Catholic Fire

Operation Rescue : Wichita, Kansas – An angry man jumped out of his vehicle and threatened to shoot pro-life activist Mark Gietzen, who had offered to help him as he left a woman for an abortion at the South Wind Women’s Center abortion clinic, located inside a building where George Tiller once operated in Wichita, Kansas. Gietzen, Director of the Kansas Coalition for Life, was setting up a pro-life display early on Thursday, November 21, when the man drove into the abortion clinic parking lot and dropped off a woman. As he left, Gietzen offered him pro-life literature and urged the man to go back and bring the mother of his baby out of the clinic. Continue reading.

Starting today and ending on December 4th, Catholic Fire will be giving away two prize packets for “ The Sound of Music” that include a poster, T-shirt and a CD that features songs from the musical, including a few from Carrie Underwood. To enter, send your full name and mailing address with "prize packets" in the subject line to me at: jean.heimann@gmail.com no later than midnight December 4th. Two winners winners will be randomly selected and notified by email. The stage performance will be broadcast live only once, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time December 5 on NBC. This should be quite a challenge, both for the cast and for the producers. I'm certainly looking forward to watching it! Watch the new promo video, which will give you an idea of what to look forward to: Below is the press release I received, announcing the special live presentation. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Experience The Sound of Music live Iconic musical arrives just in time for Christmas ATLANTA,...

November 22, 2013. (Romereports.com) During his daily morning Mass at the Vatican, Pope Francis talked about the temple, both as a structure and a symbol. He explained that whenever a group gathers at a parish, God should always be the focus.   POPE FRANCIS “I think that, and I say this humbly, that perhaps we Christians have somewhat lost our sense of Worship. We'll say: 'Let's go to the parish and  meet everyone there.' This is good and beautiful, but the core focus should be God. We Worship God.” The Pope added that a parish is the site where everyone gets together to pray, praise and thank the Lord. SUMMARY OF POPE'S HOMILY Source: Vatican Radio A temple is a place where we meet to pray, praise and thank the Lord, but above all, it’s a place where we gather to worship God. At his morning Mass in the Santa Martha Chapel on Friday, Pope Francis focused his homily on both the temple as a building and St Paul’s understanding of our bodies as temples of ...

Today is the memorial of St. Cecilia, patron of singers, musicians, and poets, because she sang for God alone. She is praised as the perfect model of the Christian woman because of her virginity and the martyrdom which she suffered for love of Christ. It is believed that St. Cecilia was born in the 2nd or 3rd century A.D., although the dates of her birth and martyrdom are unknown. Tradition tells us that Cecilia was a Roman girl of a patrician family who had been brought up as a Christian. She fasted often and wore a coarse garment beneath her rich clothing. Although she had consecrated her virginity to God, her father betrothed her to a young pagan named Valerian. When the wedding day arrived, Cecilia sat apart from her guests, repeating psalms and praying. After the ceremony, when the guests had departed and she was alone with her husband, Cecilia made known her great desire to remain a virgin, saying that she already had a lover, an angel of God who was very jealous. Valeria...

Vilakannur: More than 10,000 people gathered at a village church under Tellicherry archdiocese in Kerala after news spread that Jesus’s face appeared on the Sacred Bread during morning Mass. The archdiocese has rushed a team to investigate the phenomenon that occurred at Christ the King Church, Vilakannur, some 50 kilometers east of Kannur town. “The Church does not encourage popularizing such incidents,” Parish priest Fr. Thomas Pathickal, 60, told mattersindia.com. The 60-year-old priest, who came to the parish three years ago, said he has followed the instruction of Archbishop George Valiamattam of Tellicherry to keep the “miracle” host locked inside the tabernacle and hold prayers in the church. More than 500 people are now praying in the church as they wait for the archdiocesan investigation team to decide on the public display of the host. Read more.

The highly anticipated “Heaven is for Real” movie, based on the true story of Colton Burpo, who visited heaven during a near-death experience, will be released in theaters on April 16, 2014.

Today, November 21, is the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.   The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrates the fact that the parents of Our Lady brought her to the Temple and handed her over to live there for a long period as a virgin consecrated to the Temple, contemplating God exclusively.  Also known as the Dedication of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the feast originated in the East, where it is called the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos Into the Temple. History of the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary The Protoevangelium of James (7-8), and the writing entitled "De nativit. Mariae" (7-8), state that Joachim and Anna, faithful to a vow they had made, presented the child Mary in the Temple when she was three years old; that the child herself mounted the Temple steps, and that she made her vow of virginity on this occasion. St. Gregory of Nyssa and St. Germanus of Constantinople adopt this report; it is also followe...

