Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Pope Benedict's Latest Q & A
With Roman Seminarians last Saturday, from Zenit.
A second-year theology student asked: "How one should address shortcomings within the Church in the most serene and responsible way?"
"Not an easy question," the Holy Father said with a smile. "But the Lord knows, he knew from the beginning that there is sin in the Church. "
And for our humility it is important to acknowledge this and to see the sin not only in others, in the structures, in the high hierarchical offices, but also in ourselves, thus being more humble with ourselves and learning that, before the Lord, one's position does not count, but what counts is to be in his love and to make his love shine."
"How is one to behave in the face of pain?"
Benedict XVI underlined the need to make it understood above all that suffering is an essential part of human maturation.
Jesus himself, the Holy Father continued, said that he had to suffer for the salvation of the world and that whoever wishes to follow him must take up his own cross.
"We are always like Peter who says to the Lord: 'No, Lord!'" the Pontiff observed. "'This cannot be the case, you must not suffer, we do not want to carry the cross, we want to create a more human, more beautiful kingdom on earth.'
"This is totally mistaken: Whoever promises a life that is only happy and comfortable, lies, because this is not the truth of man and then one flees to false paradises and precisely in this way one does not arrive at joy but at self-destruction."
Benedict XVI explained that Christianity proclaims joy to us, a joy that grows in the way of love, a path that is, however, linked to the cross. Yet, there is an obligation in the face of suffering, he said: "We must do everything possible, to overcome humanity's suffering and to help suffering people -- there are so many in the world -- to find a good life and to be freed from evils caused by ourselves: famine, epidemics, etc."
A student asked how they should relate to human weakness, when one is aware of being very far from true coherence with one's yes to God.
"It is good to acknowledge one's own weakness because in this way we know that we have need of the Lord's grace," the Pope answered. "The Lord consoles us. In the college of the apostles there was not only Judas but also the good apostles.
"Peter fell, and so many times the Lord reproached his slowness, the apostles' closed hearts, the little faith they had. Therefore, it shows us that no one of us is up to the loftiness of this great yes."
And in this awareness, added the Holy Father, there is also an attitude of continuous conversion: "To acknowledge that we are in need of a permanent conversion, and that we have never simply arrived; to accept our frailty but to stay on the path, not to give in but to go forward and through the sacrament of reconciliation to be converted ever again by a new beginning and thus grow, mature through the Lord, in our communion with the Lord."
A second-year theology student asked: "How one should address shortcomings within the Church in the most serene and responsible way?"
"Not an easy question," the Holy Father said with a smile. "But the Lord knows, he knew from the beginning that there is sin in the Church. "
And for our humility it is important to acknowledge this and to see the sin not only in others, in the structures, in the high hierarchical offices, but also in ourselves, thus being more humble with ourselves and learning that, before the Lord, one's position does not count, but what counts is to be in his love and to make his love shine."
"How is one to behave in the face of pain?"
Benedict XVI underlined the need to make it understood above all that suffering is an essential part of human maturation.
Jesus himself, the Holy Father continued, said that he had to suffer for the salvation of the world and that whoever wishes to follow him must take up his own cross.
"We are always like Peter who says to the Lord: 'No, Lord!'" the Pontiff observed. "'This cannot be the case, you must not suffer, we do not want to carry the cross, we want to create a more human, more beautiful kingdom on earth.'
"This is totally mistaken: Whoever promises a life that is only happy and comfortable, lies, because this is not the truth of man and then one flees to false paradises and precisely in this way one does not arrive at joy but at self-destruction."
Benedict XVI explained that Christianity proclaims joy to us, a joy that grows in the way of love, a path that is, however, linked to the cross. Yet, there is an obligation in the face of suffering, he said: "We must do everything possible, to overcome humanity's suffering and to help suffering people -- there are so many in the world -- to find a good life and to be freed from evils caused by ourselves: famine, epidemics, etc."
A student asked how they should relate to human weakness, when one is aware of being very far from true coherence with one's yes to God.
"It is good to acknowledge one's own weakness because in this way we know that we have need of the Lord's grace," the Pope answered. "The Lord consoles us. In the college of the apostles there was not only Judas but also the good apostles.
