Mental Prayer for June 18 - The Sacred Heart

Mental Prayer Meditation Helps

Presence of God.

Grace I Ask: To show my devotion to the Sacred Heart by dedication and reparation.

The Idea: See a sister, St. Margaret Mary, kneel­ing in prayer... Suddenly Christ appears... brilliant with glory... His five wounds shine... flames radiate from his visible Heart... His Sacred Heart... He gives a special message for all of us: "The ingratitude of men... this is much more painful to me than all my passion. If men gave me some return of love, I would wish, if it could be, to suffer it over again, but they meet my eager love with coldness and indifference."

My Personal Application: This love of Christ is shown in the Blessed Sacrament. In return, where can I more give myself to Him, offer Him reparation, gain strength to bring His life and His love to other men? How often have I made Com­munion of reparation (for example, on First Fridays)? How often, when Christ is with me, have I asked Him to help my work of bringing others to union with Him and with each other?

I Speak to Christ: O Jesus, through the Immac­ulate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day, for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins and offenses, and in particular for the intentions of our Holy Father, the Pope.

Thought for Today: "For all the intentions of your Sacred Heart."
___________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)

Gospel for Saturday, 10th Week in Ordinary Time

From: Matthew 5:33-37

Jesus and His Teaching, the Fulfillment of the Law (Continuation)

(Jesus said to His disciples,) [33] "Again you have heard that it was said to the men of old, `You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' [34] But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by Heaven, for it is the throne of God, [35] or by the earth, for it is His footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. [36] And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. [37] Let what you say be simply, `Yes' or `No'; anything more than this comes from evil."
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Commentary:

33-37. The Law of Moses absolutely prohibited perjury or violation of oaths (Exodus 20:7; Numbers 30:3; Deuteronomy 23:22). In Christ's time, the making of sworn statements was so frequent and the casuistry surrounding them so intricate that the practice was being grossly abused. Some rabbinical documents of the time show that oaths were taken for quite unimportant reasons. Parallel to this abuse of oath-taking there arose no less ridiculous abuses to justify non-fulfillment of oaths. All this meant great disrespect for the name of God. However, we do know from Sacred Scripture that oath-taking is lawful and good in certain circumstances: "If you swear, `As the Lord lives', in truth, in justice, and in uprightness, then nations shall bless themselves in Him, and in Him shall they glory (Jeremiah 4:2).

Jesus here lays down the criterion which His disciples must apply in this connection. It is based on re-establishing, among married people, mutual trust, nobility and sincerity. The devil is "the father of lies" (John 8:44). Therefore, Christ's Church must teach that human relationships cannot be based on deceit and insincerity. God is truth, and the children of the Kingdom must, therefore, base mutual relationships on truth. Jesus concludes by praising sincerity. Throughout His teaching He identifies hypocrisy as one of the main vices to be combatted (cf., e.g., Matthew 23:13-32), and sincerity as one of the finest virtues (cf. John 1:47).
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

World Apostolate of Fatima Conference with Fr. John Corapi

5TH ANNUAL WORLD APOSTOLATE OF FATIMA CONFERENCE


JUNE 23, 24 & 25, 2006

KEYNOTE SPEAKER
FR. JOHN CORAPI, SOLT


FR. JOHN CORAPI, SOLT, is a world-renowned speaker. He has a gift of Apostolic Preaching, speaking the truths of the faith with such clarity & authority that even the hardened hearts are brought to God.

The essence of Father's message is the essential message of Jesus Christ. It is Good News: a message of truth and goodness, love and mercy. It is above all else a message of hope.

CARSON CIVIC CENTER
801 E. CARSON STREET
CARSON, CA 90745

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CONTACT: Josie-President 310-830-9131/834-2731;
Dr. Vasquez - VP/Treas. (323)254-6108;
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Mental Prayer for June 17- Anima Christi (II)

Mental Prayer Meditation Helps

Presence of God.

Grace I Ask: To depend on Christ crucified.

Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O Good Jesus, hear me.

Within thy wounds, hide me: To know Christ... a lifetime job... to get into Christ... maybe I can do this through your wounds... your suffering... my suffering. Little sufferings now... bigger suffer­ings later... but with you.

Permit me not to be separated from you: A lamp without a plug?... a car and no gas?.. I without you?

From the malicious enemy, defend me: I don't see him, hear him... I forget him, the Devil. You have so often set him back on his heels... keep him from me.

In the hour of my death, call me: The most im­portant hour... pain?...easily?...quickly?...it will surely come.

And bid me come to thee: Hear your invitation... to follow you... the hour closest to you... my best hour.

That with thy saints I may praise thee: Then my prayer will be better... with my patron saint, with St. Joseph, with Mary... with truly great people, your friends, the saints.

Forever and ever. Amen. Joy... peace... total happiness... without end. I shall know it is with­out end... possible only through you, my Savior.

Thought for Today: "Permit me not to be separat­ed from you."
___________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)

Fathers' Day - God Working Miracles Through Fathers

Before posting this talk, it seems appropriate to acknowledge that it is only by God's grace that fathers can become fathers. It is only by His gift of woman to man and of man to woman that this miracle of fatherhood and motherhood could exist. And it is only by His grace and our acceptance of this grace that we can commit to the total self-giving of a husband to his wife and a wife to her husband so that we might come to realize this gift of fatherhood and motherhood.

And, as a father, one must not neglect to thank his wife for being a very necessary and integral part of this great gift and responsibility - for without her, he could not be a father.

Fathers' Day, it seems, should be, not only a day of thanksgiving to God for one's father, and to one's father for his love and sacrifice, but it should also be a day of special thanks to one's wife without whom there would be no Fathers' day.
==============================

"Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend that you may know prudence." Psalm 4:1.

Bill was a grocery clerk, an efficient and conscientious worker. His education stopped at the ninth grade, but his character kept on growing, especially with the responsibility of a wife and six children.

Several summers ago Bill and the Mrs. sent their youngest son, a boy of ten, to camp for two weeks, although they could little afford it.

Toward the end of the first week came word from the camp that their boy had taken ill with what the doctors thought was infantile paralysis. Bill rushed out after working hours to find his son lying still as a statue on the white linens of a tiny cot.

"Hello, son," he called out, "how's the boy?"

The lad began to cry, and between whimpers managed to say:

"I don't feel so good, Dad. And besides, I'm the only boy in this whole camp who does not have a camera."

"A camera?" echoed Bill. "Do you think you ought to have a camera?"

"Sure, Dad," said the boy, "everybody else has one, but I don't."

"Well, you'll have one," declared Dad, even though he did not know where he could get one, and how he could pay for it if he found one.

As Bill left his boy's room one of the doctors remarked that it was a serious case, that two other boys with the same symptoms were almost sure to die, and that they would not know for another forty-eight hours just what chance his boy had to live.

You can imagine how frantically Bill searched the stores of his home town in those war days trying to find a camera. Finally he found what he thought would fill the bill. He rushed out to the camp and laid it beside his son's pillow just as the lad awoke from a fitful sleep. The boy's face broke into a smile; he clutched the camera, muttering with all his soul:

"Gee, Dad, thanks."

In less than an hour he was sitting up in bed, on the way to recovery. In a day he was up and around.

"The doctor said it was a miracle," Bill remarked to the neighbors, "because two other boys died who seemed to have the same symptoms. Maybe it was a miracle."

But one of the doctors, who must have known about Dads, gave the best explanation. He said: "No, Bill, it was a miracle from a Dad - a miracle of a father's devotion and sacrifice."

Such stories of Dads' devotion could be multiplied by the thousands in any community. Perhaps not all are as dramatic, but they all show no less devotion to their boys and girls. On this Fathers' Day we want to express to our fathers our deep appreciation of the big and little favors like this which they have performed for us, ever since we were so small we could not remember or count them. What makes a good father?

1. He is head of the house, not in the sense of being a tyrant, a Hitler, a Stalin, a dictator, but in the sense that he takes the lead in everything worthwhile in the home. He makes the final decisions in material and financial matters, always of course, considering the mother's sort of sixth sense called intuition, whereby she seems to know just what will work and what will not.

2. Above all father takes the lead in spiritual things. He leads family prayer; he receives the Sacraments regularly; he gives an example of true Catholic life.

He takes an interest in the religious training of the children. He helps teach them their prayers before they ever start to school. He hears their Catechism lesson and explains what is not clear. He sees that the home is provided with religious pictures, a holy water font, sick call outfit and good reading.

3. A real father takes a keen interest in the education of his boys and girls. He encourages study. He asks about school and school work. He listens to their little stories about what happens. He praises as well as disciplines.

4. A real father gives some of his leisure time regularly to his children. Perhaps he has precious few moments to spend with them, but that should make his interest all the more sympathetic and devoted. He learns to play with them, to take them to ball games, fishing, hunting, swimming, or just for a walk. He takes them to a zoo or to the park to see the boats on the lake. These are bright spots in every boyhood and girlhood.

5. A real father will gain the confidence and trust of his children by answer­ing their questions, even though they may seem too delicate or embarassing: he will tell them the facts of life, so they need not learn them in the alley, on the street-corner or in the pool hall.