Shameful!  LifeSite News: Albuquerque, NM, Nov. 20, 2013 (OperationRescue) — The Albuquerque Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Ordinance, which would have banned abortions after 20 weeks, lost Tuesday tonight by 10.5% of the vote. The final tally was 44.74-55.26%. “Pro-life supporters may have suffered a political loss, but we are far from defeated. We’ll be back,” said Cheryl Sullenger, Senior Policy Advisor for Operation Rescue, who was in Albuquerque for the vote. “It is clear that the people are uncomfortable with late-term abortions and would like to see them end. We learned a lot from this campaign, and we look forward to another try that will better reflect the true feeling of the voters on this subject." The ordinance would have been the first-ever municipal ballot measure to ban abortions after 20 weeks, when babies are known to feel pain. Priests for Life founder Fr. Frank Pavone said pro-life activists in the city "should not feel discouraged" b...

(Vatican Radio) A striking sculpture of Jesus, depicted as a homeless man sleeping on a park bench, was presented to Pope Francis following the general audience in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday. The unusual art work was brought over from Canada by sculptor Timothy Schmalz who has been exploring the contemporary face of Christian art for over two decades. The large bronze sculpture was inspired by an encounter the artist had with a homeless person on the streets of Toronto several years ago, an experience that brought new insight into the Gospel passage about caring for the hungry, the thirsty, the naked and the strangers in our midst. Continue reading.

Rome, Italy, Nov 20, 2013 / 12:02 am (CNA).- The Knights of Columbus' new documentary on the life of Pope Francis and his election to the papacy will be available on DVD starting Nov. 20. “This documentary arrives as the world realizes that a very special man has assumed the leadership of the Catholic Church, and this begins – but does not end – with his gestures of humility and care for everyone,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson of the Knights of Columbus, an executive producer of the documentary. “Still, what remains largely unknown to the public are many details of Pope Francis’ life, the work he has done and the ways in which he has defended the voiceless and Catholic principles. This documentary delves into those stories,” Anderson said. The hour-long documentary, “Francis: The Pope From the New World,” has been broadcast on the Fox Business Network and CNBC. Continue reading.

(Vatican Radio) Looking ahead to the annual “Pro Orantibus" Day which is celebrated annually on November 21, Pope Francis on Wednesday expressed his gratitude to those who belong to contemplative Orders and dedicate themselves to God in prayer and silent work. On the day itself, the Pope is scheduled to visit a Camaldolese monastery of cloistered nuns on the Aventine Hill where he will celebrate Vespers. It is a day during which Catholics throughout the world are especially encouraged to honour the cloistered and monastic life and to offer their spiritual and material support to women and men religious dedicated to prayer and sacrifice. In 1997, Blessed Pope John Paul II asked that this ecclesial event be observed worldwide on November 21, the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Presentation in the Temple. It is a special day to thank those in the cloistered and monastic life for serving as “a leaven of renewal and of the presence of the spirit of Christ in the world.” It ...

Pope Francis blesses a sick man after his general audience in St. Peter's Square Nov. 20, 2013. Credit: Evandro Inetti/ZUMAPRESS.com. Daily Mail: His actions have touched many across the world and revitalised the Catholic church. But for Pope Francis, comforting this stricken man after today's weekly audience in St Peter's Square was another simple act of compassion. In scenes strikingly similar to his encounter with the disfigured Vinicio Riva two weeks before, the pontiff first spoke with the worshipper and then put his arms around him, blessing him. The man's identity is not known, nor are the details of what caused such terrible damage to his face. Read more.

November 20, 2013. (Romereports.com) During Wednesday's General Audience, Pope Francis spoke about the forgiveness of sins. He said that he goes to Confession every two weeks . He also asked all priests who aren't kind to people, to change before administering the Sacrament.   The Pope also explained that the Holy Spirit is 'the main character' of the Sacrament of Penance. He added that the service provided by all priests is a 'very delicate one' because through them, every person should see that God never grows tired of forgiving. SUMMARY OF THE POPE'S CATECHESIS IN ENGLISH: Dear Brothers and Sisters: Today I would like to speak again on the forgiveness of sins by reflecting on the power of the keys, which is a biblical symbol of the mission Jesus entrusted to the Apostles. First and foremost, we recall that the source of the forgiveness of sins is the Holy Spirit, whom the Risen Jesus bestowed upon the Apostles. Hence, he made the Church the gu...