"Peter fell, and so many times the Lord reproached his slowness, the apostles' closed hearts, the little faith they had. Therefore, it shows us that no one of us is up to the loftiness of this great yes."
And in this awareness, added the Holy Father, there is also an attitude of continuous conversion: "To acknowledge that we are in need of a permanent conversion, and that we have never simply arrived; to accept our frailty but to stay on the path, not to give in but to go forward and through the sacrament of reconciliation to be converted ever again by a new beginning and thus grow, mature through the Lord, in our communion with the Lord."
Fr. Cantalamessa (Papal Preacher) in Central Kentucky
From the Lexington Herald:
He said Pope John Paul II, who appointed him to the post of papal preacher in 1980, stressed "exchanging gifts among the churches, not exchanging accusations." That's something Cantalamessa said he wants to encourage.
"What unites us is much more important," he said. "The Lord put love in my heart for the fellow Christians."
He said the issues that created the division between the Catholic Church and other denominations centuries ago "have lost most of their importance."
Monday, February 19, 2007
National Catholic Register Reviews The Virtue Driven Life
By Father Benedict Groeschel...
From the National Catholic Register:
That’s one reason this latest breezy read from the most popular American Franciscan of our day, Father Benedict J. Groeschel, a Capuchin Friar of the Renewal, arrives as a well-timed dose of reality. It’s medicine that tastes good and goes down easy even though it possesses potent anti-toxin properties.
Not only does the priest offer a practical primer on the qualities that constitute the three theological virtues (faith, hope and charity) and the four cardinal ones (prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance), but he also seriously challenges the reader to cultivate those qualities, little by little, in everyday living.
From the National Catholic Register:
That’s one reason this latest breezy read from the most popular American Franciscan of our day, Father Benedict J. Groeschel, a Capuchin Friar of the Renewal, arrives as a well-timed dose of reality. It’s medicine that tastes good and goes down easy even though it possesses potent anti-toxin properties.
Not only does the priest offer a practical primer on the qualities that constitute the three theological virtues (faith, hope and charity) and the four cardinal ones (prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance), but he also seriously challenges the reader to cultivate those qualities, little by little, in everyday living.
Vatican Takes Steps to Control Overcrowding
From the NY Times:
The number of visitors to the Vatican has nearly doubled in the last 10 years, hitting a high of 4.2 million in 2006, and has resulted in the overcrowding of a structure originally built to accommodate a Renaissance papal court, not up to 20,000 visitors at a time shuffling around one another.
Between enormous tour groups and rowdy school-trippers, a visit to the Vatican Museums can become “more of a traumatic than an artistic experience for tourists,” said Paola, one of several guides who were interviewed and who asked that their full names not be used for fear of offending the Vatican.
The number of visitors to the Vatican has nearly doubled in the last 10 years, hitting a high of 4.2 million in 2006, and has resulted in the overcrowding of a structure originally built to accommodate a Renaissance papal court, not up to 20,000 visitors at a time shuffling around one another.
Between enormous tour groups and rowdy school-trippers, a visit to the Vatican Museums can become “more of a traumatic than an artistic experience for tourists,” said Paola, one of several guides who were interviewed and who asked that their full names not be used for fear of offending the Vatican.
Anglicans Back Plan to Unite with Pope
Some Anglicans, anyway...
From Times Online:
Radical proposals to reunite Anglicans with the Roman Catholic Church under the leadership of the Pope are to be published this year, The Times has learnt.
The proposals have been agreed by senior bishops of both churches.
In a 42-page statement prepared by an international commission of both churches, Anglicans and Roman Catholics are urged to explore how they might reunite under the Pope.
From Times Online:
Radical proposals to reunite Anglicans with the Roman Catholic Church under the leadership of the Pope are to be published this year, The Times has learnt.
The proposals have been agreed by senior bishops of both churches.
