By Administrator1

CNS photo/Paul Haring

By Drew Dillingham
Catholic News Service

(Third in a series)

ROME — When Pope Francis came to the United States in September 2015, many people followed his trip with excitement. Much attention was paid to the Holy Father’s visit to the White House and Capitol Hill and to what His Holiness would say to our president and congressional leaders.

But one of the less visible parts of the pope’s trip was his meeting with victims of sexual abuse at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia. During that meeting, Pope Francis apologized for the abuse that many had suffered, for the times when those abused were not heard or believed, and for the times some bishops failed in their responsibility to protect children. He also made a promise to support the continued healing of those abused.

Pope Francis meeting church leaders at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa., Sept. 27, 2015. (CNS photo/Joshua Roberts)

This week at the Pontifical Gregorian University, my class learned how to play our own small part in fulfilling that ongoing promise. First and foremost, it is important to listen to victims or those who have been abused. Listening to the needs of someone who has been abused opens the door to dialogue and support that can begin the healing process. I would also like to note that in some cases, it is better to use the words “those who have been abused” rather than “victim” or “survivor” to reflect an individual’s wish to not be defined by their abuse, especially if they have worked to finally overcome the suffering they experienced.

Another crucial part of the healing process for those who have been abused is bringing an offender to justice. Although in some countries there is not a legal obligation under civil law to report abuse to law enforcement, representatives of the church always have a moral obligation to do so. In the United States, in accordance with civil law, the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People requires dioceses to report to public authorities an allegation made by a person who is a minor. Dioceses are also to cooperate with public authorities even when the person is no longer a minor. When it comes to abuse, the church has a zero-tolerance policy, meaning priests who abuse are to be removed from ministry. These requirements are found (Read More)

Source:: https://cnsblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/24/protecting-children-healing-needs-listening-respect-justice/

By David Clayton

I attended a talk on healthcare at Star of the Sea Catholic Church in San Francisco last week given by my colleague at Pontifex University, Dr Michel Accad last week. Much of the talk was devoted to consideration of the options that Catholics have for affordible healthcare.

Dr Accad spoke in detail about sharing ministries as alternatives to health insurance; and how many general practitioners are structuring their practices in a new way so that they are employed directly by the patient and act as their advocate. This is in contrast to the usual arrangement where the doctor effectively becomes an agent who sells treatments and drugs for the providers to the payer, who is not the patient, but the insurance company.

In his new model, in contrast Dr Accad is motivated to act on behalf of the patient first, and so is an advocate for him, striving for example to bring down the cost of treatments and drugs by negotiating with pharmaceutical companies. He is also able to devote much more time to their care. Furthermore, it enables him to offer treatment that is in accord with Catholic social teaching.

He opened up his talk by asking the question: who here thinks healthcare in this country is going well? No hands went up. He then described how it is possible to have healthcare options that allow for the flourishing of the patient as a human person – body, soul and spirit – and a relationship between doctor and patient that is fruitful for both patient and care provider.

In the Q & A session afterwards, it became apparent from the discussion that this was of interest not only to currently disgruntled patients but also to doctors who are frustrated that they cannot give the sort of treament they would like to give. Several spoke of this frustration under the current system.

Dr Accad is a medical doctor (qualified both as a general practitioner and as a cardiologist) who is able to take a broad view of the crucial issues involved. He is one of those rare people who is simultaneously able to analyse the details and to synthesise it all into the big picture. A committed Catholic he writes about medicine and is published in peer reviewed medical journals; he writes about the philosophy of nature and philosophical anthropology and has been published in The Thomist; and he has delivered papers on the economics (Read More)

Source:: http://thewayofbeauty.org/2017/02/how-a-catholic-understanding-of-the-human-person-can-revolutionize-the-economics-of-health-provision-and-the-beauty-of-hospital-buildings/

By Administrator1

“I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” — Matthew 5:44

Feb. 19, Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Cycle A. Readings:

1) Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18

Psalm 103:1-4, 8, 10, 12-13

2) 1 Corinthians 3:16-23

Gospel: Matthew 5:38-48

By Jean Denton
Catholic News Service

A grieving mother, speaking to the press after her son was charged with a deadly act of terrorism, is incredulous. “I don’t know where this came from. We have a loving home. Our family always has been respectful and caring,” she says. “Why would he do this? That’s not who we are!”