This is, indeed, a taxing schedule, especially when it is added to the daily toil of most fathers to feed, clothe, house and care for his loved ones. But these so-called extras are important. Your son's and daughter's happiness now and later in life, yes, even his and her eternal happiness depend greatly on the sacrifices like that of Bill for his sick boy.

Thank God, we have many fathers who fill all the requirements that have been pointed out. Thank God, that you have many good fathers in your parish and in your community.

Today, Dad, we hail you with gratitude and affection. Today we thank God for you. Today we thank you for the many sacrifices you made for our comfort and health and enjoyment, sacrifices like that of Bill for his son.

Today we pay tribute to all the excellent fathers in the world. We are proud of you. May God bless you and keep you and help you in that task assigned you by God, who in turn will reward you. Amen.
__________________
Adapted from Occasional Talks
by Fr. Arthur Tonne, OFM (©1949)

Lest some forget, here is a review...

First here is Cardinal Ratzinger's statement:

Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion. General Principles
by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger

1. Presenting oneself to receive Holy Communion should be a conscious decision, based on a reasoned judgement regarding one’s worthiness to do so, according to the Church’s objective criteria, asking such questions as: "Am I in full communion with the Catholic Church? Am I guilty of grave sin? Have I incurred a penalty (e.g. excommunication, interdict) that forbids me to receive Holy Communion? Have I prepared myself by fasting for at least an hour?" The practice of indiscriminately presenting oneself to receive Holy Communion, merely as a consequence of being present at Mass, is an abuse that must be corrected (cf. Instruction "Redemptionis Sacramentum," nos. 81, 83).

2. The Church teaches that abortion or euthanasia is a grave sin. The Encyclical Letter Evangelium vitae, with reference to judicial decisions or civil laws that authorise or promote abortion or euthanasia, states that there is a "grave and clear obligation to oppose them by conscientious objection. [...] In the case of an intrinsically unjust law, such as a law permitting abortion or euthanasia, it is therefore never licit to obey it, or to ‘take part in a propoganda campaign in favour of such a law or vote for it’" (no. 73). Christians have a "grave obligation of conscience not to cooperate formally in practices which, even if permitted by civil legislation, are contrary to God’s law. Indeed, from the moral standpoint, it is never licit to cooperate formally in evil. [...] This cooperation can never be justified either by invoking respect for the freedom of others or by appealing to the fact that civil law permits it or requires it" (no. 74).

3. Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia. For example, if a Catholic were to be at odds with the Holy Father on the application of capital punishment or on the decision to wage war, he would not for that reason be considered unworthy to present himself to receive Holy Communion. While the Church exhorts civil authorities to seek peace, not war, and to exercise discretion and mercy in imposing punishment on criminals, it may still be permissible to take up arms to repel an aggressor or to have recourse to capital punishment. There may be a legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not however with regard to abortion and euthanasia.

4. Apart from an individuals’s judgement about his worthiness to present himself to receive the Holy Eucharist, the minister of Holy Communion may find himself in the situation where he must refuse to distribute Holy Communion to someone, such as in cases of a declared excommunication, a declared interdict, or an obstinate persistence in manifest grave sin (cf. can. 915).

5. Regarding the grave sin of abortion or euthanasia, when a person’s formal cooperation becomes manifest (understood, in the case of a Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws), his Pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Church’s teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist.

6. When "these precautionary measures have not had their effect or in which they were not possible," and the person in question, with obstinate persistence, still presents himself to receive the Holy Eucharist, "the minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it" (cf. Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts Declaration "Holy Communion and Divorced, Civilly Remarried Catholics" [2002], nos. 3-4). This decision, properly speaking, is not a sanction or a penalty. Nor is the minister of Holy Communion passing judgement on the person’s subjective guilt, but rather is reacting to the person’s public unworthiness to receive Holy Communion due to an objective situation of sin.

[N.B. A Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil, and so unworthy to present himself for Holy Communion, if he were to deliberately vote for a candidate precisely because of the candidate’s permissive stand on abortion and/or euthanasia. When a Catholic does not share a candidate’s stand in favour of abortion and/or euthanasia, but votes for that candidate for other reasons, it is considered remote material cooperation, which can be permitted in the presence of proportionate reasons.]

And for a bit of edification, one should re-read the article:
Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, the new 'John Fisher'
Archbishop Burke is disappointed that Cardinal McCarrick and Bishop Gregory withheld Cardinal Ratzinger's Memo at the Denver meeting
by Barbara Kralis, from August 5, 2004.

One of the questions Barbara asks is:

The Bishops' Denver Statement reads:

"Bishops can legitimately make different judgments on the most prudent course of pastoral action."

Does this mean that one Bishop can deny Senator John Kerry Holy Communion and another Bishop can give Kerry Communion and both Bishops are correct?

Archbishop Burke: "No, in fact, Canon 915 must be applied. It does not give an option. Canon 915 says that those persons who obstinately persist in grave manifest sin must be denied the Eucharist. I strongly believe that if a bishop has spoken to someone who obstinately persists in grave manifest sin and he still presents himself for Holy Communion, he should be refused."

Archbishop Burke further states:

...I have refused to talk about individual candidates, but when a 'Catholic' pro-abortion politician knows the actions he has taken are gravely sinful in a public matter like supporting abortion, the only way to uphold church teaching is to withhold Holy Communion. It is not right for one 'minister of Holy Communion' to give the Eucharist and another not to."

Perhaps the Holy See will now do something since the 'task force' did not.

St Louis Review Features Discalced Carmelite PodCast Article

Jennifer Brinker, a Review Staff Writer, has a great article in this week's Review about a new Podcasting venture by the St Louis Order of Carmel Discalced Secular which was posted here a couple of weeks ago thanks to Lisa Johnston.

(Picture by Lisa Johnston)
PURE PODCASTING — Discalced Carmelite Sister Paula Marie listens to a podcast of a meditation featuring the writings of St. Teresa of Avila in front of the sisters’ Clayton Road monastery. The Order of Carmel Discalced Secular, a group of laypeople who follow in the spirit of Carmelite men and women religious, created the podcasts and began offering them on the group’s Web site several weeks ago.



Jennifer Brinker writes:

A local lay order is bringing alive the writings of the Carmelite saints in a way the original writers probably never would have dreamed — through podcasting.

The Order of Carmel Discalced Secular, a group of laypeople who follow in the spirit of Carmelite men and women religious, started offering the podcasts on its Web site, www.stl-ocds.org on Pentecost Sunday. There are about 40 people in the lay order, sometimes called a third order.

The podcasts, which are about one-and-a-half to five minutes long, are meditations on the writings of some of the early Carmelite saints, including St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross and St. Therese of Lisieux, said member Lisa Johnston.

Described as a "beautiful garden, planted by God," the word Carmel originates with Mount Carmel, a mountain ridge in Palestine sacred for both the Jews and Christians. It was the site where the first order of Carmelites was founded around the 1100s. A group of hermits gathered there under the inspiration of the prophet Elijah, who had done God’s will there in ancient times.

The Carmelite tradition begins with vocal prayer, which can include basic prayers recited aloud or even participating in the Mass, she [Johnston] said. From there, those prayers might be taken to meditation, during which the person can "ponder on a certain aspect, and you try in that time to lift your heart solely to God and be with him."

"Once you have learned to navigate these trails of prayer, then it can lead you into a contemplative prayer," said Johnston, which she added is considered a grace from God. "That’s a mystical sort of thing" that not everyone can reach in their lives, "but it is an aim in our prayer lives, in the Carmelite tradition."

There is a link to the Podcasts on the left of this page.

Latin liturgy group plans July convention

An association that promotes the use of Latin in all approved rites in the Church will hold its 10th national convention at St. Francis de Sales Oratory in South St. Louis Friday to Sunday, July 14-16.

The Latin Liturgy Association is the only organization in the United States that seeks to foster greater use of Latin in both the Novus Ordo (Vatican II) rite and the traditional (Tridentine) rite of the Mass.

The organization has 38 U.S. bishops on its board of episcopal advisers and, according to a statement on its Web site, believes that it is important to work from within the Church to help maintain its Latin liturgical tradition and its patrimony of sacred music.

The convention fee is $75 for association members and $95 for others. Included in the fee is a buffet lunch on Saturday and a banquet on Sunday. For more information, see www.latinliturgy.com or call Regina Morris at (314) 647-0475.

McCarrick's Task Force Project Completed!

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. Catholic bishops on Thursday ended years of soul searching over whether Catholic politicians who support abortion rights should be denied communion, leaving the decision with local bishops.

Right..years of soul-searching - Two to be exact...Evidently, the USCCB Task Force was unable to find its soul, based on its miserable recommendation.

Wrapping up a task force on Catholics in political life, chairman and Washington Cardinal Theodore McCarrick reiterated a policy approved by the bishops in 2004, adding that he was concerned about partisan politics seeping into Catholic life.

Is this what his good friends on the hill (the Deadly Dozen) recommended to him and his wimpy "Task Force"?

And as expected, this was all a complete waste of time and effort producing nothing of substance while ignoring every statement from the Vatican (no news there). It is indicative of the apparently rampant moral confusion inflicting so many of those called to lead the faithful of the Church.

