Sword of St. Michael--Aleteia: mysterious imaginary line links seven monasteries, from Ireland to Israel. Is it just a coincidence? These seven sanctuaries are very far from each other, and yet they are perfectly aligned (siviaggia.it).
The Sacred Line of Saint Michael the Archangel represents, according to legend, the blow the Saint inflicted the Devil, sending him to hell.
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Fresh finds revealed at Rome’s ancient catacombs
Fresh Finds at Rome’s Ancient Catacombs - The New York Times: Restorers on Tuesday put the finishing touches on a seven-year restoration of two underground burial rooms at the Catacombs of Domitilla, which revealed long-hidden frescoes commissioned some 1600 years ago by the city’s bakers.
“We finished working on one cycle practically this morning,” said Barbara Mazzei, who oversaw the restoration of the paintings on behalf of the Vatican’s Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology.
The frescoes had been hidden under a chalky deposit and algae during their many centuries of abandonment, while smoke from oil lamps had darkened the crusty surfaces. Using lasers, restorers stripped away the deposits strata by strata — a technique never used before in the catacombs. A mélange of figures gradually emerged, depicting Old and New Testament figures, but also vignettes relating to the baker’s trade.
“We finished working on one cycle practically this morning,” said Barbara Mazzei, who oversaw the restoration of the paintings on behalf of the Vatican’s Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology.
The frescoes had been hidden under a chalky deposit and algae during their many centuries of abandonment, while smoke from oil lamps had darkened the crusty surfaces. Using lasers, restorers stripped away the deposits strata by strata — a technique never used before in the catacombs. A mélange of figures gradually emerged, depicting Old and New Testament figures, but also vignettes relating to the baker’s trade.
New Catholic South Korean president seeks Pope's support in reconciliation efforts
South Korean president seeks Pope's support in reconciliation efforts :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)GAGLIARDUCCI: On the eve of President Trump’s visit to the Holy See, the newly elected president of South Korea sent a special envoy to ask for Vatican support in efforts to foster reconciliation in the Korean peninsula.
Bishop Hyginus Kim Hee-jong, archbishop of Gwangju and president of the Korean Bishops Conference, served as South Korean president Moon Jae-in’s special envoy for a one-week mission.
He was able to meet with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, on May 23, and to talk briefly with Pope Francis at the end of morning Mass in Domus Sanctae Marthae on May 26.
Bishop Hyginus Kim Hee-jong, archbishop of Gwangju and president of the Korean Bishops Conference, served as South Korean president Moon Jae-in’s special envoy for a one-week mission.
He was able to meet with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, on May 23, and to talk briefly with Pope Francis at the end of morning Mass in Domus Sanctae Marthae on May 26.
True liturgy has the power to shake the world with truth and beauty
On the Power of Liturgy and Prayer - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: There is a text from the Acts of the Apostles (read last week at Mass) that sets forth quite well some of the qualities of the Sacred Liturgy. Although the “liturgy” cited in this passage is not a Mass, the description should apply to all our liturgies; from the Liturgy of the Hours to baptism, from a penance service to a full sung Mass. Let’s look at the passage and learn from it the power of liturgy to deliver, instruct, and transform us and the world.
Is technology a dangerous ideology?
Is Technology a Dangerous Ideology? | ncregister.comBEALE: The notion that technology can be a harbinger for all sorts of evils is not new.
The question is whether technology itself is morally neutral. In other words: Is technology simply something that can be used either for good or evil or is it inherently problematic? Often we hear the case made for the former position. Technology is not the problem. Rather, the argument goes, it’s in how we use it.
There is some obvious truth in this: the same processes of nuclear fission used in the first atom bombs also can be harnessed to provide energy. Likewise, the same iPhone that distracts us from those around us also has apps that help us read Scripture or pray more often.
The question is whether technology itself is morally neutral. In other words: Is technology simply something that can be used either for good or evil or is it inherently problematic? Often we hear the case made for the former position. Technology is not the problem. Rather, the argument goes, it’s in how we use it.
There is some obvious truth in this: the same processes of nuclear fission used in the first atom bombs also can be harnessed to provide energy. Likewise, the same iPhone that distracts us from those around us also has apps that help us read Scripture or pray more often.
A priest explains the most powerful tool of the devil (and how to defeat it)
A Priest Explains the Most Powerful Tool of the Devil - And How to Defeat It | ChurchPOP: I believe the most powerful tool the devil has at his disposal is fear.
When I say “fear,” I do not mean “fear of the Lord,” which is a spiritual gift that helps us to respect God.
No, I mean the fear which tells us that God does not want what is good for us. I mean the fear that ultimately leads to rebellion. For if I do not trust a person in authority because I do not believe that they are interested in my good, I will rebel against them. It is human nature to rebel against that kind of abusive authority.
Indeed, the devil himself is driven by fear. He feared our creation as somehow diminishing his own. He didn’t trust God and His will. His fear led to rebellion and hate; not just of God, but of us as well. His main tool is what drives him.
When I say “fear,” I do not mean “fear of the Lord,” which is a spiritual gift that helps us to respect God.
No, I mean the fear which tells us that God does not want what is good for us. I mean the fear that ultimately leads to rebellion. For if I do not trust a person in authority because I do not believe that they are interested in my good, I will rebel against them. It is human nature to rebel against that kind of abusive authority.
Indeed, the devil himself is driven by fear. He feared our creation as somehow diminishing his own. He didn’t trust God and His will. His fear led to rebellion and hate; not just of God, but of us as well. His main tool is what drives him.
America is facing shortages of labor, life and love
Shortages of Labor, Life and Love | The Stream: Any economy needs a growing population to sustain its economic growth. This is a basic tenet of economics. No workers, no work.
And that means America is in trouble. In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control issued a report showing that our “fertility rate fell to the lowest point since record keeping started” in 1909. In the first three months of 2016, there were slightly less than 60 births per 1,000 women. That’s down from 123 births per 1,000 women in 1957.
And that means America is in trouble. In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control issued a report showing that our “fertility rate fell to the lowest point since record keeping started” in 1909. In the first three months of 2016, there were slightly less than 60 births per 1,000 women. That’s down from 123 births per 1,000 women in 1957.
Pope condemns ‘brutal’ attack in Kabul, offers prayers
Pope Condemns ‘Brutal’ Attack in Kabul, Offers Prayers | ncregister.com: After a major suicide bomb tore through a busy neighborhood in Kabul, killing at least 80 people, Pope Francis condemned the “brutal” act, offering his prayers for the victims and for peace in the country.
“Having learned with sadness of the abhorrent attack in Kabul and of the many dead and seriously injured, Pope Francis expresses his heartfelt condolences to all affected by this brutal act of violence,” said a May 31 telegram signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Pope Francis, he said, “commends the souls of the deceased to the mercy of the Almighty and assures the people of Afghanistan of his continued prayers for peace.”
The Pope’s letter, addressed to the Afghani ambassador to Italy, was sent hours after a suicide bomb exploded in the diplomatic quarter of Kabul, Afghanistan, killing some 80 people and wounding nearly 300 others, according to CNN.
“Having learned with sadness of the abhorrent attack in Kabul and of the many dead and seriously injured, Pope Francis expresses his heartfelt condolences to all affected by this brutal act of violence,” said a May 31 telegram signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Pope Francis, he said, “commends the souls of the deceased to the mercy of the Almighty and assures the people of Afghanistan of his continued prayers for peace.”
The Pope’s letter, addressed to the Afghani ambassador to Italy, was sent hours after a suicide bomb exploded in the diplomatic quarter of Kabul, Afghanistan, killing some 80 people and wounding nearly 300 others, according to CNN.
Pope's Wednesday Audience: A good Christian spreads hope – not bitterness
Pope: A good Christian spreads hope – not bitterness :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): On Wednesday Pope Francis said the Holy Spirit has the power to fill us with the hope of Christ, in turn making us Christians vessels that bring hope to others, rather than bitterness or desperation.
“The Holy Spirit makes us not only able to hope, but also to be sowers of hope, that we too are, like him and thanks to him – the “paraclete” – consolers and defenders of our brothers, sowers of hope,” Pope Francis said May 31.
“A Christian can sow bitterness, can sow perplexity, and this is not Christian,” he said, adding: “whoever does this is not a good Christian. Sow hope: sow the oil of hope, sow the fragrance of hope, and not the vinegar of bitterness and hopelessness.”
“The Holy Spirit makes us not only able to hope, but also to be sowers of hope, that we too are, like him and thanks to him – the “paraclete” – consolers and defenders of our brothers, sowers of hope,” Pope Francis said May 31.
“A Christian can sow bitterness, can sow perplexity, and this is not Christian,” he said, adding: “whoever does this is not a good Christian. Sow hope: sow the oil of hope, sow the fragrance of hope, and not the vinegar of bitterness and hopelessness.”
You forgot! A reflection on a central spiritual struggle...
You Forgot! A Reflection on a Central Spiritual Struggle - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: God’s lament is as true as ever: “You forgot!” We discount the vast and almost unimaginable blessings of each day from the hand of God and grumble at the smallest problem, setback, or slight.
What God is most concerned with is not that we forget small details of the law, but that we so easily forget the wonderful things He has done for us. For indeed, He rescued them from slavery, parted the Red Sea for them, fed them with manna, and gave them water in the desert. He led them forth and settled them in the promised land. But how easily and quickly they forgot His saving deeds!
God’s lament is not about His ego needs to be thanked or repaid for his goodness. God is not vain like man. It is essential that we remember. To remember is to have a healing knowledge.
What God is most concerned with is not that we forget small details of the law, but that we so easily forget the wonderful things He has done for us. For indeed, He rescued them from slavery, parted the Red Sea for them, fed them with manna, and gave them water in the desert. He led them forth and settled them in the promised land. But how easily and quickly they forgot His saving deeds!
God’s lament is not about His ego needs to be thanked or repaid for his goodness. God is not vain like man. It is essential that we remember. To remember is to have a healing knowledge.
New York Times Magazine tells dramatic story of Aleppo, minus all that tricky religion stuff
New York Times Magazine tells dramatic story of Aleppo, minus all that tricky religion stuff — GetReligionMATTINGLY: Please allow me to start this post with a personal note, so that readers will understand my point of view when I write about Aleppo and the wider conflict in Syria.
When I converted into Eastern Orthodoxy 19 years ago, I joined the ancient Antiochian Orthodox Church – which for centuries has been based in Damascus. For most of my 19 years in Orthodoxy I have been part of parishes that are largely made of American converts to the faith. But for four years (including Sept. 11, 2001) my family was active in a West Palm Beach, Fla., parish that was predominately made up of people from Syria and Lebanon.
Although I now am now active in a convert-oriented church with Russian roots, I still read Antiochian Orthodox publications. To be blunt: My daily prayers include petitions for the protection of Christians, and all of those suffering, in Damascus, Aleppo and that region.
When I converted into Eastern Orthodoxy 19 years ago, I joined the ancient Antiochian Orthodox Church – which for centuries has been based in Damascus. For most of my 19 years in Orthodoxy I have been part of parishes that are largely made of American converts to the faith. But for four years (including Sept. 11, 2001) my family was active in a West Palm Beach, Fla., parish that was predominately made up of people from Syria and Lebanon.
Although I now am now active in a convert-oriented church with Russian roots, I still read Antiochian Orthodox publications. To be blunt: My daily prayers include petitions for the protection of Christians, and all of those suffering, in Damascus, Aleppo and that region.
A new legalism denies the moral content of moral rules
A new legalism denies the moral content of moral rules. | Catholic CultureMIRUS: While our proper apprehension of the moral law cannot be reduced to mere rules, it will inescapably be expressed partially through true statements about good and evil. When we choose to avoid committing adultery, for example, we may do so because it violates a commandment in the form of a memorized rule: “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Assuming that an adulterous opportunity arises (and we are not simply spouting sour grapes), we may not understand why adultery is seriously wrong. We may not grasp the moral dimensions of the act itself. But in the absence of this moral understanding, we may be very well served by our recollection of a rule learned from an authority we trust.
12 things Kathy Griffin should have considered before her stunt
Twelve Things Kathy Griffin Might Have ConsideredLONGENECKER: Anybody who reads this blog knows I am not a fan of Donald Trump, but the “beheading” stunt of Kathy Griffin was not only outrageous and offensive, but it was simply overwhelmingly stupid and crass.
Here are ten things Griffin might have considered before she took part in such an idiotic enterprise:
By Joking About Violence You Validate It – when you make jokes about something serious. What would happen, for example, if someone were to joke about a black man being lynched? You assume the joker is okay with black people being lynched. Putting aside the fact of Trump being a duly elected president, simply joking about be heading says you think its not really a big deal. That’s dumb.
Here are ten things Griffin might have considered before she took part in such an idiotic enterprise:
By Joking About Violence You Validate It – when you make jokes about something serious. What would happen, for example, if someone were to joke about a black man being lynched? You assume the joker is okay with black people being lynched. Putting aside the fact of Trump being a duly elected president, simply joking about be heading says you think its not really a big deal. That’s dumb.
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
How to choose the right Catholic high school for your children
How to Choose the Right Catholic High School for Your Children | Classical Catholic EducationLANGLEY: I suppose twenty-eight years involved in small Catholic schools qualifies me as an experienced educator. Or at least it has provided me with plenty of experience in listening to parents and their children on the subject of “How to Choose a School.” Or perhaps “How Not to Choose a School.” Experience might bring some wisdom about things but it sure does bring a great deal of pain. Like Agamemnon’s war prize, Cassandra, I find myself similarly cursed with a sort of knowledge of the future which brings no good because it is not believed until the events themselves have come to pass.