In a 42-page statement prepared by an international commission of both churches, Anglicans and Roman Catholics are urged to explore how they might reunite under the Pope.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
The Open Book/Annunciations Bestseller's List
Our Bestseller's List
What Books People who Read Amy's Open Book blog and Michael's Annunciation blog are Buying
February 2007 (2/17/2007)
1. The Power of the Cross: Meditations for the Lenten Season
2. The How-To Book of the Mass: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You
3. The Gift of Faith
4.(tied) Those Terrible Middle Ages: Debunking the Myths
4.(tied) The Best American Catholic Short Stories: A Sheed & Ward Collection
5. God Alone Suffices
Books that Spark the Most Interest (for this month so far):
1. Those Terrible Middle Ages: Debunking the Myths
2. The Power of the Cross: Meditations for the Lenten Season
3. The How-To Book of the Mass: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You
4.*Inventing the Flat Earth: Columbus and Modern Historians
5.*Fire in the City: Savonarola and the Struggle for the Soul of Renaissance Florence
*People ultimately don't buy the book.
FYI, Last Month's Bestsellers:
January 2007
1. The Gift of Faith
2. When Children Became People: The Birth Of Childhood In Early Christianity
3. The Best American Catholic Short Stories: A Sheed & Ward Collection
4. God Alone Suffices
5. Behold, I stand at the Door and Knock
February 2007 (2/17/2007)
1. The Power of the Cross: Meditations for the Lenten Season
2. The How-To Book of the Mass: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You
3. The Gift of Faith
4.(tied) Those Terrible Middle Ages: Debunking the Myths
4.(tied) The Best American Catholic Short Stories: A Sheed & Ward Collection
5. God Alone Suffices
Books that Spark the Most Interest (for this month so far):
1. Those Terrible Middle Ages: Debunking the Myths
2. The Power of the Cross: Meditations for the Lenten Season
3. The How-To Book of the Mass: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You
4.*Inventing the Flat Earth: Columbus and Modern Historians
5.*Fire in the City: Savonarola and the Struggle for the Soul of Renaissance Florence
*People ultimately don't buy the book.
FYI, Last Month's Bestsellers:
January 2007
1. The Gift of Faith
2. When Children Became People: The Birth Of Childhood In Early Christianity
3. The Best American Catholic Short Stories: A Sheed & Ward Collection
4. God Alone Suffices
5. Behold, I stand at the Door and Knock
Pope: "Why does Jesus ask us to love our enemies?"
In today's Angelus message--which of course ties in to today's Gospel that'll you hear at Mass. The answer?
It is all about the "love of God"which exceeds the way the world thinks and acts. The pope invites all to enter the season of Lent with a renewed sense of our weakness and need to be empowered by the love of God.
To the English speaking pilgrims:
As we prepare to enter the holy season of Lent, let us recognize our sins and weaknesses, and deepen our desire to forgive and to grow in compassion. Upon all of you and your loved ones, I invoke the joy and peace of Christ the Lord!
It is all about the "love of God"which exceeds the way the world thinks and acts. The pope invites all to enter the season of Lent with a renewed sense of our weakness and need to be empowered by the love of God.
To the English speaking pilgrims:
As we prepare to enter the holy season of Lent, let us recognize our sins and weaknesses, and deepen our desire to forgive and to grow in compassion. Upon all of you and your loved ones, I invoke the joy and peace of Christ the Lord!
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Let's Go Lenten!!!
Host Fr. Greg Sakowicz and Co-host Wayne Magdziarz discuss Lent with Fr. Frank "Rocky" Hoffman, Chaplain at Northridge College Prep; Michael Dubruiel, author of several books including The Power of the Cross: Meditations for the Lenten Season
; and Fr. Robert Pawell, OFM, Director of Programs at St. Peter's in the Loop.
Pocast of the show here.
; and Fr. Robert Pawell, OFM, Director of Programs at St. Peter's in the Loop.Pocast of the show here.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Pope Expected to Visit Assisi
In June.
From Perugia Online:
Pope Benedict XVI is expected to visit Assisi on June 17th as part of the 800th anniversary celebrations of the conversion of St Francis.The Pope will make a tour of the basilicas of San Damiano, Santa Chiara, San Francesco (where there will be Holy Mass and a blessing) and hold further appointments in the afternoon.