Regarding the reception of Holy Communion by a politician who supports the murder of unborn babies, McCarrick, stated that there is "no substitute for the local bishop's pastoral judgment and his vital relationships with Catholic public officials in his own diocese."

Some would differ with that clueless statement by a "task force" which has seemingly done nothing other than this:

The task force has written a booklet of "Readings on Catholics and Political Life" that has been distributed to every Catholic politician in the U.S. Congress. Education and information sessions on Catholic teaching are also being arranged on Capitol Hill.

Can you say "out to lunch", boys and girls? Sure - I knew you could!

Whose lame-brain ideas are these? How far removed from reality are the now retired (Thank you, Lord) cardinal and those on the task force?

Let's give the Catholic imposters a little booklet. Oh yes! and let's hold an information session for them! Why, all of this will undoubtedly have a profound effect on the hearts of all of our "Catholic" Senators and Congressmen - Sure!

How long do we now wait for the the flood of great news of the politicians' conversions of heart and acceptance of virtue and morality, and their embracing of non-negotiable Catholic teaching?

Until that time of conversion, however, bishops are free to approve scandal and sacrilege of the Most Blessed Sacrament by those who publicly promote and defend, the murder of innocent babies, the killing of the old and sick, embryonic stem cell experimentation and the destruction of human life, and homosexuality and other perversions of nature.

Is this not a mentally, spiritually, and morally bankrupt position to hold? This position of McCarrick's Task Force is morally and intellectually indefensible. By his unprincipled and unpastoral standards, divorced and remarried couples should be allowed to receive Communion, as should every RainbowSasher who approaches the altar.

Until so-called "Catholic" politicians who promote and defend objective evils such as abortion and homosexuality are publically denounced and held accountable for their outrageous national scandals and denied the ability, with the bishops' consent, to commit sacrilege - there will be NO change in their attitudes. None - nada - zip...!

Thirty plus years of meaningless "dialogue" has produced nothing, except pious platitudes and the ability of a bishop to claim, erroneously, of being 'pastoral'. And, let's not forget about the little booklet for the politicians...

I doubt that there is anyone who has followed this McCarrick debacle from the beginning, who did not already know, deep down inside, that the Task Force would recommend anything of substance.

Orthodoxy and Islam: Benedict XVI Prepares for His Trip to Turkey

He has dedicated an entire catechesis to Saint Andrew, the apostle of Rome’s “sister” Church of Constantinople, and has expressed his hope for the teaching of the Islamic religion in European schools, under precise conditions. From Muslim thinker Khaled Fouad Allam comes a proposal in agreement with the pope.
by Sandro Magister

Gospel for Friday, 10th Week in Ordinary Time

From: Matthew 5:27-32

Jesus and His Teaching, the Fulfillment of the Law (Continuation)

[Jesus said to His disciples:) [27] "You have heard that it was said, `You shall not commit adultery.' [28] But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. [29] If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. [30] And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

[31] "It was also said, `Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' [32] But I say to you that every one who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery."
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Commentary:

27-30. This refers to a sinful glance at any woman, be she married or not. Our Lord fills out the precepts of the Old Law, where only adultery and the coveting of one's neighbor's wife were considered sinful.

"Lustfully": feeling is one thing, consenting another. Consent presupposes that one realizes the evil of these actions (looking, imagining, having impure thoughts) and freely engages in them.

Prohibition of vices always implies a positive aspect--the contrary virtue. Holy purity, like every other virtue, is something eminently positive; it derives from the First Commandment and is also directed to it: "You shall love the Lord your God WITH ALL your heart, WITH ALL your soul, and WITH ALL your mind" (Matthew 22:37). "Purity is a consequence of the love that prompts us to commit to Christ our soul and body, our faculties and senses. It is not something negative; it is a joyful affirmation" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 5). This virtue demands that we use all the resources available to us, to the point of heroism if necessary.

"Right eye", "right hand", refers to whatever we value most. Our Lord lays it on the line and it not exaggerating. He obviously does not mean that we should physically mutilate ourselves, but that we should fight hard without making any concessions, being ready to sacrifice anything which clearly could put us in the way of offending God. Jesus' graphic words particularly warn us about one of the most common occasions of sin, reminding us of how careful we need to be guarding our sight. King David, by indulging his curiosity, went on to commit adultery and crime. He later wept over his sins and led a holy life in the presence of God (cf. 2 Samuel 11 and 12).

"The eyes! Through them many iniquities enter the soul. So many experiences like David's!--If you guard your sight you will have assured the guard of your heart: ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 183).

Among the ascetical methods of protecting the virtue of holy purity are: frequent Confession and Communion; devotion to our Lady; a spirit of prayer and mortification; guarding of the senses; flight from occasions of sin; and striving to avoid idleness by always being engaged in doing useful things. There are two further means which are particularly relevant today: "Decorum and modesty are younger brothers of purity" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 128). Decorum and modesty are a sign of good taste, of respect for others and of human and Christian dignity. To act in accord with this teaching of our Lord, the Christian has to row against the current in a paganized environment and bring his influence for good to bear on it.

"There is need for a crusade of manliness and purity to counteract and undo the savage work of those who think that man is a beast. And that crusade is a matter for you" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 121).

31-32. The Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 24:1), which was laid down in ancient times, had tolerated divorce due to the hardness of heart of the early Hebrews. But it had not specified clearly the grounds on which divorce might be obtained. The rabbis worked out different sorts of interpretations, depending on which school they belonged to--solutions ranging from very lax to quite rigid. In all cases, only husband could repudiate wife, not vice-versa. A woman's inferior position was eased somewhat by the device of a written document whereby the husband freed the repudiated woman to marry again if she wished. Against these rabbinical interpretations, Jesus re-establishes the original indissolubility of marriage as God instituted it (Genesis 1:27; 2:24; cf. Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 1:31; 1 Corinthians 7:10).

[The RSVCE carries a note which reads: "unchastity": The Greek word used here appears to refer to marriages which were not legally marriages, because they were within the forbidden degrees of consanguinity (Leviticus 18:6-16) or contracted with a Gentile. The phrase "except on the ground of unchastity" does not occur in the parallel passage in Luke 16:18. See also Matthew 19:9 (Mark 10:11-12), and especially 1 Corinthians 7:10-11, which shows that the prohibition is unconditional.] The phrase, "except on the ground of unchastity", should not be taken as indicating an exception to the principle of absolute indissolubility of marriage which Jesus has just re-established. It is almost certain that the phrase refers to unions accepted as marriage among some pagan people, but prohibited as incestuous in the Mosaic Law (cf. Leviticus 18) and in rabbinical tradition. The reference, then, is to unions radically invalid because of some impediment. When persons in this position were converted to the True Faith, it was not that their union could be dissolved; it was declared that they had never in fact been joined in true marriage. Therefore, this phrase does not do against the indissolubility of marriage, but rather reaffirms it.

On the basis of Jesus' teaching and guided by the Holy Spirit, the Church has ruled that in the specially grave case of adultery it is permissible for a married couple to separate, but without the marriage bond being dissolved; therefore, neither party may contract a new marriage.

The indissolubility of marriage was unhesitatingly taught by the Church from the very beginning; she demanded practical and legal recognition of this doctrine, expounded with full authority by Jesus (Matthew 19:3-9; Mark 10:1-12; Luke 16:18) and by the Apostles (1 Corinthians 6:16; 7:10-11; 39; Romans 7:2-3; Ephesians 5:31f). Here, for example, are just a few texts from the Magisterium on this subject:

"Three blessings are ascribed to matrimony [...]. The third is the indissolubility of matrimony--indissoluble because it signifies the indivisible union of Christ with the Church. Although a separation from bed may be permitted by reason of marital infidelity, nevertheless it is not permitted to contract another matrimony since the bond of a marriage lawfully contracted is perpetual" (Council of Florence, "Pro Armeniis").
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Mental Prayer for June 16 - Anima Christi

Mental Prayer Meditation Helps

Presence of God.

Grace I Ask: Lord, that you in Communion may make me holy.

Soul of Christ, sanctify me: What is my soul? It knows things... wants things... grows... lives forever. Soul of Christ, teach mine to know right things... desire good things... grow in your grace... live forever with you.

Body of Christ, save me: Once your body suffered so I might be saved. The merits of your suffering body... may they win my salvation. May I join your risen body in heaven.

Blood of Christ, inebriate me: Blood spilled for me ...flow to every vein of my body. Give me courage from your heart... when sin is easy... when the right thing is hard.

Water from the side of Christ, wash me: My soul needs washing... refreshment... water is always used for this. Water from Christ... pure... cool... plentiful... wash and refresh my soul.

Passion of Christ, strengthen me: There are times when the books are hard... I tell somebody off... bad companions... others laugh at, ignore me... purity is tough. Help me recall that things were harder for you. At those times may your passion strengthen me for battle at your side.

O good Jesus, hear me: This prayer... each phrase a request... hear it now... from me.

Within thy wounds hide me. Permit me not to be separated from thee. From the malicious enemy, defend me. In the hour of my death call me. And bid me come to thee, that with thy saints I may praise thee, forever and ever. Amen.