Catholic priest appears in video, says he and 200 others are being held hostage in the Philippines
Catholic priest says he and 200 others held hostage in Philippines - Chicago Tribune: A Catholic priest who was taken hostage by militants linked to the Islamic State group says he's being held alongside 200 other captives, including children, in what appeared to be a battle-scarred part of a southern Philippine city.
In a video apparently taken under duress by militants, Father Teresito Suganob said his captors wanted the military to withdraw its forces from Marawi, where Islamic militants still hold pockets of territory after a week of gunbattles with the army.
In a video apparently taken under duress by militants, Father Teresito Suganob said his captors wanted the military to withdraw its forces from Marawi, where Islamic militants still hold pockets of territory after a week of gunbattles with the army.
A rare birth defect also gave him a gift: A nearly impossible-to-hit curveball
A rare birth defect also gave him a gift: A nearly impossible-to-hit curveball - The Washington Post: Growing up, Dylan Rosnick just wanted to play baseball, a simple enough request for a child growing up in the Loudoun County exurbs.
He wanted to tie his shoes, too, and hold a pencil the right way and button his shirt and brush his teeth. There’s not a lot of guidance, though, for a child with Proteus syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects fewer than one in 1 million births worldwide, according to the National Institutes of Health.
It causes overgrowth in bones, skin and other tissues. Those organs grow out of proportion with other tissues in the body.
He wanted to tie his shoes, too, and hold a pencil the right way and button his shirt and brush his teeth. There’s not a lot of guidance, though, for a child with Proteus syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects fewer than one in 1 million births worldwide, according to the National Institutes of Health.
It causes overgrowth in bones, skin and other tissues. Those organs grow out of proportion with other tissues in the body.
No, we don’t have to respect your opinion, and you don’t have to respect ours
Abortion opinion - AleteiaMILLS: When someone explains his claim about a difficult matter by saying, “You have to respect my opinion,” you can usually say, “No, I don’t.” Because, really, you don’t. You might be doing the person a kindness by telling him that.
People often say this when they want to assert something dumb or dubious without being contradicted. It’s the rhetorical get-out-of-jail-free card. Find yourself out-argued, say “You have to respect my opinion.” Expect everyone else to nod and stop arguing. I mean, no one ever says it when he’s winning an argument.
People often say this when they want to assert something dumb or dubious without being contradicted. It’s the rhetorical get-out-of-jail-free card. Find yourself out-argued, say “You have to respect my opinion.” Expect everyone else to nod and stop arguing. I mean, no one ever says it when he’s winning an argument.
Nuns, religious habits and modesty
Nuns, religious habits, modesty--AleteiaNOBLE: When I first started exploring religious life I was only slightly aware of the raging inferno of contention within Catholic circles regarding the wearing of the religious habit. In my blissful ignorance, I visited all kinds of religious orders, habited and non-habited, and almost without exception, met women who were in love with God, his Church, and his people.
Eventually, after visiting many convents, I decided that I really would prefer to join an order that wore a religious habit and veil. As a former atheist, I want to spread the Gospel, and the habit is an evangelizing tool in a world that is increasingly secular. Without the habit, in the United States at least, no one would know that I am a religious sister. My veil and habit are a signal and a sign of something that lies beyond this world. The habit is a powerful reminder of God in a world that has forgotten him.
Eventually, after visiting many convents, I decided that I really would prefer to join an order that wore a religious habit and veil. As a former atheist, I want to spread the Gospel, and the habit is an evangelizing tool in a world that is increasingly secular. Without the habit, in the United States at least, no one would know that I am a religious sister. My veil and habit are a signal and a sign of something that lies beyond this world. The habit is a powerful reminder of God in a world that has forgotten him.
We must receive the whole counsel of God
We Must Receive the Whole Counsel of God - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: The first reading from today’s Mass is Paul’s farewell speech to the presbyters (priests) of the early Church. Here is a skilled bishop and pastor exhorting others who have pastoral roles within the Church. Let’s take a look at this text and apply its wisdom to bishops and priests as well as to parents and other leaders in the Church.
Paul’s Farewell Sermon – The scene is Miletus, a town in Asia Minor on the coast not far from Ephesus. Paul, who is about to depart for Jerusalem, summons the presbyters of the early Church at Ephesus. Paul has ministered there for three years and now summons the priests for this final exhortation. In the sermon, St. Paul cites his own example of having been a zealous teacher of the faith who did not fail to preach the “whole counsel of God.” He did not merely preach what suited him or made him popular; he preached it all. To these early priests, Paul leaves this legacy and would have them follow in his footsteps. Let’s look at excerpts from this final exhortation.
Paul’s Farewell Sermon – The scene is Miletus, a town in Asia Minor on the coast not far from Ephesus. Paul, who is about to depart for Jerusalem, summons the presbyters of the early Church at Ephesus. Paul has ministered there for three years and now summons the priests for this final exhortation. In the sermon, St. Paul cites his own example of having been a zealous teacher of the faith who did not fail to preach the “whole counsel of God.” He did not merely preach what suited him or made him popular; he preached it all. To these early priests, Paul leaves this legacy and would have them follow in his footsteps. Let’s look at excerpts from this final exhortation.
Pope Francis’s South Sudan trip postponed after security fears
Pope Francis’s South Sudan trip postponed after security fears | CatholicHerald.co.uk: Pope Francis’s proposed trip to South Sudan later this year has been postponed for security reasons.
Vatican spokesman Greg Burke has confirmed that the trip, which would have been with Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby, will not now go ahead, at least this year.
Rome’s daily newspaper Il Messaggero reported on Monday that Pope Francis made the decision reluctantly “after the information coming to his desk left him with few alternatives”.
Vatican spokesman Greg Burke has confirmed that the trip, which would have been with Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby, will not now go ahead, at least this year.
Rome’s daily newspaper Il Messaggero reported on Monday that Pope Francis made the decision reluctantly “after the information coming to his desk left him with few alternatives”.
Monday, May 29, 2017
The poetic vision of Gerard Manley Hopkins
The Poetic Vision of Gerard Manley Hopkins - The Imaginative ConservativeLONGENECKER: Believing that Twitter should be a conduit for philosophical riddles instead of cliches, I tweeted last week a thought that came while reading a new book on Gerard Manley Hopkins. The tweet was, “It is through your haecceity that your quiddity will be perfected.”
Edited by Hopkins scholar Margaret R. Ellsbert, The Gospel in Gerard Manley Hopkins is an annotated anthology of the tortured poet’s poems, letters, sermons, and spiritual notes. In the book, I was introduced to the philosophical term haecceity—a concept of Duns Scotus which signifies the quality of a created being that makes it unique. Haecceity might be seen to contrast Aquinas’ term quiddity, which signifies the universal or eternal quality of a created being—quiddity being the “whatness” of a thing, and haecceity being the “thisness” of a thing.
Edited by Hopkins scholar Margaret R. Ellsbert, The Gospel in Gerard Manley Hopkins is an annotated anthology of the tortured poet’s poems, letters, sermons, and spiritual notes. In the book, I was introduced to the philosophical term haecceity—a concept of Duns Scotus which signifies the quality of a created being that makes it unique. Haecceity might be seen to contrast Aquinas’ term quiddity, which signifies the universal or eternal quality of a created being—quiddity being the “whatness” of a thing, and haecceity being the “thisness” of a thing.
A French saint for Memorial Day
A French saint for Memorial Day // News // Notre Dame Magazine // University of Notre DameBECKER: Visiting Pittsburgh’s St. Paul Cathedral on our first date, Nancy and I prayed before a statue of St. Joan of Arc. It’s a moving image, a kneeling girl with her face upraised to heaven, she appears poised in surrender to God. The saint became a special patron in our marriage and family, and we named our first daughter after the warrior maid. St. Joan also has a prominent representation at Notre Dame: Up to the left of the Memorial Door that opens on the east transept of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Across from her is St. Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of soldiers and the heavenly scourge of demons. St. Michael’s presence is understandable given what the door signifies: An enduring memorial honoring the 56 Notre Dame students who gave their lives fighting in World War I, and, by extension, all who have done likewise in overseas conflicts ever since.
In Memorial Day appointment, Pope names Holy Cross priest as Bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee
Whispers in the Loggia: From A Soup Kitchen to The Panhandle – For Summer Kickoff, Pope Plays Wack-The-NolesPALMO: Over recent weeks, the growing community at St Ignatius Martyr parish in Austin has been planning a “bash” for their pastor’s 50th birthday.
However, the Pope now sends word that their late June event for Father Bill will now double as a farewell... to Bishop-elect Wack.
In an unheard-of act on a US civil holiday, this Memorial Day indeed brings an appointment – at Roman Noon, Francis named the South Bend-born priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross (a onetime vocation director at Notre Dame) as sixth bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee, tapped to lead a minority fold of 70,000 across the broad swath of the heavily-Evangelical Florida Panhandle: a charge spanning two time zones and some 14,000 square miles. (In a shot circulated this past March, the bishop-elect is seen test-piloting the new parking lot on his parish plant.)
However, the Pope now sends word that their late June event for Father Bill will now double as a farewell... to Bishop-elect Wack.
In an unheard-of act on a US civil holiday, this Memorial Day indeed brings an appointment – at Roman Noon, Francis named the South Bend-born priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross (a onetime vocation director at Notre Dame) as sixth bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee, tapped to lead a minority fold of 70,000 across the broad swath of the heavily-Evangelical Florida Panhandle: a charge spanning two time zones and some 14,000 square miles. (In a shot circulated this past March, the bishop-elect is seen test-piloting the new parking lot on his parish plant.)
Sunday, May 28, 2017
Remembering the first and last American officers to die in World War I
Remembering the First and Last American Officers to Die in World War I | ncregister.com: Memorial Day remember so many killed in the nation’s wars. On this 100th anniversary of the entry of the United States into World War I on April 6, 1917, we can remember two men in that conflict — the first and the last American officers to die in the war. The last also was the last chaplain to die. Both happened to be Knights of Columbus.
God is real, Christianity is true, and everything you do matters
God is Real, Christianity is True, and Everything You Do Matters | ncregister.comHAMILTON: I’m still waiting for pathology results from my biopsy last week. In the meantime, I want to address an issue raised by one of the commenters to my last post.
This individual wrote that they wanted to die and asked if wanting to die, even praying to die, was a sin. I don’t know the person who wrote this. I can’t tell from those few words if they are truly in despair or just writing something in a combox to get a response.
What I do know is that all people go through times of pain and sorrow, and that some people have things that happen to them that wound them so deeply that getting past it is beyond their mere human devices. I also know that some people suffer from depression that is so black that they can’t see through it.
This individual wrote that they wanted to die and asked if wanting to die, even praying to die, was a sin. I don’t know the person who wrote this. I can’t tell from those few words if they are truly in despair or just writing something in a combox to get a response.
What I do know is that all people go through times of pain and sorrow, and that some people have things that happen to them that wound them so deeply that getting past it is beyond their mere human devices. I also know that some people suffer from depression that is so black that they can’t see through it.
Love lifted me: A homily for the Ascension of the Lord
Love Lifted Me - A Homily for the Ascension of the Lord - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: In more dioceses than not, the Feast of the Ascension is celebrated this Sunday. The liturgist in me regrets the move from Thursday, but here we are any way. Let’s ascend with the Lord, three days late!
This marvelous feast is not merely about something that took place two thousand years ago, for though Christ our head has ascended, we the members of His body are ascending with Him. Because He was ascended, we, too, have ascended.
This marvelous feast is not merely about something that took place two thousand years ago, for though Christ our head has ascended, we the members of His body are ascending with Him. Because He was ascended, we, too, have ascended.
Pope marks Feast of the Ascension at Regina Coeli: ‘The joy of the Church is to announce the Gospel’
Our task is to make the Gospel accessible, Pope Francis says :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): On the Feast of the Ascension, Pope Francis said that when Jesus rose into heaven, he entrusted his Church with the great and dignified responsibility of spreading his Word and making it accessible to everyone.
In addition to signaling the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus’ Ascension reminds us of his constant assistance and that of his Spirit, “who gives strength and security to our Christian witness in the world,” the Pope said May 28.
The Holy Spirit “reveals to us why the Church exists: she exists to announce the Gospel” he said. “Only for that. And also, the joy of the Church is to announce the Gospel.”
Francis said the Church includes all faithful that have been baptized, who today “are invited to better understand that God has given us the great dignity and responsibility of announcing it to the world, of making it accessible to humanity.”
“This is our dignity, this is the greatest honor of the Church!” he said.
In addition to signaling the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus’ Ascension reminds us of his constant assistance and that of his Spirit, “who gives strength and security to our Christian witness in the world,” the Pope said May 28.
The Holy Spirit “reveals to us why the Church exists: she exists to announce the Gospel” he said. “Only for that. And also, the joy of the Church is to announce the Gospel.”
Francis said the Church includes all faithful that have been baptized, who today “are invited to better understand that God has given us the great dignity and responsibility of announcing it to the world, of making it accessible to humanity.”
“This is our dignity, this is the greatest honor of the Church!” he said.
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Divine gentleness and contemplative prayer
Beginning to Pray: Divine Gentleness and Contemplative PrayerLILLES: Christ offered Himself in death for our sake out of love, to reveal the mercy and gentleness of the Father. Though the absence of love that ought to be stirs regret in the heart of God, the Almighty does not unleash His power to surmount human freedom. Instead, He restrains Himself because He knows His love is more powerful than our evil, and He has confidence in the goodness that He has sewn into our hearts. This confidence in what He created us to be is why the Father sent the Son into the world. The Son, at the right hand of the Father, testifies to what is most true about humanity and the drama of its existence. Humanity is made to know the love of the Father, and through Jesus, even in the face of all our failures and wickedness, this Divine Dream is realized.
