceful. 2. Most of you know...

Today is the memorial of Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian. These two contemporaries, martyred in 253 and 258 respectively, were linked by one particular issue: what to do with those Christians who lapsed through fear in time of persecution, and then wished to return? An influential Roman priest, Novatian, maintained that they could not be forgiven (along with murderers, adulterers and those in second marriages). Cornelius and Cyprian strongly took the opposite view. A Roman priest, Cornelius was elected Pope in 251 to succeed Fabian, at the time of the persecution of the Christians by the Emperor Decius.  Novatian denied the Church’s authority to forgive serious sins, such as abandoning the faith during a time of danger. Novatian even had himself consecrated as a rival bishop of Rome, thereby becoming an anti-pope. Pope Cornelius, backed by St. Cyprian and Saint Dionysius, upheld the Church’s teaching, and allowed sinners to do penance and return to the Church. In 253, St. Cornelius w...