Thought for Today: "Soul of Christ, sanctify me."
___________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)

New Translations for the Mass Are Approved!

(AP) LOS ANGELES The nation's Roman Catholic bishops signed off Thursday on a new English translation for the Mass that would change prayers ingrained in the memories of millions of American parishioners.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted at its biannual meeting for a new translation after a brief but vigorous debate over several small changes in wording. The 173-29 vote on the Order of the Mass was aimed at satisfying Vatican calls for a translation that's closer to the Latin version.

Deo Gratias!!!

Of course, there are those who are incapable of seeing the good that will come from having translations which express the beauty significance of the proper and true English translations from the Latin.

"It's going to cause chaos and real problems and the people who are going to be at the brunt end of it are the poor priests in the parishes who don't need any more problems," said the Rev. Thomas Reese, a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University and a Jesuit priest.

The only chaos that will result is that which is perpetrated by those who already refuse to follow the norms and rubrics. Reese must be thinking of them.

As I understand it, Bishop Trautman even recommended that the translation be approved...Miracles DO happen!

Eu Approves Funding the Killing of Human Life

EU Approves Full Public Funding of Embryo Research
By Hilary White

BRUSSELS, June 15, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The European Union, in a surprise move today, has approved full funding for embryonic stem cell research until 2013. Despite a contentious debate and years of wrangling with dissenting countries, the vote, held in Brussels yesterday, was a majority in favour.

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Isn't the headline wrong?

Bishops may alter the words of mass
Changes to be more faithful to Latin text

What's with this "may" bit...Hasn't Rome spoken?

Girls May Now Assist at Mass in Northern Virginia

In the name of fairness, or so it seems

"It wasn't fair," said Taylor Chamness, front, that she couldn't take part in Catholic Church services while her 11-year-old twin brother could. (Photos By Lucian Perkins -- The Washington Post)
========================

Those who opposed the change said it might discourage boys from becoming altar servers and maybe entering the priesthood when they grow up. Only men can be priests in the Catholic Church.
. . .
Taylor and Conor's mom, Lyn McGee, said it was odd to have to tell her twins that one couldn't do something that the other one could. "For this generation of girls, there is nothing they can't do," McGee said. "This is probably the only thing in [Taylor's] life she couldn't do because she's a girl."

Yes, Lyn, there is something Taylor can't do and that is 'father' a child...and that's because she is a girl...

When will she break that news to her? And what will she say to her son if he decides that "it's not fair" that he can't get pregnant and become a mother?

There remains, thank God, one diocese left which has not succumbed to the feminist agenda - the vocations rich diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, under the outstanding leadership of Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz!

July 31 - 12 Women to Excommunicate Themselves

On July 31, a dozen well-educated, experienced Roman Catholic women will pass into uncharted spiritual waters on a boat cruising Pittsburgh's rivers.

On that afternoon, three women in vestments will lay their hands on the heads of the 12 women and anoint their hands with oil during an ordination ceremony that will be the first of its kind in the United States.

A first for the US...Well then, everyone get to Pittsburgh!

The Women's Ordination Conference, based in Fairfax, Va., will announce today its support of the Pittsburgh ceremony, which will be held aboard the Gateway Clipper boat Majestic. Pittsburgh was selected because of its central location.

Central location? With reference to what...? The eastern US?

Among the participants is Joan Clark Houk, 65, of McCandless, who with seven other women are answering a call to be priests...

I suppose this would be considered a "late" vocation...And just "who" is doing the calling?

Mrs. Houk is a cradle Catholic and mother of six. She has served as a pastoral director in two Kentucky parishes, worked on a marriage tribunal, taught catechism and the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults and worked with her husband, John, to prepare engaged couples for marriage.

Just take a look at the path she has followed...Is this path of hers strewn with dead souls of those who may have once been Catholic or did she actually help people embrace Christ and His Church? Have those with whom she came in contact in RCIA and catechetics learned to embrace some other faith as she is doing? One cannot help but wonder if there is a path of destruction behind her.

The safety and salvation of souls, particularly those which might be poisoned by imposters of the Faith, is one of the primary reasons people like this must be dealt with quickly and decisively. If one openly rejects any Church teaching, then why would one want to participate in the catechizing of others, except to promote that which is contrary to the Church and thus infect others with dissent, doubt, or even heresy.

And why would a pastor, priest, or bishop permit such individuals to "teach" or catechize or engage in some apostolate when such people should be prohibited from positions where their disease can spread. By allowing such people to remain in positions of authority, the Church, at least tacitly, extends her approval of dissent, heterdoxy, and heresy.

The Rev. Ronald Lengwin, spokesman for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, said the church "has determined that the ordination of males is a part of the faith handed down by Christ through his apostles and therefore the church is not free to change it. Ordination to the priesthood can only be conferred on a male...I would say they have freely chosen to separate themselves from the church," he said.

They have been blinded and seduced by satan, no doubt, after having abandoned our Lord.

"The church has to take a stand for women ... that they are the image of God and are to be respected and treated on an equal, human level. This is really why I have to do what I am doing," she said in a recent interview.

But....I thought she was being called to the priestesshood?

Presiding at the ceremony will be Patricia Fresen, Gisela Forster and Ida Raming, who live in Germany and are bishops in Roman Catholic Womenpriests, an international group of Catholics who support women's ordination.

Ms. Fresen was interviewed on a St. Louis radio station recently with two other excommunicated individuals, Marek Bozek of St Stanislaus Church (a once Catholic parish in St Louis which has been suppressed) and Frank Krebs, (an ex-priest, and admitted homosexual living with his lover) who now leads others at "Sts. Clare & Francis Ecumenical Catholic Community", a group which is anything but Catholic. It is a community, though - of those who have started their own 'religion.'

Ms. Fresen and others claim that they have really been ordained and are part of the Church's apostolic succession because "Roman Catholic bishops in good standing ordained them secretly..." Right! Of course, they did! And about 18-20 men all over the world claim to be the real Pope. Is one obliged to believe one of these imposters as well?

The reason they have their "parties" on the water is, as Fresen puts it, "no Catholic priest or bishop is brave enough to give us a church." Why do they want a Catholic church to perform their parties? There are plenty of protestant church buildings where the 'ordination' of women is no problem...There are certainly other secular areas where this scheme can take place...

But a church really isn't necessary anyway as a boat is an ideal place for the party, since it's a symbol of the Church. Fresen informs us that, "Jesus ... taught from a boat. Some of the earliest disciples were fishermen." And let's not forget all those "fisherwomen"...

And even to this day, we see floating churches on our rivers and waterways...today, though, they are moe widely recognized as casinos...

All of these women suffer from delusions and they desperately need our prayers.

The Post-Gazzette has posted a 3 page letter from Joan Clark Houk to Bishop Wuerl here (PDF file). As with other sad cases of schism, she and others feel that they have the competence to determine how canon law should be established. Having been filled with the "spirit" their eyes have been opened to see the continued injustice of the Church with regard to Canon 1024, among others, I'm sure. They complain that the Church is wrong in promulating Canon 1024 with regard to baptized males only for valid ordination.

Her letter is a sad commentary on her defection from the faith - her rejection of the Church.

Preparing for Corpus Christi - Feast of God

"This is my body." St. Luke, 22:19.

In the 1850's a seven-year-old boy by the name of George went to visit an uncle in a small French village. While there, the lad, who was not a Catholic, saw for the first the celebration of the Fete-Dieu, the Feast of God, as the French call Corpus Christi.

The fluttering flags, the golden garments, the flower-strewn streets, the kneeling crowds, the saluting soldiers, the soulful music, the billow­ing incense, the dancing candles - all of this - entranced the child's mind. He wanted to take part. In some way that boys have of doing such things, he per­suaded one of the lads in the choir to loan him his red cassock and surplice so that he could march in the procession.

He watched the others and did exactly what they did. Nobody seemed to notice the non-Catholic youngster.

When it was all over he rushed home and shouted to his father, a man of decidedly anti-Catholic feelings:

"Oh, father, what fun I had! Do you know - I was scattering flowers before the great God!"

The boy, a nephew of the great Cohen convert, the Carmelite Father Herman of the Blessed Sacrament, later became a convert himself, chiefly through the drawing power of the Divine Sacrament.

If a lad of seven summers, with little or no knowledge of what it all meant, could enter so full-heartedly into the keeping of Corpus Christi, then you and I, who know its beautiful meaning, must make this an out­standing festival of the year.

Corpus Christi means the Body of Christ. This feast helps us to re-live that Holy Thursday when Jesus gave us His Body. As the last Supper occurs in the week that is called "Holy," when we weep over the wounded heart and body of our Lord, Mother Church has picked another day when we can think about and honor in a special way the Institution of the Blessed Sacrament.

The story of that ancient Thursday is ever fresh and appealing. The Jewish Feast of the Pasch or Passover was at hand. Devout Jews that they were, Jesus and His apostles wanted to observe the anniversary of the "passing over" of their people.