Why Catholics honor the Blessed Virgin Mary
Why Catholics honor the Virgin Mary--AleteiaNOBLE: The Catholic devotion to Mary has never come easily to me. I know Mary is, for some people, the way they discovered and really developed a relationship with Jesus. But for me, it was the opposite. Jesus is the one who introduced his Mother to me.
I knew Jesus for several years before I developed or even saw a reason to develop a relationship with his Mother. My devotion to Jesus informed my relationship with Mary. In fact, it becomes clearer to me every day that love for the Word who revealed himself to us as a newborn babe is absolutely inseparable from love for Mary.
No human baby can be separated from his or her human parents. Even if a parent never cares for his or her child, every parent passes on their genetic material to their offspring. The same is true of Jesus. You may have thought of this before but it is something that comes back to my prayer regularly: Jesus is genetically 100 percent from Mary.
I knew Jesus for several years before I developed or even saw a reason to develop a relationship with his Mother. My devotion to Jesus informed my relationship with Mary. In fact, it becomes clearer to me every day that love for the Word who revealed himself to us as a newborn babe is absolutely inseparable from love for Mary.
No human baby can be separated from his or her human parents. Even if a parent never cares for his or her child, every parent passes on their genetic material to their offspring. The same is true of Jesus. You may have thought of this before but it is something that comes back to my prayer regularly: Jesus is genetically 100 percent from Mary.
On presidents, princes and popes
On Presidents, Princes and PopesLONGENECKER: One of the most curious things I’ve observed since moving back to my homeland after spending twenty five years of my life in the UK, is what I term America’s emotional instability.
Let’s face it, we’re the world’s only superpower. Our military dwarfs every other nations, and even those who have a large military presence are our allies. And yet we’re so insecure. We’re always talking up the threats and dangers and always building more walls, more defense, more “homeland security.”
We’re also the world’s most muscular economy. We control the world economy and despite the rising powers of China, India and Russia, we’re still on top. Yet we still worry about not having enough and about not being rich enough?
Let’s face it, we’re the world’s only superpower. Our military dwarfs every other nations, and even those who have a large military presence are our allies. And yet we’re so insecure. We’re always talking up the threats and dangers and always building more walls, more defense, more “homeland security.”
We’re also the world’s most muscular economy. We control the world economy and despite the rising powers of China, India and Russia, we’re still on top. Yet we still worry about not having enough and about not being rich enough?
Donald Trump calls for Memorial Day to be a Day of Prayer for Permanent Peace after meeting with Pope Francis
Donald Trump Calls for Memorial Day to Be a Day of Prayer for Permanent Peace After Meeting With Pope Francis: On Wednesday, May 24th, United States President Donald Trump proclaimed that Memorial Day (May 29th) will be a Day of Prayer for Permanent Peace. It’s no coincidence that he initiated this day of prayer on the same day that he met with Pope Francis at the Vatican.
When did the decline of the West really begin?
When Did the Decline of the West Really Begin? | ncregister.comBEALE: A common answer among conservatives is the 1960s. Some conservatives trace the problem back further, to the development of modernism, from the 19th century into the 20th. Distributists might pinpoint the Industrial Revolution, from the 18th into the 19th century. And a good case could be made for the Enlightenment, which spanned 1685-1815, or even the Protestant Reformation, starting in 1517. Rod Dreher, in his new book, The Benedict Option, goes back even further—to the onset of nominalism, a philosophy formulated by William of Ockham, who died in 1347. The thesis is not wholly original to Dreher—Richard Weaver, a traditional conservative intellectual, also contends that Western decline began in this way in his classic 1948 book, Ideas Have Consequences. But Dreher offers one of the most accessible summaries of what nominalism really is and why it still matters today.
Overdosing from despair: How the Church can fight the opioid epidemic
Overdosing from despair: How the Church can fight the opioid epidemicSCHNEIDER: More people are dying than ever from overdosing on painkillers, and the Church is trying to help. Some pain is part of being human: Having no pain is dangerous. Christianity sees pain as both an opportunity for virtue and a union with Jesus: The pain of Christians is far more meaningful, and thus endurable.
Pope travels to Genoa, visits workers, religious and youth
In Genoa, Pope challenges workers, religious and youth :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): On Saturday Pope Francis paid a visit to the Italian diocese of Genoa, where he had lengthy Q&A sessions with youth, the city’s working class, and their bishops, priests and religious, challenging them and offering antidotes to modern problems. After landing just around 8a.m. local time May 27, the Pope was greeted by Genoa’s archbishop, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, who just finished his term as president of the Italian Bishops Conference. He was replaced by Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, archbishop of Perugia. Once he left the airport, Francis immediately went to a warehouse where he met with the city’s workers. Afterward, he met the diocese’s bishops, priests and religious at the city’s cathedral before heading to a special shrine where he spoke with youth.
Friday, May 26, 2017
Pope taps Bishop Angelo de Donatis as new Vicar of Rome
Pope taps Bishop Angelo de Donatis as new Vicar of Rome :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): On Friday the Vatican announced that Bishop Angelo de Donatis had been chosen by Pope Francis as the new Vicar of Rome, who will oversee the administrative needs of the Roman diocese, including her clergy.
In addition to naming him Vicar of Rome, Francis also named Donatis an archbishop, according to the May 26 Vatican communique on the announcement.
In addition to naming him Vicar of Rome, Francis also named Donatis an archbishop, according to the May 26 Vatican communique on the announcement.
Gunmen attack Coptic Christian convoy in Egypt, killing at least 26
Gunmen Attack Coptic Christian Convoy in Egypt, Killing at Least 26 - The New York Times: Gunmen opened fire on vehicles carrying Coptic Christians in southern Egypt early Friday, killing at least 26 people, according to a church official, in the latest deadly assault on the country’s embattled religious minority.
Bishop Makarios of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Minya Province said the assailants, traveling in three sport utility vehicles, had opened fire on a pickup truck carrying workmen, and two buses transporting worshipers, as they traveled in a convoy to the Monastery of St. Samuel the Confessor.
Bishop Makarios said many of the victims had been shot at close range. The dead included children, older adults, and laborers, he said, and 23 others were wounded.
Bishop Makarios of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Minya Province said the assailants, traveling in three sport utility vehicles, had opened fire on a pickup truck carrying workmen, and two buses transporting worshipers, as they traveled in a convoy to the Monastery of St. Samuel the Confessor.
Bishop Makarios said many of the victims had been shot at close range. The dead included children, older adults, and laborers, he said, and 23 others were wounded.
Thursday, May 25, 2017
19 points of advice for fighting the devil
19 Points of Advice for Fighting the Devil | ncregister.comARMSTRONG: The exorcists I consult occasionally for articles have personally seen a lot of the devil’s theatrics: levitation, room temperature suddenly and drastically dropping, people knowing foreign languages they never studied, foul odors, objects flying and other antics intended to intimidate the exorcist. Yet, we are told not to fear evil. The exorcists do, however, strongly warn us to stay away from it and use the protection God gives us.
A word to those being confirmed
A Word to Those Being Confirmed | Word On FireBARRON: One of the greatest privileges I have as a bishop is the opportunity to preside at the sacrament of Confirmation. A drawback, however, is that I am obligated to conduct over forty Confirmations in roughly a two month period—which means that I become tired, rather quickly, of my own homily! As a result, I’m frequently shifting gears, trying out new ideas, looking at the complex phenomenon of Confirmation from a variety of angles. I want to share with you in this article some of the key ideas in the latest iteration of my Confirmation sermon.
Before-and-after photos of the California landslide that cut off the New Camaldoli Hermitage
An Epic Landslide in Big Sur, California, Before and After | WIRED: Highway 1 meanders more than 650 miles along California’s rugged coastline. The views from this ribbon of asphalt are so spectacular, and the terrain so gorgeous, that the feds declared it an “All-American Road” in 2002. People come from far and wide just to marvel at it. But much of the road was built on fragile ground in one of the most seismically tumultuous places in the world. Last weekend, the Earth reclaimed a sizable chunk of the highway.
Let's face it: Catholicism is weird...
Let's Face It: Catholicism is Weird | ncregister.comCOFFIN: Let’s face it. Catholicism is weird. This is true for ignorant outsiders and for dissenting insiders. Like the Hebrews of old, Catholics are a peculiar people, a people set apart (Deuteronomy 14:2; Psalm 4:3; 1 Peter 2:9).
The ethno-hyphenated Catholics (“My sainted grandma was born in Galway and my son is at Notre Dame – so of course we’re Catholic”) are not so weird. They fit in too well. I’m talking about the “all-in” serious Catholics who do things like accept all the teachings of the Church, including the hard sayings.
In a world of Kardashian-worshippers, anyone who thinks sex is reserved for marriage, or that marriage cannot be redefined without grave consequences to society and culture, or that contraception undercuts not only the procreative dimension of marital union but also the unitive dimension, or, for that matter, that a man who grew up in Nazareth is the God of the universe and that He founded a Church (after suffering torture and death and rising from the dead) and gave her sacraments and the gift of infallibility – is by definition, weird.
The ethno-hyphenated Catholics (“My sainted grandma was born in Galway and my son is at Notre Dame – so of course we’re Catholic”) are not so weird. They fit in too well. I’m talking about the “all-in” serious Catholics who do things like accept all the teachings of the Church, including the hard sayings.
In a world of Kardashian-worshippers, anyone who thinks sex is reserved for marriage, or that marriage cannot be redefined without grave consequences to society and culture, or that contraception undercuts not only the procreative dimension of marital union but also the unitive dimension, or, for that matter, that a man who grew up in Nazareth is the God of the universe and that He founded a Church (after suffering torture and death and rising from the dead) and gave her sacraments and the gift of infallibility – is by definition, weird.
SDG reviews ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’
SDG Reviews ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’ | ncregister.comGREYDANUS: Even skeptics of the franchise must admit, I think, that the Pirates of the Caribbean films have generally aimed higher and been smarter than might have been expected.
The 2003 original, subtitled The Curse of the Black Pearl, was an unexpected critical and popular hit that holds up remarkably well — improbably so for a film in an unfashionable period-swashbuckling genre with the same theme-park branding roots as The Haunted Mansion, The Country Bears and Tomorrowland.
I am still full of admiration for the first sequel, Dead Man’s Chest, with its inspired set pieces and astonishing creature design. At the time I thought it an improvement on the original, but like many middle movies it signed a lot of checks that came due in the third chapter, At World’s End, which turned out to be such an overwrought letdown that disappointment rippled backward to At World’s End, making it retroactively unsatisfying.
The 2003 original, subtitled The Curse of the Black Pearl, was an unexpected critical and popular hit that holds up remarkably well — improbably so for a film in an unfashionable period-swashbuckling genre with the same theme-park branding roots as The Haunted Mansion, The Country Bears and Tomorrowland.
I am still full of admiration for the first sequel, Dead Man’s Chest, with its inspired set pieces and astonishing creature design. At the time I thought it an improvement on the original, but like many middle movies it signed a lot of checks that came due in the third chapter, At World’s End, which turned out to be such an overwrought letdown that disappointment rippled backward to At World’s End, making it retroactively unsatisfying.
Why Melania and Ivanka Trump wore black to meet the Pope
What women wear when meeting the Pope--AleteiaMCPORTLAND: We live in a world where few social conventions are firmly upheld. Nobody takes the request to RSVP seriously. Every day is casual Friday. When was the last time you worried about the proper placement of utensils or glassware for a dinner party? We can (and some of us do) bemoan the loss of attention to etiquette, propriety, and dress codes. It’s true that in many cases social standards have been linked to class bias and elitism; those we can do without. But we’re so unfamiliar with the very notion of conventions that when they do show up in our lives – as with yesterday’s social media blitz featuring the Trump family’s visit to the Vatican – we are startled and confused.
On “Collection Thursday” (or “Fauxcension Sunday”) the song remains the same
Whispers in the Loggia: On "Collection Thursday" – or "Fauxcension Sunday" – The Song Remains The SamePALMO: To one and all in the Northeast, Nebraska, The Vatican (yet not Italy) – and the handful of other places where this is still Ascension Day – a blessed and buona festa with all its joys and graces....
...to everyone else, no news for you. At least, not 'til the weekend.
Given the unique patchwork of how American Catholicism observes this 40th Day of Easter (or, for the most part, doesn't), it bears recalling how the split decision – and its ever-resulting confusion – owes itself to a 1994 vote granted by Rome to the bishops of each of the nation's 33 Latin-church provinces: a concession which followed a five-year "experiment" that initially allowed the five Westernmost jurisdictions to move their Ascension date to the then-Seventh Sunday of Easter and see how it unfolded.
To put it mildly, no shortage of things have changed since then, above all the makeup of the bench. Indeed, it's hard to think of more than five still-active prelates (of some 250) who would've cast a vote on this question, and all but one of them are now in very different provinces than they were at the time.
...to everyone else, no news for you. At least, not 'til the weekend.
Given the unique patchwork of how American Catholicism observes this 40th Day of Easter (or, for the most part, doesn't), it bears recalling how the split decision – and its ever-resulting confusion – owes itself to a 1994 vote granted by Rome to the bishops of each of the nation's 33 Latin-church provinces: a concession which followed a five-year "experiment" that initially allowed the five Westernmost jurisdictions to move their Ascension date to the then-Seventh Sunday of Easter and see how it unfolded.