The saint of the day for November 20th is St. Bernward , Benedictine bishop, architect, painter, sculptor, and metalsmith. Saint Bernward served as the thirteenth Bishop of Hildesheim, Germany during the middle of the tenth century. His grandfather was Athelbero, Count Palatine of Saxony. After having lost his parents, Bernward was sent to live with his uncle Volkmar, who was the Bishop of Utrecht. His uncle enlisted the assistance of Thangmar, the pious and well-educated director of the cathedral school at Heidelberg, the help with Bernward's education. Under the instruction of Thangmar, Bernward made rapid progress in Christian piety as well as in the sciences. He became very proficient in mathematics, painting, architecture, and particularly in the manufacture of ecclesiastical vessels and ornaments made of silver and gold. Saint Bernward completed his studies at Mainz, where he was then ordained a priest. In leiu of being placed in the diocese of his uncle, Bishop Volk...

November 19, 2013. (Romereports.com) In his daily morning Mass at the Vatican, the Pope talked about taking care of the elderly. Echoing one of his trademark statements, he explained that a society that nurtures the elderly, is a society that protects its memory and future.   POPE FRANCIS “Let's pray for our grandfathers and grandmothers, who so very often have played a heroic role in transmitting the faith, even in times of persecution. When mom and dad weren't home, or when they had a strange belief system that reflected the politics of that time, grandparents were the ones who passed on the faith.” The Pope also highlighted that out of the ten commandments, 'Honoring thy Father and Mother' is the only commandment that guarantees prosperity. SUMMARY OF POPE'S HOMILY Source: Vatican Radio Pope Francis began his homily by pointing to the example of Eleazar in the Book of Maccabees, an elderly teacher of the law who preferred martyrdom rather than betrayi...

by Jean M. Heimann Yesterday, I received some rather startling news. I was told by a major Catholic book publisher that the "average" Catholic isn't interested in evangelization. I certainly hope that the Holy Father and Fr. Robert Barron don't find out about this. Or perhaps they already know. Perhaps that is why they have so much zeal and enthusiasm for sharing the faith -- to make up for those who have none. We are all called to evangelize in our daily lives! Evangelization is an integral part of our faith. If we truly love our faith, shouldn't we be on fire to share it? The people I come into contact with on a daily basis have that love for their faith and live it out in their lives. They inspire me to endeavor to live a holy life. It's difficult for me to imagine how someone who believes in the truths of the Catholic Church - the sacraments, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal life--is not w...

Today, November 19, is the feast of Saint Agnes of Assisi (Catarina di Favarone) according to the Franciscan calendar .  She is the younger of sister of Saint Clare of Assisi, and Abbess of the Poor Ladies of Assisi, and co-foundress of the Poor Clares.  Born in Assisi, Catarina was the youngest daughter of Count Favorino Scifi and Countess Hortulana (now Blessed). Catarina was later named Agnes by St. Francis of Assisi when she became a nun. Catarina was a beautiful girl who was gentle, prayerful, and kind. On March 18, 1212, Clare renounced her inheritance and family and founded the Poor Clares, the Franciscan cloistered Order. Catarina joined her sixteen days later at the Benedictine cloister of St. Angelo in Panso, where they received their initial training. Her father, Count Favorino, sent armed men to carry her away. She was badly beaten but was not taken back to her father because of the miraculous efforts of Clare. Catarina was accepted by St. Francis, who gave ...

At this morning’s papal Mass, Pope Francis asked rhetorically and bitterly,  “What do you think, that today human sacrifices are not made?” He added: “Many, many people make human sacrifices and there are laws that protect them.” The statement sounds very much like he could be referring to the abortion of unborn children, which many Christians have referred to as the new human sacrifice to the gods of convenience, money, power and more. That perspective is supported by some of the other talking points from this morning’s homily. Read More

(Vatican Radio) Drawing inspiration from a reading in the Book of the Maccabees, Pope Francis warned the faithful to be attentive in our secularized and pleasure-seeking life-style which often attacks the Church and imposes unjust rules on Christians. Referring to the first Reading of the day, the Pope spoke of the passage which portrays the effort by the Jews to regain their cultural and religious identity after Antiochus IV Epiphanes suppressed the observance of Jewish laws and desecrated the temple after having convinced the people of God to abandon their traditions. Lord, the Pope prayed, give me the discernment to recognize the subtle conspiracies of worldliness that lead us to negotiate our values and our faith. During his homily, Pope Francis warned the faithful against what he described as a “globalized uniformity” which is the result of secular worldliness. Often he said, the people of God prefer to distance themselves from the Lord in favour of worldly proposals....