We hear that phrase often lately. For instance, congressional leaders condemning torture as a means of getting information from enemies note, “That’s not who we are!” An official of a city that had been making progress in race relations laments a hate crime, “That’s not who we are!”

Their point is that our family, our country, our community is not one that lives by the power of subjugation and violence. It’s not in our makeup. As a people, we renounce such conduct.

This weekend’s Scriptures, in both the Old Testament and Matthew’s Gospel, exhort God’s people to take no revenge on those who hurt them and, in fact, to love their enemies.

According to Leviticus, God tells Moses to instruct his people thusly, “Though you may have to reprove your fellow citizen, do not incur sin because of him. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge.” Why? God explains simply, “Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy.”

In other words, don’t be a vengeful people, because that’s not who we are!

Jesus encourages his disciples in the same way, if I may paraphrase: You have heard it said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but I say to you offer no resistance to the one who is evil — because that’s not who we are!

This is one of the most difficult teachings to follow. It’s human nature to strike back when someone harms or threatens us. More than once have I convinced myself that even if two wrongs don’t make a right at least it’ll make me feel better. But it doesn’t. It just incurs more sin.

These Scriptures emphasize that being the people of (Read More)

Source:: https://cnsblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/17/word-to-life-sunday-scripture-readings-feb-19-2017/

By Administrator1

CNS photo/Paul Haring

By Drew Dillingham
Catholic News Service

(Third in a series)

ROME — On Monday, classes at the Gregorian kicked into full gear for the Diploma in Safeguarding of Minors. We were happy to have the opportunity to begin the day with Mass in the university’s chapel. The first reading from Genesis 4 recounted Cain’s murder of his brother, Abel. The Gospel from Mark 8, described how the Pharisees asked for a sign from Jesus, which Jesus did not provide because of their lack of faith. Based on the readings, the main celebrant, Jesuit Father Nuno da Silva Gonçalves, who is also the rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University, preached a great homily to my class.

Two simple messages from his homily still remain with me. First, as Catholics, we are indeed our brother’s keeper. We must be concerned with how others are being treated. Second, it is our duty to be the signs of Christ’s love in the world, especially as it relates to the protection of children and care of survivors of abuse. Christ, who is the “way, the truth and the life,” must be the source and foundation of our efforts if they are to be truly effective. This is something I have written in previous blogs, and will probably write again, because it is so important to remember.

Following Mass, my class received an official welcome from our professors. We were also introduced to some of the doctoral students who will be conducting post-doctoral seminars every week as a continuation of their previous work on the issue of abuse.

The rest of the week our classes centered around three topics: culture and childhood, terms and definitions, and restorative justice. These are just three of the dozens of topics we will be covering over the next 12 weeks. For this week’s blog, I would like to reflect on some ideas we discussed regarding culture and childhood.

Girls at a protest against child marriage in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Jan. 18, 2017. According to UNICEF, in 2016, 52 percent of girls in Bangladesh are married before the age of 18, one of the highest rates in the world. (Photo credit: CNS/EPA)

The first is that different cultures have different concepts of when childhood begins and ends. For example, in some cultures, individuals are considered to be adults when they reach 14; in other cultures, (Read More)

Source:: https://cnsblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/16/protecting-children-being-our-brothers-keeper/

By Administrator1

“Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him.” — Sirach 15:17

Feb. 12, Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Cycle A. Readings:

1) Sirach 15:15-20

Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34

2) 1 Corinthians 2:6-10

Gospel: Matthew 5:17-37

By Sharon K. Perkins
Catholic News Service

Most people would agree that living an ethical life boils down to our personal choices between “good” and “evil.” Others might use different criteria, such as useful or not useful, pleasurable or not pleasurable, etc. Whatever our standards, we value the freedom to identify our own paths as one of the most treasured aspects of being human, and we resist someone else’s telling us what to do.

Today’s readings are full of references to making wise choices, but as St. Paul states, the wisdom informing those choices is “not a wisdom of this age.” The wisdom spoken to “those who are mature” takes the form of “statutes,” “decrees,” “commandments” and “law” — the very things that make postmodern society nervous.