The Twelve had asked our Lord where they should prepare for the celebration. He told them to go to Jerusalem. that there they would meet a man carrying a pitcher of water, that they should follow him to a certain house, and tell the man who lived there that the Master wanted a room to keep the feast of the morrow. The dis­ciples followed directions. They made the room ready.

As the apostolic group gathered that evening, the Master spoke to them:

"I have greatly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you that I will eat of it no more, until it has been fulfilled in the kingdom of God." St. Luke, 14:15,16.

He washed the feet of His chosen twelve, drying them with a towel. After washing their feet, He sat down at table with them. They were eating together, when Jesus slowly and solemnly took bread and blessed it and broke it and gave it to His apostles, saying:

"Take and eat; this is my body."

He then took a cup of wine, and, after rendering thanks, He gave it to His apostles with these words:

"All of you drink of this; for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is being shed for many unto the forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I shall drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father." St. Matthew, 26:26-29.

According to His promise of a year before, Christ had changed the bread into His Body and the wine into His very Blood, really and truly and substantially. Finally He gave to His apostles and to all their suc­cessors in the Catholic priesthood, the power to do the same as He had done:

"Do this in remembrance of me." St. Luke, 22:20.

This simple and sublime story of the most glorious gift of God to man - Himself in the Eucharist - is the theme of this Feast which Mother Church has set for the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. In many American churches it is kept on the following Sunday.

Until the thirteenth century there was no such feast. God's instrument in establishing a special day to honor the Blessed Sacrament was a special lover of the Eucharist, St. Juliana of Mont Cornillon, Belgium.

Born in 1183, this Augustinian nun died in 1258. Her favorite devo­tion was to the Blessed Sacrament. She longed for a special feast in honor of our Lord in the Eucharist. To her Christ gave instructions with regard to the new day of Eucharistic devotion:

"Juliana, what disturbs you is that a feast is wanting in My Church militant, which I desire to establish. It is the feast of the Most high and most holy Sacrament of the Altar. At present the celebration of this Mystery is observed on Maundy Thursday; but on that day My sufferings and death are the principal objects of consideration. I desire another day to be set apart. . . for three reasons:

"First, that faith in this divine mystery, which is beginning to be attacked and will in future times be still further menaced, may be more confirmed and reassured.

"Secondly, that the faithful who believe and seek the truth may be fully taught and convinced, and enabled to draw from this well of life the strength necessary to carry them on in the way of virtue.

"Thirdly, that reparation may be made for the irreverence and impiety shown toward the Divine Majesty in the Blessed Sacrament, by a sincere and profound adoration of the same."

There are the reasons, right from the heart of Christ, we ask you to attend Mass, to receive Holy Communion, to visit and honor Him in the Eucharist on this Feast of God with us, the day dedicated to the Body of Christ. Amen.
__________________
Adapted from Occasional Talks
by Fr. Arthur Tonne, OFM (©1949)

Gospel for Thursday, 10th Week in Ordinary Time

From: Matthew 5:20-26

Jesus and His Teaching, the Fulfillment of the Law (Continuation)

(Jesus said to His disciples,) [20] "For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

[21] "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, `You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.' [22] But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, `You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire. [23] So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, [24] leave your gift there before the altar and go; first to be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. [25] Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; [26] truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.
_________________________

Commentary:

20. "Righteousness": see the note on Matthew 5:6 (see below). This verse clarifies the meaning of the preceding verses. The scribes and Pharisees had distorted the spirit of the Law, putting the whole emphasis on its external, ritual observance. For them exact and hyper-detailed but external fulfillment of the precepts of the Law was a guarantee of a person's salvation: "If I fulfill this I am righteous, I am holy and God is duty bound to save me." For someone with this approach to sanctification it is really not God who saves: man saves himself through external works of the Law. That this approach is quite mistaken is obvious from what Christ says here; in effect what He is saying is: to enter the Kingdom of God the notion of righteousness or salvation developed by the scribes and Pharisees must be rejected. In other words, justification or sanctification is a grace from God; man's role is one of cooperating with that grace by being faithful to it. Elsewhere Jesus gives the same teaching in an even clearer way (cf. Luke 18:9-14, the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector). It was also the origin of one of St. Paul's great battles with the "Judaizers" (see Galatians 3 and Romans 2-5).

21. Verses 21-26 gives us a concrete example of the way that Jesus Christ brought the Law of Moses to its fulfillment, by explaining the deeper meaning of the commandments of that Law.

22. By speaking in the first person ("but I say to you") Jesus shows that His authority is above that of Moses and the prophets; that is to say, He has divine authority. No mere man could claim such authority.

"Insults": practically all translations of this passage transcribe the original Aramaic word, "raca" (cf. RSV note below). It is not an easy word to translate. It means "foolish, stupid, crazy". The Jews used it to indicate utter contempt; often, instead of verbal abuse they would show their feelings by spitting on the ground.

"Fool" translates an ever stronger term of abuse than "raca"--implying that a person has lost all moral and religious sense, to the point of apostasy.

In this passage our Lord points to three faults which we commit against charity, moving from internal irritation to showing total contempt. St. Augustine comments that three degrees of faults and punishments are to be noted. The first is the fault of feeling angry; to this corresponds the punishment of "judgment". The second is that of passing an insulting remark, which merits the punishment of "the council". The third arises when anger quite blinds us: this is punished by "the hell of fire" (cf. "De Serm. Dom. in Monte", II, 9).

"The hell of fire": literally, "Gehenna of fire", meaning, in the Jewish language of the time, eternal punishment.

This shows the gravity of external sins against charity--gossip, backbiting, calumny, etc. However, we should remember that these sins stem from the heart; our Lord focuses our attention, first, on internal sins--resentment, hatred, etc.--to make us realize that that is where the root lies and that it is important to nip anger in the bud.

23-24. Here our Lord deals with certain Jewish practices of His time, and in doing so gives us perennial moral teaching of the highest order. Christians, of course, do not follow these Jewish ritual practices; to keep our Lord's commandment we have ways and means given us by Christ Himself. Specifically, in the New and definitive Covenant founded by Christ, being reconciled involves going to the Sacrament of Penance. In this Sacrament the faithful "obtain pardon from God's mercy for the offense committed against Him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins" ("Lumen Gentium", 11).

In the New Testament, the greatest of all offerings is the Eucharist. Although one has a duty to go to Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, an essential condition before receiving Holy Communion is that one be in the state of grace.

It is not our Lord's intention here to give love of neighbor priority over love of God. There is an order of charity: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength. This is the great and first commandment" (Matthew 22:37-38). Love of one's neighbor, which is the second commandment in order of importance (cf. Matthew 22:39), derives its meaning from the first. Brotherhood without parenthood is inconceivable. An offense against charity is, above all, an offense against God.

[Note on Matthew 5:6 states:
6. The notion of righteousness (or justice) in Holy Scripture is an essentially religious one (cf. notes on Matthew 1:19 and 3:15; Romans 1:17; 1:18-32; 3:21-22 and 24). A righteous person is one who sincerely strives to do the Will of God, which is discovered in the commandments, in one's duties of state in life and through one's life of prayer. Thus, righteousness, in the language of the Bible, is the same as what nowadays is usually called "holiness" (1 John 2:29; 3:7-10; Revelations 22:11; Genesis 15:6; Deuteronomy 9:4).]
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Mental Prayer for June15 - Preparation for Communion

Mental Prayer Meditation Helps

Presence of God.

Grace I Ask: To prepare myself as well as possible for the coming of Christ.

The ldea: Have you ever thought how much of your life is spent preparing for things? Childhood prepared you for adolescence, and adolescence for life as a young adult, and so on. During these pres­ent years you are preparing for your future. A stage star or speaker spends years in perfecting himself or herself.

In your spiritual life there is a special event which needs preparation too. To
receive Christ as perfectly as possible we must prepare our soul for His coming. We must try to focus our mind on Him. We must tell God of our desire to receive His Son. We must have sorrow for our past neglect of Him.

My Personal Application: In Communion I receive my Lord and my God. How do I prepare for His coming? By acts of faith and love and sacrifice? By telling Him that I want to receive Him, want to be closely united to Him ? Or have I wandered through the Mass and do I follow the crowd to the communion rail as to a cafeteria counter? The best preparation, of course, is in taking an active part in the Mass, in offering myself to God the Father with Christ, so that I can receive Christ back as a return gift from God. At the Offertory and Consecration do I give to God myself and everything I have? If I do, then I shall be better prepared to receive Him.

I Speak to Christ: My Lord, it is really your Body and Blood I receive in Holy Communion. How indifferent my heart has frequently been to you. I have received you without any reflection or preparation. I do want to give you myself. From now on I shall prepare for you better by attention, by offering myself to you, by desiring you in return.

Thought for Today: "Through Him and with Him and in Him."
___________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)

St Louis Priest Charged in 1978 Case

From the Post Dispatch:

More than three years after he was publicly identified by the St. Louis Archdiocese as an admitted child molester, a Catholic priest is charged with sodomy for allegedly abusing a 14-year-old boy in 1978.

From KTVI TV:

A suspended St. Louis priest is now officially charged with sexually abusing a teenage boy nearly thirty years ago. Childhood abuse victims say that's possible because of recent Missouri Supreme Court ruling.

