Catholic Fire

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis released on Tuesday a video message on his universal prayer intentions for August where he speaks of his desire that sports may build a culture of encounter among everyone for a world of peace. Watch the Pope’s video message which was delivered in his native Spanish: English translation of his message: Sports, a culture of encounter Sports make it possible to build a culture of encounter among everyone for a world of peace. I dream of sports as the practice of human dignity, turned into a vehicle of fraternity. Do we exercise together this prayer intention? That sports may be an opportunity for friendly encounters between people and may contribute to peace in the world. Pope Francis’ prayer intention in August for evangelization was entitled: Living the Gospel – That Christians may live the Gospel, giving witness to faith, honesty, and love of neighbor.

St. Mark, the Evangelist, the author of the second Gospel, is commonly identified as “John Mark” in the Acts of the Apostles (12:12, 25; 15:37). He is the patron saint of: attorneys, notaries, prisoners, and stained glass workers. Born a Jew, he was baptized and instructed in the faith by St. Peter the Apostle and traveled with him to Rome. He had a close relationship with St. Peter, who referred to him as “my son Mark” (1 Peter 5:13). Mark traveled with his cousin St. Barnabas and with St. Paul on their first missionary journey in Cyprus (Acts 13:5).  Mark is also said to have evangelized in Alexandria, Egypt and founded the Church there. Like Luke, Mark was not one of the twelve apostles. Some scholars believe him to be the young man who ran away when Jesus was arrested (Mark 14:51-52).  He is also considered to be the first bishop of Alexandria, Egypt. According to Eusebius, the Christian historian, Mark died at Alexandria and was martyred for his faith. In the ...

"The evangelization of the working world entails fidelity and honesty in carrying out one's professional service, moral consistency in lesser and greater decisions and fraternal solidarity towards those in need. It also requires the witness, wherever possible and appropriate, to one's Christian identity, so that the message of Jesus Christ, the one Savior, may be offered in every workplace as a gift and grace of inner renewal and a force for social change. Indeed, the Son of God 'worked with human hands he thought with a human mind. He acted with a human will, and with a human heart he loved.' Whoever believes in him and follows him finds the light and strength to be salt and leaven in every situation and circumstance." -- Pope St. John Paul II, "Letter on the Gospel of Work", From the Vatican, December 8, 1998, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

August 27 is the feast of St. Monica , patron saint of mothers and married women. She is a saint I admire so much for her tenacity, patience, and perseverance in prayer for the conversion of her son, St. Augustine. A persistent prayer warrior, Monica never gave up on her son, Augustine, a great sinner, who later became so strongly drawn to the faith that he was eventually canonized, as one of the Church's greatest teachers and philosophers, and was designated a Doctor of the Church. St. Monica is a wonderful model for us to follow today. How many of us have family members who have left the Church? I would guess that most of us have at least one or more relatives who are no longer practicing their faith. A Pew Research Study reports that 10% of all Americans are ex-Catholics. How can we encourage these fallen-away Catholics to return to the faith of their childhood? The most effective ways to positively influence our family members to return to their faith are to pray for th...

I am pleased to announce that Catholic Fire, has been chosen to receive the 1st annual New Evangelization Award for excellence in Catholic blogging. The Catholic blogosphere hosts thousands of sites. Choosing among them blogs of distinction is a daunting task. In order to qualify, a blog must: - have been in existence for at least 3 years - publish original content that is faithful to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church - evangelize and inform Catholics, converts, reverts, and all who seek the fullness of truth  Thank you, Big C Catholic , for this award. I am honored to receive it! Check out the other winners HERE .

The Holy Father's universal prayer intention for June is: “That immigrants and refugees may find welcome and respect in the countries to which they come”. His intention for evangelization is: “That the personal encounter with Jesus may arouse in many young people the desire to offer their own lives in priesthood or consecrated life”.