Fearing a loss of freedom, some renounce organized religion and submission to God’s commandments. But the Bible leads us to a great paradox. God, the author of human freedom, doesn’t command us to act unjustly and “to none does he give license to sin.” St. Augustine put it another way, writing that God is the master “whom to serve is perfect freedom.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus not only affirms the “law and the prophets” but interprets them more rigorously, teaching that “whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

In our day-to-day living we constantly make choices, between the freeway or the backroads, a salad or a burger, or whether to wear the blue tie or the red one.

Very seldom do we actually choose between “good” and “evil,” but faced with what we perceive to be two “goods,” we usually pick what we think is better; or confronted with two undesirable outcomes, we go for the one that’s “not so bad.” And we think that our exercise of choice comprises the extent of human freedom.

Today’s readings are God’s invitation to take his gift of freedom to the next level, to not merely settle for the lesser of two evils or the more expedient of (Read More)

Source:: https://cnsblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/10/word-to-life-sunday-scripture-readings-feb-12-2017/

By Administrator1

CNS photo/Paul Haring

By Drew Dillingham
Catholic News Service

(Second in a series)

ROME — They say stereotypes exist for a reason. Well, the first person my wife Kim and I met in Rome was named Mario. How much more cliche can it get than meeting an Italian man named Mario? But this Mario is not a plumber and he doesn’t have a twin brother named Luigi. He is the barista at the cafe around the corner from our apartment in Rome. He makes some pretty good cappuccinos, which I indulge in frequently.

While we all know that the “all Italians are named Mario” stereotype is not true, our Mario is the only Italian that Kim and I have had the chance to befriend in the two weeks since our arrival.

The people we have met so far have very un-Romanesque names because they all hail from places like Uganda, India and Mexico. When most people think of Rome, they don’t typically think of it as a melting pot. Yet here we are making new acquaintances with such a diverse group of people that would make any American university admissions officer jealous.

Drew and Kim (center) with Lay Centre scholars, Isaias Marcano from Mozambique (left) and Filipe Domingues from (right). (CNS photo courtesy of the Lay Centre).

Some of the new friends we have made reside at the Lay Centre at Foyer Unitas. The Lay Centre “promotes the lay vocation, Christian unity and interreligious dialogue.” Thanks to the warm hospitality of the staff, we were able to meet scholars from Mozambique and Brazil, and sit in on a roundtable on human trafficking that featured the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury’s representative to the Holy See and a Kenyan member of Jesuit Refugee Service. I highly recommend making a point of visiting the Lay Centre while you are in Rome. They go above and beyond to make you feel welcome.

Drew and Brother Amandi Mboya in front of the Gregorian University. (CNS photo courtesy of D. Dillingham)

However, most of our new friends are my fellow students at the Gregorian University — 24 students from 18 different countries. On Tuesday, I had the chance to speak with one of my classmates, Brother Amandi Mboya, a Christian Brother who works in Kenya. Our conversation centered around issues of abuse in East African communities.

I was not surprised to (Read More)

Source:: https://cnsblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/09/protecting-children-taking-stock-of-stereotypes/

By Julie Asher

A woman protests outside Trump International Hotel Jan. 29 in Washington. (CNS photo/Jaclyn Lippelmann, Catholic Standard)

WASHINGTON (CNS) — More than a week ago, when President Donald Trump signed an executive memorandum intended to restrict the entry of terrorists coming to the United States in the guise of refugees, the action brought quick response from Catholic and other religious leaders. Trump’s executive action suspends the entire U.S. refugee resettlement program for 120 days and bans entry of all citizens from seven majority-Muslim countries — Syria, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia — for 90 days. It also establishes religious criteria for refugees, proposing to give priority to religious minorities over others who may have equally compelling refugee claims.

As of late Friday a federal judge in Seattle temporarily halted Trump’s denial of entry to those traveling to the U.S. from the seven majority-Muslim countries. Early this morning the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, based in San Francisco, denied the Justice Department’s request for an immediate reinstatement of the ban on those travelers. Court battles will continue in the days ahead.