Over three years ago, a man reported to the St. Louis Archdiocese that Father Robert Johnston had sexually abused him as a teen during a trip to Lake Wauwanoka in Jefferson County. Johnston admitted the abuse and was quickly removed from public ministry, but criminal prosecution was unlikely until the Missouri Supreme Court broadened victims' access to the courts in 2004.

Now Johnston faces criminal charges of sodomy in Jefferson County . His bond was set at $50,000 cash. Wednesday, the court opened another door, allowing juries to extend the time childhood victims have to file civil damage suits against their alleged abusers. That could mean more lawsuits against clergy and religious organizations.

Although a church lawyer doesn't expect many of the cases will reach the trial stage, victim support groups see the ruling as a step forward. The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) is urging childhood abuse victims who have never spoken out to find the courage to come forward now. Arrangements are being made for Father Johnston to turn himself in. He is living at Regina Cleri, a retirement home for priests in Webster Groves.

A video clip was aired Tuesday night about this matter. Johnston was a priest at six parishes in in his 40 years in the archdiocese . The criminal charge can carry a "life" penalty.

No Homosexual Activism in Polish Schools

Poland Strikes Back Against Homosexual Education: Fires Teacher Responsible

WARSAW, June 14, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Minister of Education in Poland has sent clear messages in the past week that the Polish government will not tolerate the indoctrination of students with the homosexual agenda in Polish schools. On June 9th, the Polish Minister of Education, Roman Giertych, officially dismissed the Director of Polish In-Service Teachers, Miroslaw Sielatycki, for publishing Compass: a manual on human rights education with young people, and is now considering banning its distribution and sale.
. . .
Minister Giertych, who is also a leader in the League of Polish Families and Deputy Prime Minister, has said in the past, "there is no room, nor will there ever be any room for homosexual activism within the school system in Poland on my watch." This stance sets Poland in direct opposition to the trend set by the European Union.
. . .
The Council of Europe blasted Poland's dismissal; the criticism, however, comes as little surprise since the same organization created the Compass program. "I do not understand how teaching tolerance can be grounds for dismissal," said Secretary General Terry Davis of the Council of Europe.

Perhaps Davis lacks understanding of fundamental moral concepts - this indoctrination program looks to be nothing more than a thinly veiled intolerance and loathing of the natural moral law and, in essense, a repudiation of the family and of promoting and defending the common good of society.

Mr Davis continues (from the Council of Europe Web Site):

"I made it clear that the Polish government is free to decide whether it wishes to use Council of Europe material for human rights education, but if the teaching material is optional, the values and principles contained therein are certainly not."

One might ask these promoters of sexual perversion and hedonism what these "values and principles" are.

There was a time when "values and principles" were understood as something good and virtuous. Regrettably, the meanings of these words have been turned upside down - they now mean, more often than not, the forced acceptance of vices, depravities, and wickedness. And, in an effort to give legitimacy to these new meanings, one is labeled as "intolerant" if he refuses to acquiesce to this new enlightenment.

The article itself is from LifeSiteNews here.

The Council of Europe web site is here...

For those who wish to re-read the document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions between Homosexual Persons, click here...This should clear up any confusions one may have about this matter.

Rome buzzing with rumors of change at the Vatican

Jun. 14 (CWNews.com) - New rumors about changes in the Roman Curia are sweeping through the ranks of Vatican journalists, with the most intense speculation involving the post of Secretary of State.

While mentioning the names of prelates believed likely to be appointed to top Vatican posts, journalists are also speculating about the timing of the appointments. Some Vatican-watchers had predicted an announcement on June 10. When that date passed without any major news, speculation began to center on June 29: the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.

Vatican Radio has commented on the widespread expectation of an "imminent reshuffling at the top." Pope Benedict's trip to Poland, one Vatican Radio commentator observed, appeared to mark "the end of a period of mourning [for the late Pope John Paul II and the opening of a new era."

Interesting speculations occurring these days...Check out Catholic World Report for more...it's well worth the subscription!

Ministry of Irritation?

Over the millennia, Christendom has had popes and priests, deacons and disciples, presbyters and prophets. Now it has a Minister of Irritation, too.

Technically, Janice Sevre-Duszynska is co-chair of the Ministry of Irritation of the Women's Ordination Conference - a group that supports female priests in the Catholic Church.

The 56-year-old woman, whose actions have frequently captured headlines, doesn't like to be referred to as a protester. "It's prophetic obedience," she said. For church leaders, Sevre-Duszynska has been a thorn-in-the-side for years.

Say what? "Prophetic obedience"? To whom? None other than satan himself...We all know of those who think they are following God's call in matters of this nature. But then, people like this fail to grasp the fact that God cannot be, as these people would have us believe, schizophrenic. Many of these people are so out of touch with reality - they are in need of much help and prayer.

She interrupted the ordination of a Lexington, Ky., priest in 1998, trying unsuccessfully to persuade then-Bishop J. Kendrick Williams to ordain her. Two years later in Washington, posing as a journalist, she crashed a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and demanded that the church's American hierarchy "bring justice for women in the church."

Off her meds, no doubt...

I think I might send in a request to the liturgy 'nazi' who runs a certain parish to see if that parish might consider a "Misistry of Irritation"...It could serve as an irritant for those who engage in all sorts of novelties and abuses...I'm certain, as a member of the ministry, one might "irritate" the hell out of the "Ministry of Dance Prayer" - the group intent on disrupting Mass and making a spectacle of themselves...

Sevre-Duszynska, a lifelong Catholic, says she felt called to the priesthood when she was a girl growing up in Milwaukee. "I used to make believe I was a priest, celebrating the Mass, blessing the people and giving the homily," she said. "I knew the altar boy's prayers. I had learned them in Latin. I'm called by the Holy Spirit to present myself for ordination."

"I am all of the oppressed women of the Bible. I am Sarah, I am Hannah, I am Elizabeth, I am the woman who touched the hem of Jesus' garment, I am the woman who anointed his head with oil."

Sounds more like an escapee from the local asylum...

"To me, to be a priest means to live your life on the edge," she said. "To me, that's where the Holy Spirit is doing her dance."

Here we go...The Holy Spirit is doing "her" dance...I just saw this after I had posted on the "Ministry of Danced Prayer"....ergo, having such an extraordinary gift of vision and prophecy, it's obvious that some god must be calling me for great things....Perhaps, I am being called to be the world's first male mother...?

Missouri Supreme Court: Repressed 'Memory' Abuse Lawsuit Can Proceed

In a ruling with potentially broad effects, the Missouri Supreme Court said Tuesday that a man claiming a repressed memory of sexual abuse 30 years ago at Chaminade College Preparatory School is entitled to proceed with a lawsuit.

Of course, some plaintiffs' attorneys think it's a "clear-cut victory" which could allow even more lawsuits from those who may be mentally challenged, gullible, or easily manipulated...

Based on a Missouri Court of Appeals decision in St. Louis in 2000, the state's judges have closely followed the statute that required filing claims of childhood sexual abuse within five years of turning 21, or by age 31, depending on which law was in effect at the time of the alleged molesting.

Michael Powel filed suit in 2002 naming Chaminade, the Marianist religious order that operates it, former Archbishop Justin Rigali and two faculty members - a priest and a religious brother - accusing the teachers of molesting him in the mid-1970s, when he was 15 to 17 years old. The suit said he repressed memory of it until 2000, when he got treatment for a brain tumor. Rigali was dismissed from the suit, and the case proceeded. In 2004, St. Louis Circuit Judge John Riley dismissed Powel's claims, citing the 2000 appellate court ruling in saying he filed too late.

But now it's OK, because a "memory" has surfaced - bubbled up from the depths of the mire in which it was buried, stimulated into surfacing by poking at a brain cell here or a neron there, or, as it seems in most cases, planted there by others.

In recent years, 32 cases involving allegations of sexual abuse have been mediated or settled by the Archdiocese of St. Louis for a total of $2,474,800, said church lawyer Bernard Huger. One of those cases was settled for considerably more than the others, he said.

Staggering...and probably more to come considering the Missouri Supreme Court's decision...

With a greater chance of repressed-memory cases reaching trial, [Rebecca] Randles said, religious institutions will face greater pressure to settle out of court and possibly for larger amounts. She said defendants could lose millions in jury verdicts in cases that get that far.

Rebecca is an attorney who represents several alleged abuse victims. With this court ruling, it should not be too surprising to see how many more people will suddenly "recover" some long lost "memory" of an imagined or real abuse...he only thing necessary at that point is to ensure that the "abuser" was wearing a Roman collar...

For what it's worth, the Post Disgrace is conducting a poll:

How long should the statute of limitations last on repressed memory lawsuits?

Feel free to voice your opinion. The latest results were:

9% 0-5 years
16%....5-10 years
4%....10-20 years
1%....20-30 years
21%....There should be no limit
50%....Repressed memory suits shouldn't be allowed

Votes: 21
Polls are unscientific, reflecting only the views of those who choose to participate.

