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...
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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.
Call 1-800-...
St. Therese of Lisieux, "Apostle of Hope"
St. Therese had a simple, child-like trust in the mercy and love of Jesus and, therefore, is known as the "Apostle of Hope and Confidence". During this Advent season of hope, let us ponder on her inspiring words.
"The knowledge that it was impossible to do anything of myself greatly simplified my task. Confident that the rest would be given me over and above, the one aim of my interior life was to unite myself more and more closely with God."
"My hope has never been deceived. Each time I needed food for the souls in my charge, I have found my hands filled. Had I acted otherwise and relied on my own strength, I should very soon have been forced to surrender."
"We can never have too much confidence in the good God who is so powerful and so merciful. We obtain from Him as much as we hope for."
Scripture Passage
"I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, pla...
FIBROMYALGIA SYNDROME
I found the following article on the Canadian Health Network. Although fibromyalgia has been around for some time, the medical community has only recently acknowledged its existence, mainly because it is a complicated chronic disease with many symptoms and they were unaware of how to diagnose and treat it. I present this article to help educate and instruct those who may have it and be unaware of it and to aid those who may have friends, family, co-workers, or others in their lives who must deal with the chronic pain of this devastating disease. The list of symptoms below represents only a partial list of the many maladies associated with this disease. Let us pray for all those who struggle daily with chronic pain.
What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia, also known as fibromyositis and fibrositis, is a common chronic disease, characterized by widespread, constant pain throughout the body, sleeping disturbances, and abnormal exhaustion. The majority of peo...
ADVENT
The Advent wreath is a special symbol composed of a wreath of evergreen, in a circle, with 4 candles, 3 purple and one rose colored.
One candle is lit every night during Advent. One purple one during the first week of Advent, the second purple one nightly during the second week, and so on, until during the fourth week all four candles are lit. Some people also place a large white candle in the center to be lit on Christmas Day. In our home, we keep a bright red candle in the center of the wreath, which we light on Christmas, following midnight Mass.
Each of the four candles represents 1000 years that the people waited for the coming of the Messiah.
The purple candles are for the sorrow we feel for not loving Jesus enough. Purple is composed of two colors -- red and blue--red representing the Passion of Christ and blue representing the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The rose candle is for the joy surrounding the impending birth of Jesus. The rose color is a combination of red...
Happy Thanksgiving!
It is the day before Thanksgiving and I am starting the preparations for a veritable feast tomorrow -- turkey, dressing, cranberries, sweet potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower with cheese, pumpkin pie, and more. The weather outside looks more like Christmas as it is snowing quite heavily and we are predicted to have six to eight inches of the white stuff today. My husband, Bill, must have been singing "Let it Snow" again, as it usually does whenever he utters those words. Perhaps, he should have been a weatherman, rather than an industrial engineer.
A Scripture Passage for Thanksgiving
"Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
for his kindness endures forever.
Who can tell the mighty deeds of the Lord,
or proclaim all His praises?"
-- Psalm 106: 1-2
Blessed Miguel Augustin Pro
Miguel Augstin 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 afterwards 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 Mexica...
Rachel Network Healing After Abortion Evening of Prayer
A healing after abortion prayer service sponsored by the Rachel Network of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria, IL will take place at St. Edward Catholic Church in Chillicothe on Wednesday, December 1st at 7:00 p.m.
This prayer service is open to anyone touched by abortion in any way -- husbands, friends, parents, grandparents, counselors -- as well as women who have experienced abortion themselves. No pre-registration is required. An anonymous atmosphere with subdued lighting, scripture reading and prayer, counseling, and the opportunity to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation is available. The evening of prayer is open to those of all denominations.
St. Cecilia
St. Cecilia, the daughter of a patrician, was the only Christian in her family. Her parents permitted her to meet with other Christians in the catacombs, despite their indifference to her faith. She continually kept a copy of the holy Gospel hidden under her clothing over her heart. Her parents obliged her, however, despite her vow of virginity, to marry the young Valerian, whom she thought of as noble and good, but who was still pagan.
During the evening of the wedding day, Cecilia, an intelligent, beautiful, and noble Roman maiden, renewed her vow. When the new couple were alone, she gently told Valerian, "Dear friend, I have a secret to confide to you, but will you promise me to keep it?" He promised her solemnly that nothing would ever make him reveal it, and she continued, "Listen: an Angel of God watches over me, for I belong to God. If he sees that you would approach me under the influence of a sensual love, his anger will be inflamed, and you w...