To put it mildly, no shortage of things have changed since then, above all the makeup of the bench. Indeed, it's hard to think of more than five still-active prelates (of some 250) who would've cast a vote on this question, and all but one of them are now in very different provinces than they were at the time.
What to see while visiting Niagara Falls
What To See While Visiting Niagara Falls - Crisis MagazineDICAMILLO: If you are going to visit Niagara Falls, there’s one more stop every Catholic-traveller must make: The New York Power Authority on Route 104 between Niagara Falls and Lewiston, NY. It’s right between the Lower Niagara River and the Vincentian Niagara University.
You must see this because, by all standards of current political correctness, it should NOT be there. In an age where America is becoming quickly de-Christianized while ISIS runs roughshod over great patches of the Middle East, there is—still—an massive Judeo-Christian outdoor monument to peace on public, state-owned property at what was at the time the world’s largest power-plant: The Robert Moses Power Dam at Niagara aka “The Power Vista.” And inside that same Power Dam? A huge mural of Father Hennipen, OFM, Cross in hand, “discovering” and blessing Niagara Falls, painted by American legendary artist Thomas Hart Benton.
You must see this because, by all standards of current political correctness, it should NOT be there. In an age where America is becoming quickly de-Christianized while ISIS runs roughshod over great patches of the Middle East, there is—still—an massive Judeo-Christian outdoor monument to peace on public, state-owned property at what was at the time the world’s largest power-plant: The Robert Moses Power Dam at Niagara aka “The Power Vista.” And inside that same Power Dam? A huge mural of Father Hennipen, OFM, Cross in hand, “discovering” and blessing Niagara Falls, painted by American legendary artist Thomas Hart Benton.
The First Lady is Catholic? It would appear this story may have been hiding in plain sight...
The First Lady is Catholic? It would appear this story may have been hiding in plain sight — GetReligionMATTINGLY: What we have here is a strange story about a missing news story.
To say that the press has dedicated a large amount of ink to Citizen Donald Trump over the past two years would be the understatement of the century.
Under normal circumstances, when a man runs for president, the press also does quite a bit of digging into the life and times of the woman who would become the First Lady. This digging only intensifies after the election.
You can say that the quiet supermodel named Melania Trump received her share of press attention, but most of it merely raised some rather nasty questions about her past (she won damages from the Daily Mail after one set of accusations). As always, her fashion choices as First Lady have been treated as international news. That's normal.
To say that the press has dedicated a large amount of ink to Citizen Donald Trump over the past two years would be the understatement of the century.
Under normal circumstances, when a man runs for president, the press also does quite a bit of digging into the life and times of the woman who would become the First Lady. This digging only intensifies after the election.
You can say that the quiet supermodel named Melania Trump received her share of press attention, but most of it merely raised some rather nasty questions about her past (she won damages from the Daily Mail after one set of accusations). As always, her fashion choices as First Lady have been treated as international news. That's normal.
Ancient Roman slingshot was as deadly as a .44 Magnum, researchers find
Ancient Slingshot Was as Deadly as a .44 Magnum: On a fortified hill in Scotland some 1,900 years ago, a Roman army attacked local warriors by hurling lead bullets from slings that had nearly the stopping power of a modern .44 magnum handgun, according to recent experiments.
The assault seems to have been deadly effective, for the local warriors were armed only with swords and other simple weapons, says John Reid, a researcher at the Trimontium Trust and one of the co-directors of the archaeological fieldwork at Burnswark, south of Edinburgh. “We’re fairly sure that the natives on top of the hill weren’t allowed to survive.”
The assault seems to have been deadly effective, for the local warriors were armed only with swords and other simple weapons, says John Reid, a researcher at the Trimontium Trust and one of the co-directors of the archaeological fieldwork at Burnswark, south of Edinburgh. “We’re fairly sure that the natives on top of the hill weren’t allowed to survive.”
New study: Eastern meditation may trigger fear, anxiety, other ‘distressing’ experiences
Enlightening: Meditation May Trigger Unpleasant Experiences: For some people, meditation may trigger experiences that are unpleasant or even distressing, according to a new study.
For example, some people may become hypersensitive to light or sound during or after they meditate, the researchers found. Others may experience fear, anxiety or panic related to meditation, they found.
"Many effects of meditation are well-known, like increased awareness of thoughts and emotions, or improved calm and well-being," lead study author Jared Lindahl, visiting assistant professor of the humanities at Brown University in Rhode Island, said in a statement. "But there is a much broader range of possible experiences."
For example, some people may become hypersensitive to light or sound during or after they meditate, the researchers found. Others may experience fear, anxiety or panic related to meditation, they found.
"Many effects of meditation are well-known, like increased awareness of thoughts and emotions, or improved calm and well-being," lead study author Jared Lindahl, visiting assistant professor of the humanities at Brown University in Rhode Island, said in a statement. "But there is a much broader range of possible experiences."
U.S. First Lady Melania Trump is Catholic, spokeswoman confirms
US First Lady Melania Trump is Catholic, spokeswoman confirms | CatholicHerald.co.uk: United States First Lady Melania Trump is a practicing Catholic, her spokeswoman has confirmed.
Following speculation over Mrs Trump’s faith during her visit to the Vatican on Wednesday, her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham confirmed to DailyMail.com that the First Lady is indeed Catholic.
Following speculation over Mrs Trump’s faith during her visit to the Vatican on Wednesday, her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham confirmed to DailyMail.com that the First Lady is indeed Catholic.
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Sean Spicer snubbed? White House press secretary left out of visit to Vatican...
Spicer left out of Vatican visit - POLITICO: President Donald Trump’s entourage at the Vatican on Wednesday included his wife, his daughter, and an array of staffers—but not White House press secretary Sean Spicer, a devout Catholic who told reporters earlier this year that he gave up alcohol for Lent.
Both sides, according to a White House official, agreed to limit the number of staffers who attended. Two other senior communications aides from the White House were included: Hope Hicks, who like Melania and Ivanka Trump wore a black veil over her hair, and Dan Scavino, the White House director of social media and a longtime Trump loyalist.
Both sides, according to a White House official, agreed to limit the number of staffers who attended. Two other senior communications aides from the White House were included: Hope Hicks, who like Melania and Ivanka Trump wore a black veil over her hair, and Dan Scavino, the White House director of social media and a longtime Trump loyalist.
Jesus, who loves you, warned frequently about hell
Jesus, Who Loves You, Warned Frequently About Hell - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: Many people today put Hell in opposition to the love of God, but Jesus combines them. Here is an important truth: No one loves you more than Jesus Christ, yet no one spoke of or taught on Hell and Judgment more than He did. He gave warning after warning and told parable after parable, practically shouting about judgment and the reality of Hell.
No “heresy” of our day is more widespread or pernicious than the denial of hell, its existence, and its sad frequency. I use quotes around the word only because I, as a simple priest, do not have the power to declare formal heresy. However, “heresy” in a broader, more descriptive sense simply means picking and choosing among revealed truth. Confronted with truths that are in some tension (such as God’s justice vs. His mercy or human freedom vs. God’s sovereignty) the “heretic” chooses one and throws out the other in order to resolve the tension. Orthodoxy says “both” but “heresy” picks one and discards the other.
No “heresy” of our day is more widespread or pernicious than the denial of hell, its existence, and its sad frequency. I use quotes around the word only because I, as a simple priest, do not have the power to declare formal heresy. However, “heresy” in a broader, more descriptive sense simply means picking and choosing among revealed truth. Confronted with truths that are in some tension (such as God’s justice vs. His mercy or human freedom vs. God’s sovereignty) the “heretic” chooses one and throws out the other in order to resolve the tension. Orthodoxy says “both” but “heresy” picks one and discards the other.
Melania Trump is the first practicing Catholic in the White House since Kennedy, spokeswoman confirms
Melania will be first White House Catholic since Kennedy | Daily Mail Online: When Melania Trump recited The Lord's Prayer before a Melbourne, Florida presidential rally in February, the Internet went hog wild.
Now we know one reason why the first lady began with 'Let us pray' and 'Our Father who art in heaven' when she introduced the president that evening: She's a practicing Roman Catholic.
Her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham confirmed that to DailyMail.com on Wednesday, hours after Pope Francis blessed a rosary for her at the Vatican.
The last Catholics to live in the White House were John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie. Melania and her son Barron will move to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue over the summer.
Now we know one reason why the first lady began with 'Let us pray' and 'Our Father who art in heaven' when she introduced the president that evening: She's a practicing Roman Catholic.
Her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham confirmed that to DailyMail.com on Wednesday, hours after Pope Francis blessed a rosary for her at the Vatican.
The last Catholics to live in the White House were John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie. Melania and her son Barron will move to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue over the summer.
Liturgical music is a prayer, not a performance
Liturgical Music is a Prayer, not a Performance | ncregister.comMANN: I have purchased and listen often to many recordings of liturgical music: Gregorian chant, English Recusant polyphony, the great Counter-Reformation polyphonic works of Victoria, Palestrina, Gesualdo, Lassus, and Josquin de Prez; Mass settings by Mozart, Beethoven, Cherubini, Bruckner, and others; motets, sequences, the propers of the Mass for various feast days, and even hymns. Most of the recordings are by professional choirs and groups: Harry Christophers and The Sixteen, The Cardinall’s Musick, The Tallis Scholars, the Monteverdi Choir, Stile Antico, etc. I do have recordings by the monks of Clear Creek Abbey in Oklahoma and its mother house, the Abbey of Fontgombault in France (chant according to Solesmes Method), and by cathedral choirs, like Westminster in London and Notre Dame in Paris.
A pope and a president and his family in Rome
President Trump and His Family with Pope Francis at Vatican | National ReviewLOPEZ: Wednesday morning was the first time I woke up, turned on the television, saw Donald Trump, and was at complete peace.
(Truth be told I’ve taken to watching cable news as infrequently as possible in recently months.)
This morning was his visit to the Holy See to visit with Pope Francis. And it was a supremely civilized one. Such a visit is an official one of heads of state, but it always has the potential to be so much more. It may have been. I pray it was.
President Trump was there with the First Lady and his daughter, Ivanka, and son-in-law, now both administration officials...
(Truth be told I’ve taken to watching cable news as infrequently as possible in recently months.)
This morning was his visit to the Holy See to visit with Pope Francis. And it was a supremely civilized one. Such a visit is an official one of heads of state, but it always has the potential to be so much more. It may have been. I pray it was.
President Trump was there with the First Lady and his daughter, Ivanka, and son-in-law, now both administration officials...
To renew the Church, we have to make parishes central again
Renewal Phase 2: Making the parish central again | Catholic CultureMIRUS: Back in the late 1960s, when I first began to see the urgent necessity of renewing the Church, the available options were both few and primitive. The disruption of clerical leadership in dioceses, parishes and religious communities throughout the West was so rapid and thorough that it quickly became difficult to promote Catholic fidelity through the usual ecclesiastical structures. More often, Catholic lay apostles, who emerged to fill the vacuum left by the clergy, had to set up or join organizations that were not connected to particular parishes or dioceses.
Blunting Caesar's Sword: A history of discomfort with killing
Blunting Caesar's Sword: A history of discomfort with killing – Capital Punishment, Part 5SHEA: As we saw last time, the approach of Jesus to the death penalty (and his own radically unjust execution) transforms Christian understanding of our relationship to the state. Jesus’ murder at the hands of men who say, “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15) sears into Christians the understanding that the state, while necessary to keep order, cannot be the highest authority and can well be an instrument of radical injustice. Consequently, when Paul writes in Romans 13 about respecting the state and Caesar’s right to the sword, it is with the understanding that Caesar is Nero and not Aragorn or King Arthur and that the state, while necessary and better than anarchy, is nonetheless radically imperfect. He’s not dumb enough to think Nero is a saint. And Nero does Paul the favour of proving that point by legally murdering both him and Peter – and a lot of other Christians – a few years after Paul writes Romans 13. Caesar will do that again and again to Christians for the next three centuries.
Federal lawsuit over under-filled Whoppers and Reese’s Pieces boxes goes forward
Federal Lawsuit Over Under-Filled Whoppers And Reese’s Pieces Boxes Goes Forward – Consumerist: Sure, it’s vaguely annoying that boxes of candy aren’t full all the way to the top, but most people don’t file federal class actions over a lack of peanut butter candies. A man in Missouri has done exactly that, claiming that boxes of Reese’s Pieces and Whoppers that he purchased were dramatically under-filled.
The case is about “slack fill,” which is the empty space in a package. Sometimes this serves a purpose, like the extra air in a bag of cookies or chips that protects the contents. Sometimes it’s produced when the contents of a package settle during shipment.
The case is about “slack fill,” which is the empty space in a package. Sometimes this serves a purpose, like the extra air in a bag of cookies or chips that protects the contents. Sometimes it’s produced when the contents of a package settle during shipment.
The Donald meets Pope Francis: What did your news sources tell you about common ground?
The Donald meets Pope Francis: What did your news sources tell you about common ground? — GetReligionMATTINGLY: Several weeks after the stunning election of Donald Trump, I was in New York City (I teach at The King's College two-plus months a year) and attended an event that drew a large flock of urbane Catholics.
There was, of course, lots of talk about the election. But many people were already thinking about the inevitable moment when Pope Francis would meet President Donald Trump.
Several people said something like this: Everybody already knows about their disagreements. It will be interesting to learn what they agree on.
There was, of course, lots of talk about the election. But many people were already thinking about the inevitable moment when Pope Francis would meet President Donald Trump.