May 26 is the feast of St. Philip Neri, patron saint of joy. He was born in Florence, Italy on July 22, 1515, one of four children of the notary Francesco Neri. His mother died when he was very young, but a very capable and competent stepmother filled her place. Although they were related to Italian nobility, the family was quite poor. Philip was a cheerful and friendly boy, who was well-liked by all who knew him. At eighteen, Philip was sent to the town of San Germano, where he lived with a childless relative who had a business there to train as an apprentice and heir. Philip had a strong aptitude for business. Soon after his arrival, Philip began speaking of his conversion, which dramatically changed his life. He left his relative’s home and set out for Rome, as he had a vision that he had a mission to fulfill there. He left without money or a specific plan, trusting in God’s providence. In Rome, he found shelter in the home of Galeotto Caccia who offered him an attic and a ...

Today, January 26, is the memorial of Sts. Timothy and Titus. Both men were close colleagues with St. Paul in his missionary journeys and perpetuated his work among the Gentiles. Timothy and Titus were converted to Christianity by Paul, and became his companions and helpers. Paul made both men bishops and assigned Timothy to the Church in Ephesus, and Titus to the Church in Crete. He wrote them “pastoral” epistles, giving advice for both pastors and parishioners. Timothy, “brother and co-worker for God in the gospel of Christ” (1 Thes 3:2) was young (Paul writes “Let no one have contempt for your youth” in 1 Timothy 4:12a), and somewhat shy, but had great zeal for spreading the faith. He has been viewed by some as the "angel of the church of Ephesus" (Rev 2:1-17). He joined Paul in the joy of the privilege of preaching the gospel, but also  suffered much because of it. St. Timothy was stoned to death thirty years after St. Paul's martyrdom for refusing to worship ...

St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), a theologian and the patron saint of writers has long been my mentor and model, and one of my most powerful intercessors. As a theologian and a writer, I look to him for guidance and for assistance in my work. His unique methods of evangelization have also greatly inspired me. As Catholics, we are all called to be missionaries and witnesses to the truth by virtue of our Baptism. St. Francis de Sales is a saint whose virtues we can learn from and emulate, when it comes to sharing the Gospel message with others. Francis was born at the Chateau de Sales in Swiss Savoy (modern France) on August 21, 1567, to a noble family. He was a frail and delicate child, but very intelligent, humble, kind, loving, patient and gentle, obedient, and truthful. At the age of thirteen, Francis studied theology at the University of Paris and immediately afterward earned a doctorate in law. His father desired that he become a lawyer and politician. However, he felt cal...

By Jean M. Heimann Christmas is the origin of Christian evangelization in the world because the primary Eucharistic event of our faith is the birth of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus is God’s Living Word made flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary and it is He offers Himself to us Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist. As we gaze upon the Babe in the manger and as we receive Him in Holy Communion, let us be ever aware of our mission to be witnesses to God’s life-giving love in the world. How do we evangelize at Christmas as Catholics? There are thousands of little ways we can share our faith and draw others to the Good News. Here are some of the ways I like to evangelize. Continue Reading.

Today is the memorial of St. Francis Xavier (1506-1552), one of the greatest missionaries of all times. He was a marvelous evangelizer, who was on fire for the faith, filled with zeal. The great missionary St. Francis Xavier was from a Basque noble family, like his beloved mentor St. Ignatius Loyola. When Francis met Ignatius in Paris, he was a proud, autocratic, ambitious man wanting to accomplish great deeds in the world. For three years Ignatius patiently encouraged Francis to look at his life differently. “What profits a man,” Ignatius asked Francis, “if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” Francis joined Peter Faber as the first of Ignatius’s companions. Francis Xavier was ordained in 1537. In 1541 King John of Portugal asked Ignatius for priests to send to the missions in India. Despite knowing he would never see his beloved companion again, Ignatius chose Francis Xavier for the mission. Francis left for India, arriving at the city of Goa in 1542. For the nex...

On Friday, September 19, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of La Salette. On this day, we recall the apparition in which Our Lady appeared to two children in France. On Saturday, September 19, 1846, the feast day of Our Lady of Sorrows at about 3:00 in the afternoon, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared on the mountain of La Salette in the French Alps to fifteen-year-old Melanie Calvat and eleven-year-old Maximin Giraud, two young shepherds. The Blessed Mother appeared in a resplendent light as a beautiful woman dressed in an unusual costume, seated on a stone, her face buried in her hands, crying. She then stood up and crossed her arms. Around her neck, she wore a chain containing a crucifix with a hammer and pincers on either side. She told the children not to be afraid but reassured them that she had great news to share. She gave them a public message and asked them to make her message known to all her people. In her message, Our Lady called the townspeople to repent of their s...