From Perugia Online:
Pope Benedict XVI is expected to visit Assisi on June 17th as part of the 800th anniversary celebrations of the conversion of St Francis.The Pope will make a tour of the basilicas of San Damiano, Santa Chiara, San Francesco (where there will be Holy Mass and a blessing) and hold further appointments in the afternoon.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Saint Valentine's Day
In my day (you know you're getting old when you start saying this) we were taught about Saint Valentine in public school (in the Northeast), as we were about Saint Lucy and Saint Patrick. Anyway for those who have grown up in a more pagan environment, here is the Wikopedia link and an image of St. Valentine to pique your curiosity.
They're Not Stupid
From The Power and Peril of Praising Your Kids:
Psychologist Wulf-Uwe Meyer, a pioneer in the field, conducted a series of studies where children watched other students receive praise. According to Meyer’s findings, by the age of 12, children believe that earning praise from a teacher is not a sign you did well—it’s actually a sign you lack ability and the teacher thinks you need extra encouragement. And teens, Meyer found, discounted praise to such an extent that they believed it’s a teacher’s criticism—not praise at all—that really conveys a positive belief in a student’s aptitude.
Psychologist Wulf-Uwe Meyer, a pioneer in the field, conducted a series of studies where children watched other students receive praise. According to Meyer’s findings, by the age of 12, children believe that earning praise from a teacher is not a sign you did well—it’s actually a sign you lack ability and the teacher thinks you need extra encouragement. And teens, Meyer found, discounted praise to such an extent that they believed it’s a teacher’s criticism—not praise at all—that really conveys a positive belief in a student’s aptitude.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Catholic Bishop Supports Mayor's Opposition to Making English Official Language
Supports a move to make Latin the official language instead (just joking)...
City=Nashville, TN
Veto does not end English debate
City=Nashville, TN
Veto does not end English debate
Pope Benedict's Lenten Message for 2007
From MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI FOR LENT 2007:
On the Cross, it is God Himself who begs the love of His creature: He is thirsty for the love of every one of us. The Apostle Thomas recognized Jesus as “Lord and God” when he put his hand into the wound of His side. Not surprisingly, many of the saints found in the Heart of Jesus the deepest expression of this mystery of love. One could rightly say that the revelation of God’s eros toward man is, in reality, the supreme expression of His agape. In all truth, only the love that unites the free gift of oneself with the impassioned desire for reciprocity instills a joy, which eases the heaviest of burdens. Jesus said: “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself” (Jn 12:32). The response the Lord ardently desires of us is above all that we welcome His love and allow ourselves to be drawn to Him. Accepting His love, however, is not enough. We need to respond to such love and devote ourselves to communicating it to others. Christ “draws me to Himself” in order to unite Himself to me, so that I learn to love the brothers with His own love.
On the Cross, it is God Himself who begs the love of His creature: He is thirsty for the love of every one of us. The Apostle Thomas recognized Jesus as “Lord and God” when he put his hand into the wound of His side. Not surprisingly, many of the saints found in the Heart of Jesus the deepest expression of this mystery of love. One could rightly say that the revelation of God’s eros toward man is, in reality, the supreme expression of His agape. In all truth, only the love that unites the free gift of oneself with the impassioned desire for reciprocity instills a joy, which eases the heaviest of burdens. Jesus said: “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself” (Jn 12:32). The response the Lord ardently desires of us is above all that we welcome His love and allow ourselves to be drawn to Him. Accepting His love, however, is not enough. We need to respond to such love and devote ourselves to communicating it to others. Christ “draws me to Himself” in order to unite Himself to me, so that I learn to love the brothers with His own love.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Pope Slams Italian Civil Unions Bill
From Adnki.com:
As the Italian parliament is preparing to discuss a highly controversial government decree granting legal rights to civil unions, including same-sex couples, Pope Benedict XVI on Monday slammed the planned legislation as weakening the family and harming society. "No legislation can change the law of the Creator without making the future of society precarious with laws which are in stark contrast with natural law," the pontiff said.
"A very concrete application of this principle can be found in relation to the family, which is the intimate communion of life as founded by the Creator, with its own rules," Benedict also said. The family "has its stability under divine laws. The good fortune of spouses and society does not depend on arbitrary acts."
