Catholic Fire

“Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.” -- Words from our Lord to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 3, 2016 – Today the world faces unprecedented global financial crises, record-breaking natural disasters, global terrorism and the greatest exodus of refugees to Europe since World War II. Our world is also under great threats from countries like Iran, North Korea and China. With the closing of Pope Francis’ Jubilee Year of Mercy, and to help combat these grave threats, a grassroots coalition of Catholic organizations worldwide is mobilizing for the 24th International Week of Prayer and Fasting (IWOPF), from Oct. 2 – 10, 2016. This year the Coalition is joining together with the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy and Priests for Life and other groups. They are uniting to pray and fast for the following goals: Conversion of peoples and nations To build a culture of life To defend the sanctity of marriage and family life For pe...

(Romereports.com) Pope Francis issued a message to the Knights of Columbus in light of their 131th Supreme Convention in San Antonio, Texas. The letter is directed to Carl A. Anderson, who serves as the Supreme Knight. In it, the Pope expressed his appreciation for the “ideals of faith and fraternity embodied by the Order, its commitment to the Church’s mission, and the many works of charity and evangelical witness.” Pope Francis also highlighted the role the Knights of Columbus play in helping Catholics as “protectors of creation, protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment.” He urged each Knight to “bear witness to the authentic nature of marriage and the family, the sanctity and inviolable dignity of human life, and the beauty and truth of human sexuality.” He also expressed his gratitude for the clear example of Faith the Knights of Columbus show each day.

I am so happy to hear the good news! The battle continues -- onward Christian soldiers! The California Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that Proposition 8, the successful California ballot measure which defined marriage to be between a man and a woman, is constitutional. It also decided that the some 18,000 homosexual “marriages” contracted in the state should remain valid in law. By a vote of 6-1, the state Supreme Court justices ruled Proposition 8 was constitutional. The court unanimously ruled that existing “marriages” would stand. Proposition 8 was put forward as a response to the California Supreme Court’s May 2008 decision which by a vote of 4-3 overturned a state ban on such unions. Read the entire article here.

Today is the fourth day of Christmas and the feast of the Holy Family. I have a special fondness for this feast day as my daily prayer has been that my family will imitate the Holy Family in holiness, which brings peace to my heart as I envision that happening. The primary purpose of the Church in instituting and promoting this feast is to present the Holy Family as the model and exemplar of all Christian families. On this special feast day of the Holy Family let us pray that we may emulate their holiness in our own family. Say a prayer dedicating your family to the Holy Family. Pray also for all families and for our country to uphold the sanctity of the marriage bond which is under attack. Prayer for the Feast of the Holy Family Dear Lord, bless our family. Be so kind as to give us the unity, peace, and mutual love that You found in Your own family in the little town of Nazareth. Saint Joseph, bless the head of our family. Obtain for him the strength, the wisdom, and the prudence he n...

Catholic Exchange: Talking to Children about Abortion by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur CNA: Conference examining effects of abortion on fathers held in Chicago Inside Catholic: In Defense of Down's Babies by Irene Lagan Shrine for Victims of Abortion: Place of Prayer - Donna- Marie Cooper -O'Boyle at Daily Donna-Marie: A Dose of Inspiration Insight Scoop: The Meaning and Purpose of Marriage by Alice von Hildebrand The Beauty and the Sacred by Joan L. Roccasolvo, CSJ EWTN: Bishops Correct Biden: Protecting Unborn from Abortion Is "Demand of Justice" The Anchoress: 9/11: Remembrance and prayers Faith and Family: Trig's Moment by Danielle Bean

Some great photos from The Georgia Bulletin can be found here. From the same publication: Speakers Challenge Catholics To Take Action An excerpt: As the next speaker, Dr. Helen Alvaré strode to the podium and said, “The girl is here.” An author and law professor at George Mason University, Alvaré touched on the topics of feminism, marriage and the Eucharist, as well as sharing experiences from her 10 years of work in the pro-life movement with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. After spending time with women who had had abortions, she found “their internal brokenness in relationships, in their parenthood” to be heart-rending. Abortion, said Alvaré, “is always the last sad decision … a relationship you are refusing with the child.” Alvaré stated that only in the United States are you “allowed to kill a member of your family at the most vulnerable time … and consider it not a crime but a right.” Alvaré is now studying and working in the area of marriage and the Eucharist, and the r...