In the days following Trump’s action, statements of reaction from Catholic bishops and other faith leaders have continued to pour forth. Here are links to many of them:

— Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston and Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president and vice president, respectively, of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a joint statement. Archbishop Gomez also discussed Trump’s action in a column on the Los Angeles archdiocesan media platform, Angelus. Even before Trump was inaugurated, Archbishop Gomez on Jan. 20, the eve of the new president’s swearing-in, urged a new recognition of the humanity of immigrants.

— Bishop Joe S. Vasquez of Austin, Texas, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Migration.

— Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski of Springfield, Massachusetts, Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore and Bishop Oscar Cantu of Las Cruces, New Mexico — chairmen of bishops committees on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, Religious Liberty (ad hoc) and International Justice and Peace. Archbishop Lori also wrote an open letter to Catholics in his archdiocese addressing the new reality for refugees. Bishop Rozanski also issued a separate statement. And in his diocese, Bishop Cantu led a prayer service.

— Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of (Read More)

Source:: https://cnsblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/05/faith-leaders-ongoing-reaction-to-trump-ban-on-refugees/

By Administrator1

“If salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?” — Matthew 5:13

Feb. 5, Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Cycle A. Readings:

1) Isaiah 58:7-10

Psalm 112:4-9

2) 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Gospel: Matthew 5:13-16

By Deacon Mike Ellerbrock
Catholic News Service

When Jesus tells his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth,” his metaphor may have evoked bad memories and feelings of horror. At the least, it may have seemed a puzzling statement.

Under Roman domination, Jewish peasant farmers had to pay several annual taxes. Most burdensome were the Temple tax of half a shekel to Jerusalem authorities and property tax to local magistrates levied at a sizable percent of their agricultural produce. If they refused or were delinquent, Roman soldiers would cruelly salt their fields to destroy their livelihood. The threat was terrifying.

Frequently in Israelite history, conquering invaders would salt the land to declare their victory and intimidate the vanquished into servitude and worship of their new king. Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, “salted land” was synonymous with “desert wasteland,” a painful reminder of dark days.

On the other hand, it was Jewish custom to see salt as symbolic of a covenantal relationship. In sacred ritual, Temple priests used salt to sparkle incense. All offerings had to be sprinkled with salt.

Israelites also used salt as a food preservative and source of flavor to spice up meat.

Jesus’ declaration calls his disciples — then and now — to see themselves as the salt that cures, not as salt that punishes or oppresses. He calls us to be a cure for injustice and an antidote for oppression. By ministering to the suffering he urges us to be “the light of the world.” Visible from the mountaintop, our bold discipleship cannot be hidden under a bushel basket, but instead must be “light to all in the house,” glorifying God by our lives.

Also, Jesus calls all followers to be the salt that both preserves the faith and invigorates it with our actions.

The vast majority of Americans reported feeling “repulsed” by our recent national election campaign. Why did it sink so low? Are fear and anger so pervasive that our salt has gone sour, infected our spirit? As disciples of Christ we are called to be a light to all.

Founded on the ideals (Read More)

Source:: https://cnsblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/03/word-to-life-sunday-scripture-readings-feb-5-2017/

By Administrator1

CNS photo/Paul Haring

By Drew Dillingham
Catholic News Service

(First in a series)

ROME — Since the 16th century, 16 popes have been students at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. I will never be the 17th — just ask my wife.

Instead, I am attending one of the oldest universities in the Eternal City as an American Catholic layperson to learn how to more effectively protect children from sexual abuse and better respond to the needs of victims and survivors.

Drew Dillingham from the Secretariat for Child and Youth Protection at the USCCB taking a look at his new neighborhood in Rome. (CNS photo courtesy of D. Dillingham).

After praying multiple never-failing “Flying Novenas” to ensure my wife and I were speedily granted visas by the Italian Embassy, I have finally made it to my flat in the local, non-touristy neighborhood known as Monti. Monti is less than a mile from the Colosseum as well as from the university. I highly recommend this neighborhood for those looking to escape huge crowds of tourists and find a little peace and quiet.