The Holy Father's universal prayer intention for September is : “That the mentally disabled may receive the love and help they need for a dignified life”. His intention for evangelization is: “That Christians, inspired by the Word of God, may serve the poor and suffering”.

Today, August 27, is the feast of St. Monica, patron saint of mothers and married women. She is a saint I admire so much for her tenacity, patience, and perseverance in prayer for the conversion of her son, St. Augustine. A persistent prayer warrior, Monica never gave up on her son, Augustine, a great sinner, who later became so strongly drawn to the faith that he was eventually canonized, as one of the Church's greatest teachers and philosophers, and was designated a doctor of the Church. St. Monica is a wonderful model for us to follow today. How many of us have family members who have left the Church? I would guess that most of us have at least one or more relatives who are no longer practicing their faith. A Pew Research Study reports that 10% of all Americans are ex-Catholics. How can we encourage these fallen-away Catholics to return to the faith of their childhood? The most effective ways to positively influence our family members to return to their faith are to ...

"I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled." (Luke 12:29) We have approached the fire of the love of God. Let us allow that fire to burn our lives. Let us feed the desire to spread that divine fire throughout the world, making it known to all the people around us. They too can experience the peace of Christ and find happiness there. A Christian who lives united to Christ's heart can have no goals but these: peace in society, peace in the Church, peace in his soul, the peace of God which will reach its climax when his kingdom comes. ~ St. Josemaria Escriva Image Source

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The Vatican has released the prayer intentions of Pope Francis for March 2014. The Pope's general intention is: "that all cultures may respect the rights and dignity of women." His intention for evangelization is: “that many young people may accept the Lord's invitation to consecrate their lives to proclaiming the Gospel."

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis during his Homily at Mass on Friday at the Casa Santa Martha said that as Christians we are called to proclaim the Gospel with humility. Taking his cue from Friday’s Gospel which recounts the tragic death of John the Baptist, the Pope said John was the man God had sent to prepare the way for his son. He, Pope Francis continued, was a man in the court of Herod, filled with corruption and vices who urged everyone to convert. The Holy Father recalled how this great Saint firstly, proclaimed Jesus Christ. John had the chance to say he was the Messiah, added the Pope, but he did not. Secondly, said Pope Francis John the Baptist was “a man of Truth”. The third thing John did, underlined the Holy Father was to imitate Jesus in his humility, in his suffering and humiliation. The Pope also stressed that like other religious figures such as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, John the Baptist had dark moments, moments of anguish and doubt sending his disciples to a...

"As Lent draws near, let’s remember that when Jesus calls us to follow him and engage in the work of evangelization, he does not promise palpable success. On the contrary, he assures us that “all will hate you on my account,” that our efforts will all be molded in the mystery of the cross, and that consequently, the “mystery of iniquity” resists Christian goodness. We will struggle on a daily basis with our own inadequacies, sinfulness, and many apparent failures in his service. Jesus does not promise that we will actually see the promised land of a more thoroughly Christianized culture. The important thing today and always will not be the apparent 'victory,'  but the intensity of our love — genuine Christian agape love — with which we engage the world one heart and one mind at a time." ~ Fr. Thomas Berg, priest in the Archdiocese of New York and professor of moral theology at St. Joseph’s Seminary (Dunwoodie). excerpted from Legatus.

St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), a theologian and the patron saint of writers has long been my mentor and model, and one of my most powerful intercessors. As a theologian and writer, I look to him for guidance and for assistance in my work. His unique methods of evangelization have also greatly inspired me. Francis was born at the Chateau de Sales in Swiss Savoy (modern France) on August 21, 1567, to a noble family. He was a frail and delicate child, but very intelligent, humble, kind, loving, patient and gentle, obedient, and truthful. At the age of thirteen, Francis studied theology at the University of Paris and immediately afterward earned a doctorate in law. His father desired that he become a lawyer and politician. However, he felt called to the priesthood and was ordained during the time of the Protestant Reformation. The Catholic Church at this time was losing many of its parishioners to the new churches of the Protestant Reformation and Francis set out to restore Cath...