As the Italian parliament is preparing to discuss a highly controversial government decree granting legal rights to civil unions, including same-sex couples, Pope Benedict XVI on Monday slammed the planned legislation as weakening the family and harming society. "No legislation can change the law of the Creator without making the future of society precarious with laws which are in stark contrast with natural law," the pontiff said.
"A very concrete application of this principle can be found in relation to the family, which is the intimate communion of life as founded by the Creator, with its own rules," Benedict also said. The family "has its stability under divine laws. The good fortune of spouses and society does not depend on arbitrary acts."
Faith-related Talks Set for Thursday
From the Palladium-Item:
Writer and teacher Amy Welborn will give two talks Thursday in Richmond (IN) related to faith.
Her discussion at 7 p.m. at St. Andrew Church, 235 S. Fifth St., is free and open to the public. She will focus on prayer and how the history and traditional use of certain prayers are "a treasure worth rediscovering" and "are gifts from the past that can be used to great benefit today."
Writer and teacher Amy Welborn will give two talks Thursday in Richmond (IN) related to faith.
Her discussion at 7 p.m. at St. Andrew Church, 235 S. Fifth St., is free and open to the public. She will focus on prayer and how the history and traditional use of certain prayers are "a treasure worth rediscovering" and "are gifts from the past that can be used to great benefit today."
Witchcraft is Destroying the Church in Africa
So the experts say, from All Africa. com:
Witchcraft is real, and it is destroying the church in Africa, Catholic experts warned this week.
Scholars from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) expressed concern that the church continued to dismiss the dark arts as mere superstition, thereby unwittingly helping the devil advance his reign.
For that reason, Christians who suffer because of witchcraft are often dismissed by priests as being superstitious. Because they do not get adequate help from pastoral agents, they seek the assistance of witchdoctors or join the mushrooming evangelical denominations that offer healing, exorcism and deliverance.
It was said that many African priests fear witchcraft or are ignorant of their own power to confront the devil.
Christians also visit diviners and magicians to seek practical solutions which the church and science apparently do not offer.
Witchcraft is real, and it is destroying the church in Africa, Catholic experts warned this week.
Scholars from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) expressed concern that the church continued to dismiss the dark arts as mere superstition, thereby unwittingly helping the devil advance his reign.
For that reason, Christians who suffer because of witchcraft are often dismissed by priests as being superstitious. Because they do not get adequate help from pastoral agents, they seek the assistance of witchdoctors or join the mushrooming evangelical denominations that offer healing, exorcism and deliverance.
It was said that many African priests fear witchcraft or are ignorant of their own power to confront the devil.
Christians also visit diviners and magicians to seek practical solutions which the church and science apparently do not offer.
The Open Book & Annunciations Blog Bestseller's List
Our own Bestseller's list:
What Books People who Read this Blog and Amy's Open Book blog are Buying
February 2007 (so far)
1. The How-To Book of the Mass: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You
2. The Power of the Cross: Meditations for the Lenten Season
3. The Gift of Faith
4. Those Terrible Middle Ages: Debunking the Myths
5. The Best American Catholic Short Stories: A Sheed & Ward Collection
FYI, Last Month's Bestsellers:
January 2007
1. The Gift of Faith
2. When Children Became People: The Birth Of Childhood In Early Christianity
3. The Best American Catholic Short Stories: A Sheed & Ward Collection
4. God Alone Suffices
5. Behold, I stand at the Door and Knock
February 2007 (so far)
1. The How-To Book of the Mass: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You
2. The Power of the Cross: Meditations for the Lenten Season
3. The Gift of Faith
4. Those Terrible Middle Ages: Debunking the Myths
5. The Best American Catholic Short Stories: A Sheed & Ward Collection
FYI, Last Month's Bestsellers:
January 2007
1. The Gift of Faith
2. When Children Became People: The Birth Of Childhood In Early Christianity
3. The Best American Catholic Short Stories: A Sheed & Ward Collection
4. God Alone Suffices
5. Behold, I stand at the Door and Knock
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