Several people said something like this: Everybody already knows about their disagreements. It will be interesting to learn what they agree on.
In North Carolina, there are now more home schoolers than private school students
Home schooling accelerates in North Carolina | Charlotte Observer: North Carolina’s home schools are growing at a record rate and are now estimated to have more students than the state’s private schools.
New figures from the state show there were 60,950 home schools in the 2013-14 school year, a 14.3 percent increase from the prior year and a 27 percent increase from two years ago. The state estimates there are 98,172 home-schoolers, marking the first time that North Carolina’s home-school enrollment has surpassed the number in private schools.
New figures from the state show there were 60,950 home schools in the 2013-14 school year, a 14.3 percent increase from the prior year and a 27 percent increase from two years ago. The state estimates there are 98,172 home-schoolers, marking the first time that North Carolina’s home-school enrollment has surpassed the number in private schools.
The gospel tells people who they really are, and what their lives are for
Reading the signs of the times - The Monitor - Diocese of Trenton, NJDOERFLINGER: The recent tragic death of a rock musician has me thinking about St. Benedict.
The musician is Chris Cornell, who died alone in a hotel room in Detroit on May 17. He had been lead singer for Soundgarden and other bands, and his distinctive voice is featured in the films "Casino Royale" and "The Promise."
Cornell caught my attention in 2002 when he co-wrote and performed the hit song "Like a Stone" with his band Audioslave. In the song, a man sits alone in a motel room, getting "lost in the pages" of a book that talks about what happens when we die. And he longs for heaven.
It seems the book he finds is the motel room's free Bible, and one passage he reads is Jn 14:2: "My Father's house has many rooms." He spends the day reading, and he regrets his past deeds ("All that I've blessed/ And all that I've wronged"). He imagines wandering alone through the Father's house, "room by room," waiting for God to tell him if there is any room for him.
The musician is Chris Cornell, who died alone in a hotel room in Detroit on May 17. He had been lead singer for Soundgarden and other bands, and his distinctive voice is featured in the films "Casino Royale" and "The Promise."
Cornell caught my attention in 2002 when he co-wrote and performed the hit song "Like a Stone" with his band Audioslave. In the song, a man sits alone in a motel room, getting "lost in the pages" of a book that talks about what happens when we die. And he longs for heaven.
It seems the book he finds is the motel room's free Bible, and one passage he reads is Jn 14:2: "My Father's house has many rooms." He spends the day reading, and he regrets his past deeds ("All that I've blessed/ And all that I've wronged"). He imagines wandering alone through the Father's house, "room by room," waiting for God to tell him if there is any room for him.
Benedict XVI's impact on history will far surpass his successor's, because he echoes the apostles
Burying Benedict | Matthew Schmitz | First ThingsSCHMITZ: Though Benedict is still living, Francis is trying to bury him. Upon his election in 2013, Francis began to pursue an agenda that Joseph Ratzinger had opposed throughout his career. A stress on the pastoral over against the doctrinal, a promotion of diverse disciplinary and doctrinal approaches in local churches, the opening of communion to the divorced and remarried—all these proposals were weighed and rejected by Ratzinger more than ten years ago in a heated debate with Walter Kasper. For better or worse, Francis now seeks to reverse Ratzinger.
‘State of emergency’ in the Philippines: Muslims terrorists take hostages in church, behead police officer
Philippines terror: Americans warned after church hostage-taking, policeman beheaded | Fox News: The United States Embassy issued a warning to U.S. citizens in a southern Philippine city on Wednesday after terrorists linked to the Islamic State swept through the region, beheading a police chief, burning buildings, seizing a Catholic priest and his worshippers and raising the black flag of ISIS, officials said.
President Trump meets Pope Francis at the Vatican
Pope and Trump ‘Express Satisfaction’ Over Joint Commitment in Favor of Life | ncregister.comPENTIN: In “cordial discussions” between Pope Francis and President Donald Trump this morning, “satisfaction” was expressed for “good existing bilateral relations” as well as “the joint commitment in favor of life and freedom of worship and conscience.”
In a statement, the Vatican said it is also “hoped that there may be serene collaboration” between the Church and the Trump administration “in the fields of healthcare, education and assistance to immigrants.”
During their half-hour meeting on the feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians, the two leaders also discussed “international affairs and the promotion of peace in the world through political negotiation and interreligious dialogue, with particular reference to the situation in the Middle East and the protection of Christian communities.”
In a statement, the Vatican said it is also “hoped that there may be serene collaboration” between the Church and the Trump administration “in the fields of healthcare, education and assistance to immigrants.”
During their half-hour meeting on the feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians, the two leaders also discussed “international affairs and the promotion of peace in the world through political negotiation and interreligious dialogue, with particular reference to the situation in the Middle East and the protection of Christian communities.”
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Do you fear the right thing? A meditation on the story of Chicken Little...
Do You Fear the Right Thing? A Meditation on the Story of Chicken Little - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: Fear is a complex passion. On the one hand, there are things that we ought to fear such as grave physical and spiritual dangers. The fear of being near the edge of a cliff might well save our life. The fear of serious sin and the punishment we might experience or the offense to God (who loves us) is both appropriate and holy. Sadly, more people lack this holy fear rooted in the possible loss of what is most precious to us: our eternal life with God.
There are also things we fear that we should not, and things that we fear more than we should. These sorts of fears are usually rooted in our disordered and inordinate affections.
A disordered affection is a love for something that is sinful. We ought not to love it at all, but we do; this causes us to fear anyone or anything that interferes with accessing and enjoying what is fundamentally sinful.
There are also things we fear that we should not, and things that we fear more than we should. These sorts of fears are usually rooted in our disordered and inordinate affections.
A disordered affection is a love for something that is sinful. We ought not to love it at all, but we do; this causes us to fear anyone or anything that interferes with accessing and enjoying what is fundamentally sinful.
Survey: What do you want/need from the Church in order to “live” NFP?
What do you want/need from the church in order to “live” NFP? (A reader survey) – Mama Needs CoffeeUEBBING: Last week’s guest post struck quite a nerve for many of my readers (something to the tune of 30,000 views on Facebook, which is a substantial nerve!) As I read through the dozens and dozens of thoughtful, sometimes heartbreaking comments, I wanted to reach through the screen and ask every single one of you:
What do you need?
What do you need to help you continue in this radical, counter cultural, often thankless and frequently ridiculed but oh-so-worth it lifestyle?
What do you need to get started, if you’re fresh off the birth control patch and hoping to get your body healthy again?
What are you hoping to learn during your marriage prep classes that you hope will prepare you to live NFP as a couple?
What do you need?
What do you need to help you continue in this radical, counter cultural, often thankless and frequently ridiculed but oh-so-worth it lifestyle?
What do you need to get started, if you’re fresh off the birth control patch and hoping to get your body healthy again?
What are you hoping to learn during your marriage prep classes that you hope will prepare you to live NFP as a couple?
The 65 best photos of the 2017 ‘Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards’
Hilarious Winners of the First Annual ‘Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards’ – FLOW ART STATION: These days there are countless annual photography competitions throughout the year and one of the most recent to join that long list is arguably the best yet, the ‘Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.’
The competition aims to show to show off natures more adorable and sometimes goofy side with the very best photos of animals doing weird and wonderful things. The competition was founded this year by wildlife photographer Paul Joynson-Hicks and will be running annually from now on, open to anyone with a funny animal photo.
The competition aims to show to show off natures more adorable and sometimes goofy side with the very best photos of animals doing weird and wonderful things. The competition was founded this year by wildlife photographer Paul Joynson-Hicks and will be running annually from now on, open to anyone with a funny animal photo.
This viral video of an adorable, funny toddler is so entertaining! Why do I hate it?
Viral videos and kids - AleteiaSCALIA: I mean, no 2-3 year old, no matter how bright, does this without a LOT of prompting. And little Mila is a great little actress, but still...the video makes me uncomfortable. The camera cuts, the angles, the changing hairstyle tells us that this took hours of time to produce. This is an intentional marketing of the child — not a spontaneously “cute” moment captured on camera and shared — which is troubling enough, sometimes — but a scripted, polished product brought to market (right down to the captioning that insures we don’t miss a single adorable mispronunciation) for our mindless enjoyment and the profit of others.
A member of the Medjugorje Commission explains the Pope’s skepticism
Pope Francis Medjugorje -- Aleteia: “We have gone through all that could and should be probed according to the instructions of Benedict XVI and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, taking into account the current rules on the discernment of alleged revelations.”
These are the words of Father Salvatore Maria Perrella, head of the Pontifical Theological Faculty Marianum in Rome. Fr. Perrella is one of the 17 members of the international commission that Pope Benedict XVI established in 2010 to investigate Medjugorje.
In an interview with Avvenire, on May 18, Fr. Perrella spoke of the commission’s work and explained what, in his point of view, Pope Francis meant when he said one should not believe in “Our Lady, head of the telegraphic office, who sends messages every day.”
These are the words of Father Salvatore Maria Perrella, head of the Pontifical Theological Faculty Marianum in Rome. Fr. Perrella is one of the 17 members of the international commission that Pope Benedict XVI established in 2010 to investigate Medjugorje.
In an interview with Avvenire, on May 18, Fr. Perrella spoke of the commission’s work and explained what, in his point of view, Pope Francis meant when he said one should not believe in “Our Lady, head of the telegraphic office, who sends messages every day.”
Don't let a foolish idea go unchallenged
Don't Let a Foolish Idea Go Unchallenged - Crisis MagazineESOLEN: Father, I must confess: I have made comments on social media.
There is at least one thing that social media illuminate, and that is the unwillingness or the incapacity of people to reason. I attribute it in part to “critical thinking,” which turns otherwise intelligent people into perpetual sophomores, ready to play what they think is the ace of trumps, but what is actually a dog-bitten Monopoly property card for Marvin Gardens when the game is bridge. It is a plexiglass Cone of Silence over the brain; nothing gets in and nothing gets out.
A case in point. The subject today was abortion. A woman burst out, “What century are you living in? Do you actually believe”—and let’s stop right there.
The person’s implicit premise is that people grow wiser, nobler, more righteous, and kinder to puppies with each passing generation. Otherwise why bring up the business about a century?
There is at least one thing that social media illuminate, and that is the unwillingness or the incapacity of people to reason. I attribute it in part to “critical thinking,” which turns otherwise intelligent people into perpetual sophomores, ready to play what they think is the ace of trumps, but what is actually a dog-bitten Monopoly property card for Marvin Gardens when the game is bridge. It is a plexiglass Cone of Silence over the brain; nothing gets in and nothing gets out.
A case in point. The subject today was abortion. A woman burst out, “What century are you living in? Do you actually believe”—and let’s stop right there.
The person’s implicit premise is that people grow wiser, nobler, more righteous, and kinder to puppies with each passing generation. Otherwise why bring up the business about a century?
What is a spiritual director, and why should you get one?
What is a Spiritual Director, and Why Should You Get One? - The Coming Home Network: As I have studied the lives of the holy men and women who make up the communion of saints — officially canonized or otherwise — I have noticed three things they share in common. One, they have a deep and abiding relationship with the Person of Jesus Christ. Two, not only have they each submitted their will and their life to the Lordship of Jesus, they have fully embraced the gift of their baptism as active members of the Catholic Church, His Mystical Body on Earth. Three, in order to maintain and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church each of them has sought out spiritual direction.
So, what is spiritual direction? What is a spiritual director?
So, what is spiritual direction? What is a spiritual director?
Padre Pio and the miracle man of Belfast
Padre Pio and the Miracle Man of Belfast | Catholic World Report - Global Church news and viewsTURLEY: The car sped through Belfast, past political slogans, past houses haunted by death, past the ghosts of the slain whose blood still cries out for vengeance, on it drove.
My memory shifted to some of those who had been killed in the decades of violence that were known simply as The Troubles. The man shot through a back window as he knelt with his wife praying their nightly Rosary; another kidnapped outside a church as he went to evening devotions, later to be tortured and killed; the policeman murdered as he left Sunday Mass with his family; the handicapped woman executed and dumped in a trash can. Evil has held sway on the streets of Belfast, more openly perhaps than in other cities. These thoughts flitted through my mind as the car drove ever upwards to the mountain that overlooks the city.
My memory shifted to some of those who had been killed in the decades of violence that were known simply as The Troubles. The man shot through a back window as he knelt with his wife praying their nightly Rosary; another kidnapped outside a church as he went to evening devotions, later to be tortured and killed; the policeman murdered as he left Sunday Mass with his family; the handicapped woman executed and dumped in a trash can. Evil has held sway on the streets of Belfast, more openly perhaps than in other cities. These thoughts flitted through my mind as the car drove ever upwards to the mountain that overlooks the city.
Dear Time editors: The Kremlin is not a church
Dear Time editors: The Kremlin is not a church. Dear CNN politicos: Churches are not mosques — GetReligionMATTINGLY: I have been on the road for almost a week, joyfully busy with family life.
I kept glancing at news email and, let's see, what was there to talk about?
That would be: Russia. Russia. And more Russia. Oh, and lots more Russia.
Among my fellow Orthodox Christians, there was lots of laugh-to-keep-from-crying chatter about a certain magazine cover.
It appears that Time magazine is still publishing and that the editors really thought that they nailed the whole nasty Russia is taking over the White House media storm with one image – an image so strong, so perfect, that it didn't even need a headline. You can see that cover at the top of this post, of course.
I feel the need for some music, here, to capture the heart of this multimedia story.
I kept glancing at news email and, let's see, what was there to talk about?
That would be: Russia. Russia. And more Russia. Oh, and lots more Russia.