The Gregorian University’s 12-week interdisciplinary program for a diploma in safeguarding minors is offered through its Center for Child Protection. The curriculum is designed to equip me and the other dozen or so priests, religious and laypeople enrolled in the course with the tools to confront the issue of clergy sexual abuse through multiple lenses, including psychology, social sciences, theology and canon law. From now through June, I will be with international students learning from experts in a number of fields and discussing how we can strengthen the church’s efforts to prevent and respond to this grave sin.

Of course while there is still much to improve upon, dioceses in the United States have accomplished a great deal since the sex abuse scandals rocked the church in 2002. Through this course, it is my hope (and the bishops’) to share the experiences of U.S. dioceses, both our success and failures, with other students from dioceses around the world. I also expect to learn much from them. This dialogue will prove to strengthen the entire church’s approach to child protection and victim assistance.

Abuse is prevalent in all communities. It is our duty as a church to never again fail in our own sacred responsibility to carry out Christ’s call to protect the most vulnerable (Read More)

Source:: https://cnsblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/03/protecting-children-u-s-bishops-staffer-heads-to-rome-for-specialized-studies/

By Administrator1

“The Lord keeps faith forever.” — Psalm 146:6

Jan. 29, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Cycle A. Readings:

1) Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13

Psalm 146:6-10

2) 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12a

By Jean Denton
Catholic News Service

Once a week, I help out at an after-school center in my community. The long-standing program, which provides supervision and enrichment activities for disadvantaged children, is a place of pride for the community because it fills an important need for many struggling families and has become a valuable resource in improving the prospects for their children.

Local news periodically shows smiling kids from the center participating in special events such as planting a community garden or taking swimming lessons at the YMCA.

But behind the feel-good images is a highly challenging environment in which staff members try to mentor some 200 children, most of whom have academic, social or psychological difficulties.

Constant behavior problems make it hard to accomplish much on any given day, so it’s not uncommon for frustrated staffers or volunteers to give up after only a brief time. But a core group stays. They endure the frustration, work through obstacles and celebrate incremental successes. They stay because they are true believers in the center’s mission.

Similarly, staying power is a challenge to the Christian faithful. Conflicts, wars, materialism, selfishness and an overarching secular culture threaten our ability to follow the ways of Christ. How can we hold fast to our beliefs against overwhelming opposition?

Zephaniah’s prophecy in today’s Scriptures provides the assurance we seek that Jesus’ mission will continue despite forces in this world that constantly conspire to bring it down. Speaking God’s word, the prophet says, “I will leave as a remnant in your midst a people humble and lowly, who shall take refuge in the name of the Lord … they shall do no wrong and speak no lies.”

God promises that a core of true believers always will carry on, committed and living the life to which he calls us.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus describes that life in the beatitudes, reiterating that the faithful will be rewarded by God’s faithfulness.

It’s our only hope in this world, but it’s a great hope, and we can witness its truth in people such as the committed leaders at the after-school center. When I observe (Read More)

Source:: https://cnsblog.wordpress.com/2017/01/27/word-to-life-sunday-scripture-readings-jan-29-2017/

By Administrator1

“He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.” — Matthew 4:21-22

Jan. 22, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

1) Isaiah 8:23-9:3

Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14

2) 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17

Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23

By Jeff Hedglen
Catholic News Service

In my work as the Catholic campus minister at a large state school, I spend a lot of time commiserating with college students about their futures. Some come to the university with a definite plan. They know their major, the list and order of classes needed for their degree and what internships will best put them on track to reach their goals. But alas, such college students are the exception, not the rule.

According to National Center for Education Statistics, about 80 percent of students in the U.S. end up changing their major at least once and, on average, college students change their major at least three times over the course of their college career. Yet even among students who are certain about their choice of major, many often do not know what kind of career they want to pursue after college.

These major-changing nomads of the halls of higher education are very much like the people described in today’s Scriptures: a people walking in darkness, longing for the light, any light!

While dark and directionless times are hard and often longer than four years of college, there is nothing like the look on a student’s face when he or she finally has some peace regarding the direction for his or her life. It’s as though this big, life-defining decision they have been waiting for, seemingly forever, has finally come and made a home within them.

I imagine it is this exact experience, taken to a transcendent level, that the first disciples felt when Jesus asked them to follow him. They had been waiting, not just for their whole lives, but with the entire nation of Israel, they had been waiting for centuries. They had wandered in spiritual darkness all this time and finally the Light had come.