Robert George named a Director of the Bradley Foundation

This was overlooked the other day:

Milwaukee — The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation recently announced the election of Robert P. George to the Foundation’s Board of Directors. George, a professor at Princeton University, is a previous recipient of the prestigious Bradley Prize. In addition, the board elected David V. Uihlein, Jr., president, Uihlein-Wilson Architects as Vice Chairman, to succeed Reed Coleman, president, CEO, and chairman of Madison-Kipp Corporation, who has retired from the board.

Currently, George is McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University.

In addition, George is a member of the President’s Council on Bioethics. He previously served as a presidential appointee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights, and as a judicial fellow at the Supreme Court of the United States, where he received the Justice Tom C. Clark Award.

A graduate of Swarthmore College and Harvard Law School, George earned a doctorate in philosophy of law from Oxford University. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa at Swarthmore, and received a Knox Fellowship from Harvard for graduate study in law and philosophy at Oxford.

(a PDF file)

HT to Kevin M. for the update!

Gospel for Wednesday, 10th Week in Ordinary Time

From: Matthew 5:17-19

Jesus and His Teaching, the Fulfillment of the Law

(Jesus said to His disciples,) [17] "Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. [18] For truly I say to you, till Heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. [19] Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven."
____________________

Commentary:

17-19. In this passage Jesus stresses the perennial value of the Old Testament. It is the word of God; because it has a divine authority it deserves total respect. The Old Law enjoined precepts of a moral, legal and liturgical type. Its moral precepts still hold good in the New Testament because they are for the most part specific divine-positive promulgations of the natural law. However, our Lord gives them greater weight and meaning. But the legal and liturgical precepts of the Old Law were laid down by God for a specific stage in salvation history, that is, up to the coming of Christ; Christians are not obliged to observe them (cf. "Summa Theologiae", I-II, q. 108, a. 3 ad 3).

The law promulgated through Moses and explained by the prophets was God's gift to His people, a kind of anticipation of the definitive Law which the Christ or Messiah would lay down. Thus, as the Council of Trent defined, Jesus not only "was given to men as a redeemer in whom they are to trust, but also as a lawgiver whom they are to obey" ("De Iustificatione", can. 21).
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Federal Judge Dismisses Case Challenging National Motto

ANN ARBOR, MI – A California federal trial judge has dismissed the lawsuit filed by Michael Newdow challenging the constitutionality of our national motto, “In God We Trust.” Newdow is the atheist who achieved national attention in his previous unsuccessful attempt to remove the Pledge of Allegiance from public schools because it includes the words “one nation under God.”

More at the Thomas More Law Center

Adult Stem Cell Research: True Potential Sacrificed for Other Possibilities

June 13, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The real potential for adult stem cell research is being sacrificed by scientists more interested in the “possibilities” of embryonic stem cell research and human cloning, according to James Kelly, the Biotech writer of The Seoul Times. In the 4th part of his series entitled Stem Cells – A Changed Personal Course: From Embryonic Stem Cell Support to Its Opposition, Kelly documents in clear detail the scientific case for adult stem cell research, which has already shown practical clinical results, unlike the morally reprehensible procedures of embryonic research.

The willing participants in the ghoulish culture of death have no concern with ehtics or morals - they are obsessed with the fantasy of thinking that they can become like gods.

Mental Prayer for June 14 - Spiritual Communion

Mental Prayer Meditation Helps

Presence of God.

Grace I Ask: My God, give me the desire to have you ever close to me.

The Idea: Almost every person seems to have someone on whom he or she relies greatly for advice, companionship, and encouragement. Per­haps for me it is my mother or father or a priest or a nun or a very close friend. Such an influence is very helpful. But frequently when we need a person like that very badly, he or she is not avail­able; we're left to work and worry things out on our own.

But - there is someone who is always available. He wants very much to have our confidence, our love, and our friendship. He desires to help us solve our problems.

This person is Christ. We can always unite ourselves to Him by a spiritual communion. This consists simply in a desire to receive our Lord within us, even though we cannot now at the moment receive Him in Holy Com­munion.

My Personal Application: Since I have tried to become a more fervent, humble and faithful Catholic, have I seriously tried to grow in friend­ship with our Lord? Friends want to be with each other. Do I want to be with Christ? Do I want to talk over with Him my interests and His interests, my desire to seve Him, His desire to help me in bringing all men to His love and service? Do I try to be with Him in the Holy Eucharist as much as I can during the day? I can be, I know, if not physically, at least spirit­ually.

I Speak to Christ: O my Lord, I believe you are interested in me. I believe that you are all-­powerful to help me. Help me then to call on you frequently during the day, and may my desire to be with you urge me on to go to Communion ever more frequently.

Thought for Today: "My Lord and my God!"
___________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)

More Human Life Destroyed as Embryonic Experimentation Continues

Two of the nation's top universities recently announced plans to pursue embryonic stem-cell research. An expert explains why the news is so significant—and so controversial.

June 12, 2006 - Last week, Harvard scientists announced that they have begun a privately funded program aimed at creating the world’s first cloned human embryonic stem cells. Their goal, they said, is to use the cells to study the development of several devastating diseases like diabetes and genetic blood disorders and, hopefully, to find treatments for them. Scientists say that embryonic stem cells hold the most promise for developing innovative new treatments for diseases, since the cells may be changed into any of the human body’s cells. But the process is not without controversy. To get the cells, scientists destroy days-old embryos, which religious and conservative critics equate with taking human lives.

The repeated denials that this is human life is appalling...These are usually the same people who are adamant about seeing that one is severely punished for destroying or disturbing the eggs or habitats of certain animals - as long as those animals are not human.

May the Lord prevent these ghoulish people from continuing their murderous treachery against humanity and the unborn.

Link...

How the Church of the Future is Experimenting in the Cathedral of Milan

With video installations, electronic music, and abstract art. With Lenten readings from Oscar Wilde and Jack Kerouac. With the pulpit given over to nonbelievers. All this in the great diocese whose patrons are Saint Ambrose and Saint Charles Borromeo
by Sandro Magister

An excerpt:

...perhaps the most revealing instance of how the Duomo of Milan intends to carry out the “new evangelization” came in Lent of 2004...

The stated intent of the three evenings was to meditate upon the “last words of Christ on the cross.” But instead of the texts of the four Gospels, the audience gathered in the cathedral heard famous intellectuals and actors read pages from authors like Oscar Wilde, Marguerite Yourcenar, Pier Paolo Pasolini, and Jack Kerouac.

Everything was accompanied by music and video.

The videos were projected on an immense screen that covered the entire wall on the other side of the front entrance to the Duomo. At the base of the screen was a stage for the musicians and singers.

To permit the public to admire the “great multimedia event,” the benches occupying the cathedral’s central nave had all been turned toward the entrance, with their backs turned to the main altar.

But the altar wasn’t even visible anymore, obstructed by a framework holding the reflectors, projectors, and light and sound controls.

On the last of the three evenings, the program assigned a place to the “presence” of the archbishop, cardinal Tettamanzi.

But the Duomo had already seen the precursors of this new course with his predecessor, cardinal Martini. In the summer of 1997, at the culminating moment of the funeral for the stylist Gianni Versace, which was broadcast worldwide, a piano stood at the center of the Milan cathedral. And Elton John played and sang “Candle in the Wind.”

There's nothng quite like the "new evangelization" that results from the transforming of consecrated and sacred things into profane, banal, and pagan use.

Gospel for June 13, Memorial: St. Anthony de Padua, Priest & Doctor of the Church

From: Matthew 5:13-16

Salt of the Earth and Light of the World

(Jesus said to the multitude:) [13] "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.

[14] "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. [15] Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. [16] Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven."
_____________________

Commentary:

13-16. These verses are a calling to that apostolate which is part and parcel of being a Christian. Every Christian has to strive for personal sanctification, but he also has to seek the sanctification of others. Jesus teaches us this, using the very expressive simile of salt and light. Salt preserves food from corruption; it also brings out its flavor and makes it more pleasant; and it disappears into the food; the Christian should do the same among the people around him.

"You are salt, apostolic soul. `Bonum est sal': salt is a useful thing', we read in the holy Gospel; `si autem sal evanuerit': but if the salt loses its taste', it is good for nothing, neither for the land nor for the manure heap; it is thrown out as useless. You are salt, apostolic soul. But if you lose your taste..." ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 921).

Good works are the fruit of charity, which consists in loving others as God loves us (cf. John 15:12). "I see now", St. Therese of Lisieux writes, "that true charity consists in bearing with the faults of those about us, never being surprised at their weaknesses, but edified at the least sign of virtue. I see above all that charity must not remain hidden in the bottom of our hearts: `nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.' It seems to me that this lamp is the symbol of charity; it must shine out not only to cheer those we love best but all in the house" ("The Autobiography of a Saint", Chapter 9).

Apostolate is one of the clearest expressions of charity. The Second Vatican Council emphasized the Christian's duty to be apostolic. Baptism and Confirmation confer this duty, which is also a right (cf. "Lumen Gentium", 33), so much so that, because the Christian is part of the mystical body, "a member who does not work at the growth of the body to the extent of his possibilities must be considered useless both to the Church and to himself" ("Apostolicam Actuositatem", 2). "Laymen have countless opportunities for exercising the apostolate of evangelization and sanctification. The very witness of a Christian life, and good works done in a supernatural spirit, are effective in drawing men to the faith and to God; and that is what the Lord has said: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven" ("Apostolicam Actuositatem", 6).