Among my fellow Orthodox Christians, there was lots of laugh-to-keep-from-crying chatter about a certain magazine cover.
It appears that Time magazine is still publishing and that the editors really thought that they nailed the whole nasty Russia is taking over the White House media storm with one image – an image so strong, so perfect, that it didn't even need a headline. You can see that cover at the top of this post, of course.
I feel the need for some music, here, to capture the heart of this multimedia story.
Real renewal starts from below
Renewal in the Church: Send My Roots RainLONGENECKER: I remember as an Anglican priest Archbishop George Carey launched a big initiative called “The Decade of Evangelism.”
It was more like “The Decay of Evangelism.” It was a big flop.
From time to time in every church the leaders feel they must give evangelism and renewal the old college try. They form committees and the committees form working parties and the working parties form action teams and the action teams form focus groups and the focus groups organize deanery meetings and the deanery meetings promote parish surveys and the parish surveys recommend parish discussion groups and the discussion groups decide that the diocese should do more to promote evangelism.
It was more like “The Decay of Evangelism.” It was a big flop.
From time to time in every church the leaders feel they must give evangelism and renewal the old college try. They form committees and the committees form working parties and the working parties form action teams and the action teams form focus groups and the focus groups organize deanery meetings and the deanery meetings promote parish surveys and the parish surveys recommend parish discussion groups and the discussion groups decide that the diocese should do more to promote evangelism.
Retiring NFL official Butch Hannah recounts apology he received from Peyton Manning
Retiring official Butch Hannah recounts Peyton Manning apology: After more than 30 years as a football official, Butch Hannah has seen it all, but the normally proper Peyton Manning getting a little salty really stands out.
"Peyton's next-to-last year, the Broncos were facing the Dolphins in Denver and the whole game was a struggle for them," Hannah told the Chattanooga Times Free Press. "I called back two Denver touchdowns. But they pulled it out by two or three points [39-36]. But late in the game, the clock about to run out, Peyton mistimed a snap and they had to run one more play. Peyton said something off-color to me, which was not at all like him.
"Peyton's next-to-last year, the Broncos were facing the Dolphins in Denver and the whole game was a struggle for them," Hannah told the Chattanooga Times Free Press. "I called back two Denver touchdowns. But they pulled it out by two or three points [39-36]. But late in the game, the clock about to run out, Peyton mistimed a snap and they had to run one more play. Peyton said something off-color to me, which was not at all like him.
In praise of the only Vatican dicastery not involved in reform right now
MondayVatican – Vatican � Pope Francis: It’s All about Culture | MondayVaticanGAGLIARDUCCI: The Pontifical Council for Culture turned 35 years old on May 20. It is perhaps the only among Vatican dicasteries not to be involved in projects of reform. Yes, it was thought that it was going to be merged in a single department with the Secretariat for Communications, but that plan until now came undone. The truth is that 35 years later, the Pontifical Council for Culture is considered still young and up to date.
Why did St. Paul get arrested at Philippi?
Why Did St. Paul Get Arrested at Philippi? - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: At daily Mass, we are reading the story of St. Paul’s arrest, beating, and imprisonment at Philippi. It serves as a kind of metaphor for the radical nature of true Christianity and why it so perturbs many in this world. The Christian faith, its message, and the transformation it can effect can be very unsettling to a world that literally and figuratively “banks on” sin. Let’s consider this lesser- known story and see what it ought to mean for us if we take our Christian faith seriously and do not try to “tame” it.
Church, world Leaders condemn Manchester attack and pray for victims
Church, World Leaders Condemn Manchester Attack and Pray for Victims | ncregister.com: After what has been deemed a terrorist attack killed 22 people — mostly youth — in Manchester Monday night, local Bishop John Arnold condemned the act, saying there is no justification for such violence. “The citizens of Manchester and members of the Catholic community are united in condemning the attack on the crowds at the arena. Such an attack can have no justification,” Bishop Arnold said in a May 23 statement via the diocese’s Twitter account. In a series of tweets, he thanked the emergency services “for their prompt and speedy response which saved lives. We join in prayer for all those who have died and for the injured and their families and all affected by this tragedy.”
Monday, May 22, 2017
Diocese of Wichita (with only 115,000 Catholics) to ordain 10 new priests, 10 transitional deacons this month
You are a priest forever...: Bishop Carl A. Kemme will ordain 10 men to the priesthood and 10 to the transitional diaconate in the next two weeks. It is one of the largest classes of ordinandi in decades for the Diocese of Wichita.
Ten seminarians will be ordained to the transitional diaconate at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 20, at Church of the Magdalen in Wichita. The venue was changed to Magdalen from the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception because of the number to be ordained and its larger capacity.
The ordination to the priesthood of the 10 deacons will take place at 10 a.m. the next week, Saturday, May 27.
Here are the responses to questions emailed by the Catholic Advance to the 20 men to be ordained.
Ten seminarians will be ordained to the transitional diaconate at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 20, at Church of the Magdalen in Wichita. The venue was changed to Magdalen from the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception because of the number to be ordained and its larger capacity.
The ordination to the priesthood of the 10 deacons will take place at 10 a.m. the next week, Saturday, May 27.
Here are the responses to questions emailed by the Catholic Advance to the 20 men to be ordained.
Meet the Catholic mother raising 15 children alone
Meet the Catholic mother raising 15 children alone | CatholicHerald.co.uk: When I get in touch with Rosa Pich by Skype during Holy Week, I discover that she is on holiday with 12 of her children in Torreciudad, a shrine dedicated to Our Lady in northern Spain. “We are trying to return to normal life,” she says, following the death of her husband, Chema, of liver cancer little more than a month earlier. “We have cried a lot, we have prayed a lot, but life continues,” she says. “I have come to see that when God gives you a cross to carry, he always gives you the grace you need to bear it.”
Rosa is a supernumerary member of Opus Dei and is the ninth of 16 siblings. Chema Postigo, who also belonged to Opus Dei, came from a family of 14. They got married young and aspired to have a family as large as those they came from. Their first child, however, was born with a congenital heart defect and was not expected to survive for long (although she actually lived till the age of 22). The second and third children died in infancy. It was then that a doctor advised the couple not to have any more children.
Rosa is a supernumerary member of Opus Dei and is the ninth of 16 siblings. Chema Postigo, who also belonged to Opus Dei, came from a family of 14. They got married young and aspired to have a family as large as those they came from. Their first child, however, was born with a congenital heart defect and was not expected to survive for long (although she actually lived till the age of 22). The second and third children died in infancy. It was then that a doctor advised the couple not to have any more children.
My finest hour in New York
My Finest Hour in New York | One Thousand Words a WeekBECKER: It’s complicated, but decades ago I lived in Manhattan with a bunch of Mennonites. I had a room in their Gramercy Park townhouse for a few months, and the rent was cheap-cheap-cheap. The room was no bigger than a closet – actually, it originally had been a closet – but I only slept there, so it didn’t matter.
The rest of the time I wandered around the city, taking the subway here and there, bebopping and cavorting, looking, listening, checking things out. Up to the Cloisters, down to the Battery, Columbia and the Village, St. Pat’s and St. John the Divine, riding, walking, drinking it all in. Sometimes I’d pick a random neighborhood I hadn’t been to, find it on my map – a physical map, a paper map with lots of creases and impossible to refold – then head out on bus and train to find it. Other times (my favorite times) I’d dip into Dorothy Day’s autobiography and locate the sites she mentions like they were hallowed shrines – which they were because she’d been there, because she’d taken note of them. Dorothy was my lodestar in New York, a mentor as I stumbled my way into the practice of the Faith and adult freedoms.
The rest of the time I wandered around the city, taking the subway here and there, bebopping and cavorting, looking, listening, checking things out. Up to the Cloisters, down to the Battery, Columbia and the Village, St. Pat’s and St. John the Divine, riding, walking, drinking it all in. Sometimes I’d pick a random neighborhood I hadn’t been to, find it on my map – a physical map, a paper map with lots of creases and impossible to refold – then head out on bus and train to find it. Other times (my favorite times) I’d dip into Dorothy Day’s autobiography and locate the sites she mentions like they were hallowed shrines – which they were because she’d been there, because she’d taken note of them. Dorothy was my lodestar in New York, a mentor as I stumbled my way into the practice of the Faith and adult freedoms.
Newsflash: Just because you know what virtue is does not mean you are virtuous
Newsflash: Just Because You Know What Virtue is Does Not Mean You are Virtuous. | Classical Catholic EducationLANGLEY: Now I know that there are many of you who are just naturally charitable. You easily empathize with the suffering of others and you have a spontaneous instinct to do anything you can to help others carry their crosses and lighten their burdens. Whether sheltering and feeding the rest of us in our travels, lending money to us in times of need, visiting us when we are sick, befriending us in times of trouble and comforting us in our sorrow, you are prepared for all good works without counting the cost.
How to read the Bible: Slowly, and sport with the words
Bible, Hebrew & Greek -- Review of Sarah Ruden’s Book ‘Face of Water’ | National ReviewFRANKOVICH: We would value the written word more if we didn’t have so much of it. Street signs, product labels, instruction manuals, tax forms, blog posts, e-mails, text messages . . . What would Gutenberg say? “That’s not what I had in mind”? The pace at which we produce and consume writing is out of control. A speed-reading tactic that we adopt often without realizing it is to refrain from mentally vocalizing the words as we push our eyes to devour chunks of text as big as possible. We read like a cobra.
That’s why we find the Bible so hard. It’s too big to swallow whole and too dense to digest without chewing it over ever so slowly. In the typical English translation, it’s about three quarters of a million words distributed across 66 books — or 72 or 73, depending on whether, and on how, you count the Apocrypha. Granted, that daunting word length shrinks for the Bible in its original languages, classical Hebrew and Koine Greek, but we avoid them for a reason. They’re tough going, in no small part precisely because they’re so compressed — a single word can pack a lot of detail, whose proper expression in English might require a fairly long phrase. Read the Bible long enough in any translation and the inkling that something is happening here and you don’t know what it is will begin to nag at you. We see through a glass, darkly.
That’s why we find the Bible so hard. It’s too big to swallow whole and too dense to digest without chewing it over ever so slowly. In the typical English translation, it’s about three quarters of a million words distributed across 66 books — or 72 or 73, depending on whether, and on how, you count the Apocrypha. Granted, that daunting word length shrinks for the Bible in its original languages, classical Hebrew and Koine Greek, but we avoid them for a reason. They’re tough going, in no small part precisely because they’re so compressed — a single word can pack a lot of detail, whose proper expression in English might require a fairly long phrase. Read the Bible long enough in any translation and the inkling that something is happening here and you don’t know what it is will begin to nag at you. We see through a glass, darkly.
A joyful pregnancy announcement in a culture that doesn't approve
A joyful pregnancy announcement in a culture that doesn't approve ~ The MotherlandsRENNER: I didn’t expect the same level of excitement after announcing this pregnancy. After all, we had an ample dose of the cultural and medical perspective with the birth of our second child: You have a healthy girl and boy, you can be done now. Your family is “complete.”
But we have always been open to new life, have prayed for more children, and are thrilled that God has blessed us with another pregnancy. In the paperwork I was given at the doctor’s office, the questions included what my gender identity is and whether the baby’s father has had sex with men in the last six months. I got to choose whether this pregnancy was planned or not, whether I was thinking of ending it, and how happy I was about it. The more I read, the more apparent it became that all our “freedoms” lead to incredibly hard lives.
But we have always been open to new life, have prayed for more children, and are thrilled that God has blessed us with another pregnancy. In the paperwork I was given at the doctor’s office, the questions included what my gender identity is and whether the baby’s father has had sex with men in the last six months. I got to choose whether this pregnancy was planned or not, whether I was thinking of ending it, and how happy I was about it. The more I read, the more apparent it became that all our “freedoms” lead to incredibly hard lives.
Thousands march for life in Rome
Thousands March for Life in Rome — Images and Testimonies | ncregister.comPENTIN: “I would like to gently ask the feminists who are listening,” said Gianna Jessen, an American survivor of a failed abortion attempt on her life, “if abortion is merely about women’s rights, then what were mine?”
The crowd of thousands in Rome’s Piazza Venezia erupted into loud cheers and applause, the culmination of Italy’s 7th March for Life, which took place on a sunny afternoon in the city, on May 20.
Jessen praised Jesus for saving her life and urged anyone who has had an abortion to tell the Lord they are sorry, ask him to forgive them. She also urged young women not to engage in pre-marital sex, reminded them they are made to be loved and respected, and called on men to be “honorable and courageous.”
The crowd of thousands in Rome’s Piazza Venezia erupted into loud cheers and applause, the culmination of Italy’s 7th March for Life, which took place on a sunny afternoon in the city, on May 20.
Jessen praised Jesus for saving her life and urged anyone who has had an abortion to tell the Lord they are sorry, ask him to forgive them. She also urged young women not to engage in pre-marital sex, reminded them they are made to be loved and respected, and called on men to be “honorable and courageous.”
Sunday, May 21, 2017
The custom of giving the ‘manutergium’ to priests' moms is making a comeback
Holy Cloth for Mom: Custom of Giving Manutergium Renewed by Priests | ncregister.comARMSTRONG: When guests walk into the home of Herb and Theresa Waltz of Bismarck, North Dakota, immediately to their left is an unusual wall hanging. Two white cloths, one on top of the other, with spots yellowed by oil, are framed under glass. It may seem like an odd piece of décor, but to Waltz, it is a precious reminder that her two sons — her only two children — are Catholic priests.