When the darkness is so deep and has lasted for so long, the light is especially bright. It is this circumstance that fueled the scene in Matthew’s Gospel: “(Jesus) called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.”

Whether (Read More)

Source:: https://cnsblog.wordpress.com/2017/01/20/word-to-life-sunday-scripture-readings-jan-22-2017/

By Administrator1

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” — John 1:29

Jan. 15, Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Cycle A. Readings:

1) Isaiah 49:3, 5-6

Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-10

2) 1 Corinthians 1:1-3

Gospel: John 1:29-34

By Jean Denton
Catholic News Service

I went to the sacrament of reconciliation for the first time at age 33 and, as a convert to Catholicism, I was surprised by a palpable sense of relief and gratitude for God’s forgiveness.

Years later, I’m finally coming to the deeper understanding that reconciliation through Christ means he has paid the ransom to free me from my sinfulness.

But how does that work exactly, I’ve wondered.

In today’s Gospel, John the Baptist calls us to take a hard look when he says, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”

Jesus’ sacrifice was for all humanity. I can see how it plays out in real life, at least symbolically. Our sinful acts are wiped away by Christ living in innocent victims of violence, oppression or discrimination when they suffer quietly and, whether through purity or willful love, harbor no resentment or desire for retribution or reparation.

But Jesus’ sacrifice is personal, too.

In college, one of my journalism classmates had cerebral palsy. I admired Rich’s perseverance and abilities particularly as a reporter for our campus newspaper. He was amazingly good at it despite his disability and never seeking special accommodations. As a fellow staffer, I occasionally advocated for him especially when he needed to interview people who were uncomfortable with his speech impediment.

But sometimes when Rich wasn’t around, I would joke with other reporters about some of his behaviors and difficulties caused by his condition. He likely sensed it all around him, but Rich never let on that he was aware of our thoughtless, shameful attitude.

To a fault, he was thoughtful and kind to me. He was an innocent, loving young man who chose to see only friendship.

In Rich, I now realize, I “behold” the Lamb of God, Christ suffering as a ransom for my sin. The person of Christ within him replaced the burden of my sin with his gifts of love and friendship.

It’s futile to try to repay such a sacrifice. I have nothing to offer that is (Read More)

Source:: https://cnsblog.wordpress.com/2017/01/13/word-to-life-sunday-scripture-readings-jan-15-2017/

By Administrator1

Tickets to his general audiences and his public Masses are free. Don’t be fooled, he told people at his audience today.

Filed under: (Read More)

Source:: https://cnsblog.wordpress.com/2017/01/11/beware-of-scammers-trying-to-sell-papal-audience-tickets-pope-francis-says/

By David Clayton

The Vision for You, a group devoted to discerning personal vocation through guided prayer and reflection meets weekly at St Jerome Catholic Church, El Cerrito, Califonia, every Wednesday 7.30pm starting Wednesday 18th January.

We offer a series of workshops that explain a program of prayer and spiritual exercises rooted in the Western mystical tradition. Each week we sing Vespers according the structure of Evening Prayer of the Anglican Ordinariate. As the patron of the church of our first group, we have chosen St Jerome as a patron. This painting by Caravaggio seems so appropriate to me. St Jerome is being inspired in his work of writing the Vulgate. I like the figure of St Jerome particularly because it shows me that a man who was by no means perfect, could contribute so greatly to the work of the Church because of his faith and desire to serve God.

While the Vision for You Group is rooted in Christian spirituality, you don’t have to be Christian to benefit from this. I know this because I went through this process nearly 30 years ago when a man called David Birtwistle promised me I could have a life ‘beyond my wildest dreams’ and showed a program of prayer, meditation and contemplation that he promised would open up my life.

I was a frustrated wannabe artist who was so dispirited I hadn’t even picked up a paint brush for several months. I was attracted by the possibility of getting some structure and direction in my aimless life and thought I’d give it a go. I was a bitter atheist at the time, but put aside my prejudice sufficiently to enable me to do what was suggested (even though I was highly sceptical). This began a spiritual journey which gave me just what David had promised, and led me to being recieved into the Catholic Church.