The cloth, called a manutergium (from the Latin manu and tergium = hand towel), is used to soak up the chrism oil after the bishop anoints a new priest’s hands.
The cloth, called a manutergium (from the Latin manu and tergium = hand towel), is used to soak up the chrism oil after the bishop anoints a new priest’s hands.
Living the lessons of love: A homily for the 6th Sunday of Easter
Living the Lessons of Love – A Homily for the 6th Sunday of Easter - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: In the Gospel for today’s Mass, Jesus gives us three lessons on love meant to prepare us for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. They also go a long way in describing the normal Christian life.
Too many Christians see the Faith more as a set of rules to keep than as a love that transforms—if we accept it. Let’s take a look at the revolutionary life of love and grace that the Lord is offering us in three stages: the power of love, the person of love, and the proof of love.
Too many Christians see the Faith more as a set of rules to keep than as a love that transforms—if we accept it. Let’s take a look at the revolutionary life of love and grace that the Lord is offering us in three stages: the power of love, the person of love, and the proof of love.
Another scarlet jolt: With firsts all around, Pope adds 5 more red hats
Whispers in the Loggia: Another Scarlet Jolt – With Firsts All Around, Pope Adds 5 More Red HatsPALMO: With the new additions, the electoral College will be restored to 121 members – one over the now-traditional limit of 120 set by Blessed Paul VI in 1975. Of the total group, 49 (40%) will have been elevated by Francis.
Even for their nomination today, cardinals-designate don't enjoy their voting rights until their names are published within the Consistory itself.
Following quickly on the heels of November's intake of 17 new cardinals, while some buzz has circulated over recent weeks tipping a late June encore, the rumors had foreseen what would've been a historic super-sizing of the voting ranks – an idea which has circulated for some time, possibly ballooning the papal electorate as high as 145 or even 150 members.
Even for their nomination today, cardinals-designate don't enjoy their voting rights until their names are published within the Consistory itself.
Following quickly on the heels of November's intake of 17 new cardinals, while some buzz has circulated over recent weeks tipping a late June encore, the rumors had foreseen what would've been a historic super-sizing of the voting ranks – an idea which has circulated for some time, possibly ballooning the papal electorate as high as 145 or even 150 members.
This dinosaur is the most impressive fossil we've ever seen
This Dinosaur Is the 'Most Impressive Fossil' We've Ever Seen: Over his illustrious career, Clark has photographed more than 40 stories for National Geographic magazine, specializing in capturing the distant past of life and culture. He shot China’s exquisite feathered-dinosaur fossils. He watched researchers autopsy Ötzi the Iceman, the famous 5,000-year-old frozen mummy. And he took intimate portraits of people who lived and died 2,300 years ago—their leathery faces preserved in a bog.
But when he traveled to Alberta’s Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology last December and first laid eyes on his next photographic subject, he laughed.
Clark was staring at a 110 million-year-old fossil of a nodosaur, a type of plant-eating armored dinosaur. Its resting place undersea had helped fossilize the dinosaur’s armor, patches of its skin, some of its soft tissue—and what are likely remnants of the dinosaur’s last meal.
But when he traveled to Alberta’s Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology last December and first laid eyes on his next photographic subject, he laughed.
Clark was staring at a 110 million-year-old fossil of a nodosaur, a type of plant-eating armored dinosaur. Its resting place undersea had helped fossilize the dinosaur’s armor, patches of its skin, some of its soft tissue—and what are likely remnants of the dinosaur’s last meal.
51 spectacular pictures from National Geographic's ‘2017 Travel Photographer of the Year’ contest
51 Spectacular Photos of Our World: A great photograph is a combination of light, composition, and moment. Add picturesque locations and colorful expressions of culture and you have something spectacular. Photographers from around the globe have been submitting their best images of people, places, and nature for a chance to win the 2017 Travel Photographer of the Year contest. Here, we share a curated collection of what has caught our eye.
6th Sunday of Easter: We are simultaneously risen, rising, and about to rise
WDTPRS – 6th Sunday of Easter: We are simultaneously risen, rising, and about to rise | Fr. Z's BlogZUHLSDORF: Allow me to digress a little about the concept of “memory”.
St. Augustine of Hippo (430) makes a connection between recordatio and memoria in a letter to his childhood friend and fellow convert Nebridius (ep. 7).
For Augustine, memory was the place of encounter between the self and God in what he calls beata vita, the “blessed life”, which refer to the happiness that comes from unity with God.
When looking for ways to explain the Trinity and to recognize Its reflection mirrored in man himself, Augustine personifies (hypostasizes) memory, intellect and will, having memory correspond to God the Father.
For Augustine, memory was both the locus of the self as well as the faculty that connects the here and now with the past and future. Memory is therefore a sort of “vanishing point”, constantly slipping away into the past.
It is also where the self and God and are found together. God keeps us from vanishing into something even less than a memory.
St. Augustine of Hippo (430) makes a connection between recordatio and memoria in a letter to his childhood friend and fellow convert Nebridius (ep. 7).
For Augustine, memory was the place of encounter between the self and God in what he calls beata vita, the “blessed life”, which refer to the happiness that comes from unity with God.
When looking for ways to explain the Trinity and to recognize Its reflection mirrored in man himself, Augustine personifies (hypostasizes) memory, intellect and will, having memory correspond to God the Father.
For Augustine, memory was both the locus of the self as well as the faculty that connects the here and now with the past and future. Memory is therefore a sort of “vanishing point”, constantly slipping away into the past.
It is also where the self and God and are found together. God keeps us from vanishing into something even less than a memory.
An image of dying and rising in a touching animation
An Image of Dying and Rising in a Touching Animation - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: One of the greatest paradoxes told to us in the Scriptures is that if we would save our life, we must lose it in Christ (Luke 9:24). That is, we must die to this world in order to inherit eternal life. “Eternal” does not simply refer to the length of the afterlife, but to its fullness as well. To inherit eternal life is to become fully alive.
This idea that we must die to ourselves to go up to something higher is evident throughout nature. Minerals and other aspects of the soil are taken up into plants by being leached out of the soil, but in so doing they “come to life” in the plant and are no longer simply inert minerals. Plants must die and be taken up into the animal that eats them, but in so doing they become part of sentient life. Animals must die and be taken up into the human person that eats them, but in so doing they go up higher, joined to the life of a person with a soul, one who ponders meaning, studies the stars, writes poetry, and knows God. Man, too, must die to himself, die to this world, in order to be swept up in the life of the Trinity in the glory of Heaven. In every stage, we die to something lower in order that we may go to something higher.
This idea that we must die to ourselves to go up to something higher is evident throughout nature. Minerals and other aspects of the soil are taken up into plants by being leached out of the soil, but in so doing they “come to life” in the plant and are no longer simply inert minerals. Plants must die and be taken up into the animal that eats them, but in so doing they become part of sentient life. Animals must die and be taken up into the human person that eats them, but in so doing they go up higher, joined to the life of a person with a soul, one who ponders meaning, studies the stars, writes poetry, and knows God. Man, too, must die to himself, die to this world, in order to be swept up in the life of the Trinity in the glory of Heaven. In every stage, we die to something lower in order that we may go to something higher.
If St. Thomas Aquinas were alive today, he would surely inquire into quantum physics, relativity, genetics...
On Nature and Grace: The Role of Reason in the Life of Faith - The Imaginative ConservativeKALKAVAGE: My goal this evening is to praise reason—that is, speculative reason—in the context of Christian faith. Speculative here refers to reason that seeks the truth for its own sake. Many voices inspired my effort: Clement of Alexandria, who extolled the wisdom of ancient Greek philosophers; Anselm, who spoke of faith seeking understanding; Augustine, whose path to God incorporated the philosophic eros for deathless truth; Bonaventure, who coined the remarkable phrase and title, itinerarium mentis in Deum, the mind’s journey into God; and Dante, for whom the hallmark of heaven is the perfection of the mind.
Pope Francis calls June 28 consistory to create 5 new cardinals from Mali, Spain, Sweden, Laos, El Salvador
Pope Francis Calls Consistory to Create 5 New Cardinals | ncregister.comPENTIN: Pope Francis has announced a consistory for the creation of five new cardinals, four of whom are bishops of sees that have never had a cardinal before.
The five new recipients of the red hat come from Mali, Spain, Sweden, Laos and El Salvador.
The consistory will take place on June 28th, the vigil of the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.
Announcing the new names after reciting the Regina Caeli prayer this afternoon, the Pope drew attention to the fact that all five “come from different parts of the world, showing the catholicity of the Church.”
Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has made a point of choosing cardinals from the “peripheries” with a few exceptions. Often he selects them from the developing world and from sees never before headed by a cardinal. This time, with the exception of Barcelona, all have a cardinal for the first time. It is also the first time an auxiliary bishop has been elevated to the College of Cardinals.
The five new recipients of the red hat come from Mali, Spain, Sweden, Laos and El Salvador.
The consistory will take place on June 28th, the vigil of the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.
Announcing the new names after reciting the Regina Caeli prayer this afternoon, the Pope drew attention to the fact that all five “come from different parts of the world, showing the catholicity of the Church.”
Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has made a point of choosing cardinals from the “peripheries” with a few exceptions. Often he selects them from the developing world and from sees never before headed by a cardinal. This time, with the exception of Barcelona, all have a cardinal for the first time. It is also the first time an auxiliary bishop has been elevated to the College of Cardinals.
Saturday, May 20, 2017
The holiness of tomorrow: The extended form of the Vigil Mass for Pentecost in the Third Edition of the Roman Missal
The Holiness of Tomorrow: The Extended Form of the Vigil Mass for Pentecost in the Third Edition of the Roman Missal - Adoremus Bulletin: The Roman Missal’s most recent English edition includes several revised rites, new prayers, and adjustments to the rubrics. While many of these revisions require further explanation, one rite in particular deserves some special attention—the Vigil Mass for Pentecost. The two previous editions of the post-conciliar Roman Missal included only a proper Vigil Mass for Pentecost. However, the extended form of the Vigil proposed in the current Roman Missal brings forward to the present a part of our liturgical tradition that has both deep roots and contemporary value.
Trump chooses Callista Gingrich as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, White House confirms
Trump Chooses Callista Gingrich as U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See | ncregister.comPENTIN: After weeks of speculation, President Donald Trump will nominate Callista Gingrich as U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, the White House announced in a statement Friday.
The nomination of Gingrich, the wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, one of Trump's longest and most loyal backers, still requires Senate confirmation but her appointment is expected to pass and receive the Vatican's agrément.
Callista Gingrich is president of Gingrich Productions and has produced a number of documentaries, including the film Nine Days That Changed the World — a tribute to the role Pope St. John Paul II played in the fall of Communism in Europe and in the rise of the Solidarity movement.
The nomination of Gingrich, the wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, one of Trump's longest and most loyal backers, still requires Senate confirmation but her appointment is expected to pass and receive the Vatican's agrément.
Callista Gingrich is president of Gingrich Productions and has produced a number of documentaries, including the film Nine Days That Changed the World — a tribute to the role Pope St. John Paul II played in the fall of Communism in Europe and in the rise of the Solidarity movement.
Cardinal Caffarra: Satan is hurling at God the “ultimate and terrible challenge”
Cardinal Caffarra: Satan is Hurling at God the “Ultimate and Terrible Challenge” | ncregister.comPENTIN: Satan is hurling at God “the ultimate and terrible challenge,” to show he is capable of constructing an “anti-creation” that mankind will be deceived into thinking is better than what God has created, Cardinal Carlo Caffarra has warned.
The archbishop emeritus of Bologna said this decisive confrontation is taking place now, and is being fought primarily over marriage and the family — a prediction Sister Lucia made in a letter the Fatima visionary sent to him over 30 years ago.
The cardinal was speaking May 19 to the Rome Life Forum, 100 life and family leaders from over 20 nations who had gathered near the Vatican to discuss the crisis in the Church and in the family, and the hope for renewal in Our Lady of Fatima.
The archbishop emeritus of Bologna said this decisive confrontation is taking place now, and is being fought primarily over marriage and the family — a prediction Sister Lucia made in a letter the Fatima visionary sent to him over 30 years ago.
The cardinal was speaking May 19 to the Rome Life Forum, 100 life and family leaders from over 20 nations who had gathered near the Vatican to discuss the crisis in the Church and in the family, and the hope for renewal in Our Lady of Fatima.
Greg Maddux, Jesus Christ and the Sword of the Spirit
Greg Maddux, Jesus Christ and the Sword of the Spirit - Denver CatholicELMER: In the Church’s eternal wisdom, the feasts of Easter and Pentecost fall around the start of baseball season. Some might be tempted to pass this off as “coincidence,” but I tend to favor providence in this matter. My favorite baseball memory occurred on June 10, 2005. The Cubs were playing the Red Sox and Greg Maddux took the mound against Bronson Arroyo. Now, you should understand that Greg Maddux is my favorite ball player of all time. I witnessed him dominate on the North Side in his early years, shared in the bitter-sweet glory of his championships in Atlanta and welcomed him home in a triumphant return to the Windy City.
Friday, May 19, 2017
“Fake history” is more dangerous than “fake news”
“Fake History” is More Dangerous Than “Fake News” | Public Discourse: Donald Trump and others have complained a great deal about the pervasiveness of “fake news.” What is less commonly spoken about is that for decades professors have also taught a good deal of “fake history.” Fake history promotes false narratives, twists the facts, or omits certain key facts altogether. And it is this fake history that has established the foundation for fake news.
There are three respects in which the spread of fake history has been particularly dangerous and served as the foundation for attempts to spread fake news. First, some historians and political thinkers present extreme leftists as heroes worthy of emulation. Second, these same people too often twist history in order to present victims as oppressors and oppressors as victims. Third, these individuals often conveniently omit key statements by the nation’s founders and other historical figures.
There are three respects in which the spread of fake history has been particularly dangerous and served as the foundation for attempts to spread fake news. First, some historians and political thinkers present extreme leftists as heroes worthy of emulation. Second, these same people too often twist history in order to present victims as oppressors and oppressors as victims. Third, these individuals often conveniently omit key statements by the nation’s founders and other historical figures.
Young people who support abortion? The problem might be in the imagination...
Young People Who Support Abortion? The Problem Might Be in the Imagination | ncregister.comCRAIG: The modern mind is sure that its conclusions and persuasions have been rigorously reasoned to, relying almost exclusively on science and statistics. It thinks it is thinking.
This is obviously not true. Without the litany of examples, the sheer fact that today’s fashionable thinking directly contradicts universally held beliefs – truth perceived by men of varied and distant cultures and times – reveals that something isn’t quite right. The shift is too violent. Thinking is being done for us, and we need to recognize it.
And while it is true that the education in the older grades and college introduce to the intellect explicit errors that grow into monstrous beliefs, and that the force of fashionable thinking communicated through media is wildly controlling, it is perhaps more and most dangerous that the seeds of error are sowed in the imagination of our children long before the loony teachers go on tears against obvious truths.
This is obviously not true. Without the litany of examples, the sheer fact that today’s fashionable thinking directly contradicts universally held beliefs – truth perceived by men of varied and distant cultures and times – reveals that something isn’t quite right. The shift is too violent. Thinking is being done for us, and we need to recognize it.
And while it is true that the education in the older grades and college introduce to the intellect explicit errors that grow into monstrous beliefs, and that the force of fashionable thinking communicated through media is wildly controlling, it is perhaps more and most dangerous that the seeds of error are sowed in the imagination of our children long before the loony teachers go on tears against obvious truths.
SDG reviews ‘Alien: Covenant’
SDG Reviews ‘Alien: Covenant’ | ncregister.comGREYDANUS: With Prometheus and now Alien: Covenant, Ridley Scott is pursuing three goals, none of them well.
First, he’s out to restake his own claim to his great 1979 classic, salvaging it from the diminishing returns of various sequels and crossovers, not to mention spoofs, comic books, video games and who knows what all else.
To succumb to a regrettable but practically inevitable coinage, Scott wants to make the world of Alien great again — to remind us all what was so terrifying nearly four decades ago about being in space where no one can hear you scream.
First, he’s out to restake his own claim to his great 1979 classic, salvaging it from the diminishing returns of various sequels and crossovers, not to mention spoofs, comic books, video games and who knows what all else.
To succumb to a regrettable but practically inevitable coinage, Scott wants to make the world of Alien great again — to remind us all what was so terrifying nearly four decades ago about being in space where no one can hear you scream.
In surprise ‘Mercy Friday’ visit, Pope Francis blesses homes of Rome's poor
In surprise 'mercy Friday' visit, Pope Francis blesses homes of Rome's poor :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): On Friday Pope Francis made a Year-of-Mercy style visit to a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Rome, blessing the houses of a dozen people, as parish priests do every year during the Easter season.
According to a May 19 Vatican communique, the Pope wanted to continue the “Mercy Friday” visits he made during the Jubilee of Mercy, which are signs “inspired by the corporal and spiritual works of mercy” he performed during the Holy Year.
According to a May 19 Vatican communique, the Pope wanted to continue the “Mercy Friday” visits he made during the Jubilee of Mercy, which are signs “inspired by the corporal and spiritual works of mercy” he performed during the Holy Year.
Cardinal-watch: Maradiaga bashes Burke, as Benedict lauds Sarah
Cardinal-watch: Maradiaga bashes Burke, as Benedict lauds Sarah: While the coordinator of the pope's 'C9' council of cardinal advisers has dismissed American Cardinal Raymond Burke as a 'disappointed man' upset with his loss of power, emeritus Pope Benedict XVI has defended Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea as someone with whom the Church's liturgy is in "good hands."
WYD Panama has a terrible, terrible logo. Take a look...
Simcha Fisher: WYD Panama logo or duelling lobster shell crackers?FISHER: What is a logo, anyway? You know what it is: It’s an image, often simple and stylised, used by a business or organisation. It’s supposed to be instantly recognisable, preferably eye-catching and memorable, and it’s supposed to convey what the business or organisation is about.
Colour, font, and composition all contribute to the design, which should be both attractive and meaningful.
And then we have this:
It is the newly-unveiled logo for World Youth Day 2019, which will be in Panama, and it conveys …
Colour, font, and composition all contribute to the design, which should be both attractive and meaningful.
And then we have this:
It is the newly-unveiled logo for World Youth Day 2019, which will be in Panama, and it conveys …
The 50 best beers in America
The 50 Best Beers in America | Mental Floss: It’s American Craft Beer Week, and what better way to celebrate than by bending an elbow with 50 of this great country’s finest brews? Whether you’re a fan of decadent imperial stouts, mouth-puckering sours, or floral India pale ales, there’s something for everyone on this list. In no particular order, here are our picks for how to stock your beer fridge
First Catholic church in 60 years is under construction in Cuba
The first Catholic church in 60 years is being built in Cuba :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): Funded by a parish in Florida, a new Catholic church is being built in Cuba and is the first the island nation has seen in 60 years.
Father Ramon Hernandez, pastor of St. Lawrence church in Tampa, said he and his parishioners are happy to see how their funds have financed the project, and said he looks forward to the inauguration Mass taking place early next year.
Saint Lawrence provided $95,000 in donations for the church's construction in Sandino, Cuba, located in the western corner of the country.
Father Ramon Hernandez, pastor of St. Lawrence church in Tampa, said he and his parishioners are happy to see how their funds have financed the project, and said he looks forward to the inauguration Mass taking place early next year.
Saint Lawrence provided $95,000 in donations for the church's construction in Sandino, Cuba, located in the western corner of the country.
Planned Parenthood to close its only Wyoming clinic this summer
Planned Parenthood to close its only Wyoming clinic this summer :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): The only Planned Parenthood office in Wyoming will close along with another five offices in the organization’s Rocky Mountain region, though officials said it would still exercise a presence in the state.
The organization’s Casper clinic opened in 1975 and served about 480 clients each year. While Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the U.S., the Casper clinic’s services include abortion referrals, not abortions themselves. The clinic is set to close July 21.
North Dakota is the only other U.S. state without a Planned Parenthood location.
The organization’s Casper clinic opened in 1975 and served about 480 clients each year. While Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the U.S., the Casper clinic’s services include abortion referrals, not abortions themselves. The clinic is set to close July 21.
North Dakota is the only other U.S. state without a Planned Parenthood location.
Planned Parenthood closing multiple abortion clinics in Iowa after state defunds it
Planned Parenthood Closing Multiple Abortion Clinics in Iowa After State Defunds It | LifeNews.com: The abortion chain Planned Parenthood announced plans Thursday to close four Iowa clinics as a result of a new state law that defunds it.
At the end of June, Planned Parenthood facilities in Burlington, Keokuk and Sioux City, Iowa will close; and a fourth in Quad City will close when the building is sold, Iowa Public Radio reports. Three of the facilities did abortions.
Eight other Planned Parenthood facilities will remain open in Iowa, according to the Des Moines Register.
At the end of June, Planned Parenthood facilities in Burlington, Keokuk and Sioux City, Iowa will close; and a fourth in Quad City will close when the building is sold, Iowa Public Radio reports. Three of the facilities did abortions.
Eight other Planned Parenthood facilities will remain open in Iowa, according to the Des Moines Register.
Thursday, May 18, 2017
On the paradoxical connection between love, law, and joy
On the Paradoxical Connection Between Love, Law, and Joy - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: In the Gospel today (Thursday of the 5th Week of Easter), Jesus cuts right through the modern Western tendency to set law in opposition to both love and joy. He joins all three concepts and summons us to a new attitude.
Jesus says, As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete.
To remain, to habitually abide in God’s love, has this effect: we keep the commandments. Love and law are connected as cause and effect. This is not our usual thinking. The best that Western culture will admit of law is that it is a necessary evil. While this is the best assessment of it, the more routine assessment is that law is somehow an unloving imposition by the powerful on the weak, the hierarchy on the laity, the (evil, oppressive, Pharisaical—you fill in the adjective) Church on decent people. Law is something that restrains, not something through which we experience love or joy.
Jesus says, As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete.
To remain, to habitually abide in God’s love, has this effect: we keep the commandments. Love and law are connected as cause and effect. This is not our usual thinking. The best that Western culture will admit of law is that it is a necessary evil. While this is the best assessment of it, the more routine assessment is that law is somehow an unloving imposition by the powerful on the weak, the hierarchy on the laity, the (evil, oppressive, Pharisaical—you fill in the adjective) Church on decent people. Law is something that restrains, not something through which we experience love or joy.
Abortion destroys more than a child. It severs the entire family tree...
Abortion Severs The Family Tree | Backwards in High HeelsFRECH: Seventy-something years ago, this woman was pregnant with her first child. When it turned out that her adoring fiance was actually a married man with a pregnant wife, she made the brave decision to let him live, and place him for adoption. It could very easily have gone a different way. Legal or not, there were abortions in 1945. Because of her choice, this little boy... became the son of these people... He grew up to become this man... Because of her choice, he became the father of the three of us...
Does believing in the Creed invoke hostility?
Does believing in the Creed invoke hostility? | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: Blessed Cardinal Newman once said “we can believe what we choose. We are answerable for what we choose to believe.” There has been a current trend by some within the Church to deem the Catechism of the Catholic Church as either too offensive, demeaning or that it simply invokes hostility by way of the language within the text. It’s seems rather ironic that those who have taken this stance are themselves publicly professing a language of hostility to a Catechism whose sole purpose is to echo the teachings of Jesus Christ as passed down through Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture. Am I missing something here?
Archdiocese of Baltimore speaks ahead of Netflix series on murdered nun
Archdiocese speaks ahead of Netflix series on murdered nun :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): No one knows who killed Sister Catherine Ann Cesnik.
A young nun who was on a year’s leave of absence, Sister Cathy, as friends called her, was murdered sometime while running an errand on the evening of November 7, 1969. She was 26 years-old. Her body was found in a dump two months later, though authorities have never been able to identify her killer.
This summer, a Netflix documentary series called “The Keepers” is reopening the case, talking to witnesses and examining the evidence before the case goes cold forever.
A young nun who was on a year’s leave of absence, Sister Cathy, as friends called her, was murdered sometime while running an errand on the evening of November 7, 1969. She was 26 years-old. Her body was found in a dump two months later, though authorities have never been able to identify her killer.
This summer, a Netflix documentary series called “The Keepers” is reopening the case, talking to witnesses and examining the evidence before the case goes cold forever.
Live Action's new “Just Google It” video exposes key double-standard in pro-abort logic
Live Action's “Just Google It” Video Exposes Key Double-Standard in Pro-Abort Logic: Just hours after Hollywood filmmaker Joss Whedon launched a puff piece celebrating Planned Parenthood, another video surfaced telling a far different story about the nation’s leading abortion business.
Though buoyed by well over $500 million in taxpayer dollars each year, Planned Parenthood offers little else beyond abortion. That’s why staff at seven local clinics tell callers to “just go online” or “just Google” information on services ranging from prenatal care to adoption and parenting resources in a video released a video released Wednesday by Live Action.
In two especially chilling moments, Planned Parenthood staffers tell women who are looking for an ultrasound that they don’t do ultrasounds—not unless the plan is to take the baby’s life through abortion, that is.
Though buoyed by well over $500 million in taxpayer dollars each year, Planned Parenthood offers little else beyond abortion. That’s why staff at seven local clinics tell callers to “just go online” or “just Google” information on services ranging from prenatal care to adoption and parenting resources in a video released a video released Wednesday by Live Action.
In two especially chilling moments, Planned Parenthood staffers tell women who are looking for an ultrasound that they don’t do ultrasounds—not unless the plan is to take the baby’s life through abortion, that is.
What the bishops can learn from Hillary Clinton's arrogance
A Hillarian lesson for Church leaders - Denver CatholicWEIGEL: Perhaps it was being “overcome with Paschal joy” (as the Prefaces for Easter put it). Maybe it was my guardian angel whispering in my ear. Perhaps I’m just getting older and thus less crotchety. But for a brief moment, at around 0730 EDT on the morning of May 3, I felt a blush of sympathy for Hillary Clinton for the first time in twenty-five years.
The material cause of this unprecedented emotion was that day’s Washington Post where, on p. A4 below the fold, I read this headline: “Clinton blames Russia, FBI chief for election loss.” As for the frisson of sympathy, it went something like this: “The poor woman. She still doesn’t get it.”
The material cause of this unprecedented emotion was that day’s Washington Post where, on p. A4 below the fold, I read this headline: “Clinton blames Russia, FBI chief for election loss.” As for the frisson of sympathy, it went something like this: “The poor woman. She still doesn’t get it.”
Way more Americans may be atheists than we thought
Way More Americans May Be Atheists Than We Thought | FiveThirtyEight: After signing an executive order earlier this month that seeks to relax restrictions on the political activities of tax-exempt churches, President Trump said the order was an important affirmation of the American identity. “We’re a nation of believers,” he said. Trump is right in one sense — 69 percent of Americans say a belief in God is an important part of being American — but he’s wrong demographically: Atheists constitute a culturally significant part of American society.
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