I am still on today and a group of us who have been through this process offer this to any who wish to participate, free of charge. David died of a heart attach nearly 20 years ago now, but this method of discernment, inspired by Christian mysticism, is still working in the lives of many people. We are inspired also by Pope Benedict and his method of promoting supernatural transformation in Christ, as explained in his paper on the method of the New Evangelization.

Please do come along if you are (Read More)

Source:: http://thewayofbeauty.org/2017/01/new-weekly-mens-group-vespers-and-spiritual-exercises-sf-east-bay-california/

By Administrator1

“They all gather and come to you: your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.” — Isaiah 60:4

Jan. 8, The Epiphany

Cycle A. Readings:

1) Isaiah 60:1-6

Psalm 72: 1-2, 7-8, 10-13

2) Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6

Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12

By Sharon K. Perkins
Catholic News Service

One of the things I love most about holidays is the anticipation of gathering our whole family in one place. Multiple adult children in several different cities on two continents present quite a challenge to get together. Throw some in-laws, stepchildren, ex-spouses and new babies into the assembly, and you’ve got quite a group! At the center of it all is my mother, who rejoices when all her children come home.

As complex as the family tree has become, the varieties of relationships don’t seem to dilute the joy that permeates the holiday gathering. We’ve got relatives by blood and others by marriage. Other families have relatives by adoption — legal or otherwise.

My mother has two biological sons but she’s collected countless other “sons” along the way. Some represent ethnicities and cultures different from our own. Their presence is not merely tolerated. They’re all part of the family, and they each bring something special to the mix, even if it takes a while for some of us to discover what that distinctive gift is.

St. Paul reminds the Christian church at Ephesus of a mystery that has been revealed to him for their benefit. The Epiphany of the Lord is best understood as that kind of revelation — a sudden manifestation or a clearer understanding of something in a whole new, often life-changing way. St. Paul shares this epiphany with the church of his time: that gentile converts are not merely to be tolerated in the Christian assembly, but regarded as “coheirs” with Jewish Christians and “members of the same body.”

If we’re honest, we could admit that almost all of us in the Christian household of faith are, in fact, descended from these “gentiles.”

We’ve forgotten that we were once the outsiders; we’ve become secure, almost complacent in our identity as heirs of Christ’s promises. We need Paul’s reminder that there are still more “outsiders” being drawn to the good news of Jesus — people who don’t look like us, live like us (Read More)

Source:: https://cnsblog.wordpress.com/2017/01/06/word-to-life-sunday-scripture-readings-jan-8-2017/

By Administrator1

“And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” — Luke 2:19

Jan. 1, Solemnity of Mary

Cycle A. Readings:

1) Numbers 6:22-27

Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8

2) Galatians 4:4-7

Gospel: Luke 2:16-21

By Deacon Mike Ellerbrock
Catholic News Service

For nine months after the angel Gabriel’s annunciation, Mary pondered his message about her miraculous child to be.

During that time, while visiting her cousin Elizabeth, Elizabeth’s unborn baby leapt for joy, and Mary spoke with eloquence and humility about her understanding of God’s action in her life:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord. … For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages called me blessed.”

Later when shepherds visited the manger, sharing the good news they had received during their night watch, Mary again reflected on these things in her heart.

In today’s Gospel we see Mary pondering and accepting her crucial role in the salvation of humankind. Luke’s subsequent narrative further reveals the burdens placed on her heart as the mother of Christ — and challenges us to likewise ponder and accept God’s call to each of us.

As Mary takes Jesus to be dedicated in the Temple, we recall that she was following the Mosaic law of her time — a time when Jews believed that life is governed by the Ten Commandments as written on the tablets that once were stored in the Ark of the Covenant in the Temple’s innermost chamber. Now we realize Mary, as mother of God, is the new Ark of the Covenant.

Yet we know Mary’s joy was tempered when she encountered Simeon inside the Temple and he gives her something more difficult to ponder when he said, “This child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel … and you yourself a sword will pierce.”

For me, the challenge began while in my 20s. Feeling called to the priesthood, I consulted priests, read Thomas Merton voraciously, prayed and took frequent retreats. Eventually, the deciding factor was my fear that I could fall into spiritual arrogance as a celibate priest on a pedestal, taking pride in my sacrifices for the Lord and parishioners.

Choosing marriage has drawn me into the mystery of Mary’s simultaneous joy and fear about her Son’s destiny, challenging (Read More)

Source:: https://cnsblog.wordpress.com/2016/12/30/word-to-life-sunday-scripture-readings-jan-1-2017/

By Administrator1

By Jim Lackey

It’s the end of the year and, like it or not, you’re getting flooded with top story picks for 2016.

We’ll make this easy on you: These are the top 12 most-viewed video stories on our YouTube channel for the past 12 months. Skim through these and see if you missed seeing any.

And remember, these aren’t the choices of editors in some ivory tower inside the Beltway — they’re the stories you picked by watching them!

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Which one is your favorite?

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Source:: https://cnsblog.wordpress.com/2016/12/30/most-popular-cns-video-stories-in-2016/

By Julie Asher

Dominican friars sing carols Dec. 23 in downtown Washington. (CNS photo/Julie Asher)

WASHINGTON (CNS) –- Amid the hustle and bustle of last-minute holiday shoppers, long lines of Capitals hockey fans waiting to get into the game, restaurant-goers and various street performers, a large group of Dominican friars — accompanied by drum, guitars and banjo — spread some Christmas joy last night with their caroling on the steps outside the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum in downtown Washington.

Passers-by are “always positive. We’ve never had a negative response,” said Dominican Brother Timothy Danaher, who is in his sixth year with the religious order. He is studying for the priesthood at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington’s Brookland neighborhood, near the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

The idea to take their singing to the streets started five years ago, Brother Timothy said, when the Dominicans were thinking of ways to evangelize, “especially outside the chapel walls.” And “we live right near the Metro (subway), so why not take Metro down and carol?”

The goal is twofold, he told Catholic News Service: “First and foremost is to do something that’s beautiful and gives people joy and to do that simply” — and be a Christian witness. “The second thing is to create conversation.”

In a city it’s especially hard to engage folks in conversation, Brother Timothy added, but with music, especially songs that people know, people stop to listen. Other religious men and women join the Dominicans. Some of them sing carols with the friars but others join those Dominicans who are their to mingle with the crowd.

On Monday the Dominican brothers were joined by a couple of Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist from Ann Arbor, Michigan, who are studying in Washington. Last night the friars were joined by Capuchin Franciscans from Capuchin College, also in the Brookland neighborhood.

And the friars’ singing isn’t limited to street performances. The Schola of the Dominican House of Studies just recorded its fourth CD, titled “Christ Was Born to Save,” with Christmas carols old and new. This CD, Brother Timothy said, was recorded in another Washington religious landmark in the neighborhood — the church at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land — with the recording expertise of Dominican Brother Justin Bolger, a singer/songwriter. Information on the CD can be found (Read More)

Source:: https://cnsblog.wordpress.com/2016/12/24/dominican-friars-bring-christmas-joy-to-streets-of-washington/

By Julie Asher

WASHINGTON (CNS) — A new Marist poll shows that a majority of Americans — by 20 percentage points — say they like the greeting “Merry Christmas” rather than the generic “Happy Holidays” this time of year. In addition, a strong majority also associates the meaning of the holiday with Jesus’ birth.

The poll was sponsored by the Knights of Columbus.

Almost six in 10 — 57 percent — say they prefer “Merry Christmas,” while fewer than four in 10 — 37 percent — prefer “Happy Holidays.”

“Celebrating Christmas is a reminder that Christ came into the world out of love for us and to teach us to love one another,” Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said in statement Dec. 22, the day the poll results were released.

The poll also found that nearly eight in 10 Americans — 79 percent — strongly or very strongly identify the birth of Jesus with the meaning of Christmas.

And almost two-thirds of Americans — 63 percent — think the meaning of Christmas is strongly or very strongly linked with attending church services.

The Marist Poll organization conducted the survey of 1,005 adults from Dec. 1-9. Adults 18 years of age and older residing in the continental United States were interviewed on either landline or mobile phones using live interviewers. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

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Source:: https://cnsblog.wordpress.com/2016/12/24/poll-majority-of-americans-like-merry-christmas-as-holiday-greeting/