"The Church must be present to these groups [those who do not even believe in God] through those of its members who live among them or have been sent to them. All Christians by the example of their lives and witness of their word, wherever they live, have an obligation to manifest the new man which they put on in Baptism, and to reveal the power of the Holy Spirit by whom they were strengthened at Confirmation, so that others, seeing their good works, might glorify the Father and more perfectly perceive the true meaning of human life and the universal solidarity of mankind" ("Ad Gentes", 11; cf. 36).
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

A closer canonical look at the Schiavo-Centonze marriage

Dr Edward Peters writes:

I have expanded my earlier (23 Jan 2006) blog concerning potential canonical problems with the Schiavo-Centonze wedding and published those more developed observations in the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars Quarterly 29:2 (Summer 2006) pp. 6-8.

For links to that article, and some remarks on the limited role canon lawyers can play in such cases, see http://www.canonlaw.info/2006/06/closer-canonical-look-at-schiavo.html.

Mental Prayer for June 13 - A Friend to a Friend

Mental Prayer Meditation Helps

Presence of God.

Grace I Ask: That I may grow to appreciate the pleasure of visiting you.

The Idea: Suppose you could have a private talk with your favorite sport celebrity, or were asked to be the companion of a popular entertainer while he was in town, or the escort of the top singer in the country. Suppose you had the chance to have a long talk with the one famous person in America in whom you are most interested in and would most like to meet. You wouldn't miss the oppor­tunity for the world!

Now, how have you acted with regard to another celebrity? This celebrity is known not only in the United States but in every country of the world! His fame is not just a temporary thing, for he has been honored by millions of people for close to 2000 years. Yet despite His greatness, He wants to have private talks with each of us. He wants to be a lifelong companion of each of us. He has made Himself available in every neighborhood. That celebrity is Christ, present in every taber­nacle throughout the world.

My Personal Application: How often have I taken the opportunity to visit and chat privately with Christ? When I do stop to visit, do I just rattle off a lot of ready-made prayers? Or, do I really tell Christ of my joys and problems, asking His advice and help?

I Speak to Christ: O my Lord, I believe you are present in the Blessed Sacrament. I am sorry for ignoring you so often. I shall visit you more frequently; and when I do, give me the grace to feel at home, to speak to you about myself, my difficulties, my pleasures, my plans - and about you - your hopes, your plans, your desires for me, for your Church, for all men. Let me speak not only as an admirer to a celebrity, but as a friend to a friend.

Thought for Today: "Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar."
___________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)

Encouraging News from Peru

President-elect of Peru pledges “devotion to the Church and service to the people”

...President-elect of Peru, Alan Garcia Perez, said last week, “As a Christian I will always pledge my devotion and service to the Church in Peru and to the Christian causes of my country.”

This looks to be an interesting book...

As related at Lifesite, there is a very interesting and encouraging story of faith and science. It concerns one Francis Collins, the man headed the team of scientists who cracked the human genome.

“When you have for the first time in front of you this 3.1 billion-letter instruction book that conveys all kinds of information and all kinds of mystery about humankind you can’t survey that going through page after page without a sense of awe. I can’t help but look at those pages and have a vague sense that this is giving me a glimpse of God’s mind.”

His book, The Language of God, scheduled to be published in September, sets out to "explain how a scientist who studies genetics came to be a believer in a God who is unlimited by time and space, and who takes personal interest in human beings..."

Collins admits to being an "obnoxious atheist" before being persuaded by the convincing arguments and reason of C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity.

This is yet another example of God's blessings in action. I'm looking forward to this man's story and his insights.

Mental Prayer for June 12 - The Real Presence

Mental Prayer Meditation Helps

Presence of God.

Grace I Ask: O my God, increase my faith.

The Idea:In the front lines a fierce battle was raging. Time and time again the hill was charged only to be defended strongly. The men were growing weary and dejected. Suddenly word was passed around that the commanding officer was in the front lines. Knowing that he was willing to share their dangers, the men renewed their efforts. With an almost unbelievable surge of spirit the objective was taken.

We are fighting a battle now. The objective is heaven and the possession of God. The enemy is satan. Our strength lies in staying close to our leader, Christ. Christ, knowing of our battle, decided to stay with us always. Because of His tremendous love for each of us He is really present in our tabernacles, on our altars at every Mass, and in our hearts after every Communion.

My Personal Application: Do I really think of Christ as a strong and powerful leader? Do I feel that Christ is really close to me, with all His Heart wanting me to be victorious? Do I ask His help in the fight? Do I give Him the opportunity of being with me in Communion? He won't force Himself on me; He waits for me to invite Him. He is always ready to strengthen me in my daily trials, eager to give me His peace and power, His gladness and comfort.

I Speak to Christ: My Lord, I do believe that you are really present in the Blessed Sacrament. I believe that I can do everything with your help. Help me to grow in greater confidence in you. Help me to rely on you. And today may at least one more person come to realize what it really means to have you present here with us.

Thought for Today: "He who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst."
___________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)

On Examining One's Conscience-Peace of Soul

Every person has a little corner in his heart he never wants anyone to venture into, even with a candle. That is why we can deceive ourselves and why our neighbors know us better than we know ourselves.

The examination of unconsciousness, if it is used as a substitute for examination of conscience, only intensifies this deceit.

We often justify ourselves by saying that we are following our consciences, when we are only following our desires.

We fit a creed to the way we live, rather than the way we live to a creed; we suit religion to our actions, rather than actions to religion.

We try to keep religion on a specula­tive basis in order to avoid moral reproaches on our conduct.

We sit at the piano of life and insist that every note we strike is right - because we struck it.

If each man is his own judge and standard, then who shall say he is wrong?

Not only will a good examination of conscience cure us of such self-deception - it will also cure us of depression. Depression comes, not from having faults, but from the refusal to face them.

There are tens of thousands of persons today suffering from fears which in reality are nothing but the effects of hidden sins. The evil conscience is always the fearful conscience. The greatest worries come from our failure to face reality. (That is why a pain which is present is more bearable than an equal worry which is yet in the future.)

Morbidity increases with the denial of guilt, the explaining it away or the covering up of the ulcerous partP Whence comes the depression of self­pity, if it be not a total unconcern with the interests of others, which is a sin? A soldier on a battlefield does not heed the wound if he loves his cause, and the soul that can cast its anxiety and worry upon an all-loving God is thus saved from self-pity.

Many souls are like persons with boils, who could be cured by lancing, which would allow the pus to run out.

Their sup­pressed sins give rise to this form of sadness. There has never been in the history of the Church a saint who was not joyful: there have been many saints who were great sinners, like Augustine, but there have never been sad saints. This is under­standable: perhaps there could not be anything in life more de­pressing than the knowledge that one has been guilty of a grave sin, without the chance Christians enjoy of starting all over again.

St. Paul wisely distinguishes between the sadness of the guilty who know Redemption and the depression of those who deny both their guilt and the possibility of forgiveness. "For the sorrow that is according to God worketh pen­ance, steadfast unto salvation; but the sorrow of the world worketh death" (II Cor. 7:10). "For know ye that afterwards, when he desired to inherit the benediction, he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance although with tears he had sought it" (Heb. 12:17).

The examination of conscience not only relieves our sadness, not only gives us a second chance when forgiven; it also restores us to Love.

In the examination of conscience a person concentrates less on his own sin than on the Mercy of God - as the wounded concentrate less on their wounds than on the power of the physician who binds and heals the wounds.

The examination of conscience develops no complex because it is done in the light of God's justice. The self is not the standard, nor is it the source of hope. All human frailty and all human weakness are seen in the radiation of God's infinite goodness, and never once is a fault separated from knowledge of the Divine Mercy.

Examination of conscience pictures sin, not as the violation of law, but as the breaking of a relationship. It develops sorrow, not because a code has been violated, but because love has been wounded. As the empty pantry drives the housewife to the bakery, so the empty soul is driven to the Bread of Life.

Nor is examination of conscience a concentration on one's own disordered consciousness in the way an Oriental mystic contemplates his navel. Excessive introspection leads to im­mobility and morbidity.

No minds or souls are more helpless than those who say they will "work the thing out alone." The Christian soul knows it needs Divine Help and therefore turns to Him Who loved us even while we were yet sinners.

Exami­nation of conscience, instead of inducing morbidity, thereby becomes an occasion of joy. There are two ways of knowing how good and loving God is. One is by never losing Him, through the preservation of innocence, and the other is by finding Him after one has lost Him.
________________
Archbishop Sheen explains in this book that "anxiety cannot be cured by a surrender to passions and instincts; the basic cause of our anxiety is a restlessness within time, which comes because we are made for eternity. If there were anywhere on earth a resting place other than God, we may be very sure that the human soul in its long history would have found it before this."

Selected excerpts from Peace of Soul,
by Archbishop Fulton Sheen, New York, 1949

Proven: Unborn Babies Feel Pain

Neonatologist Proves That Fetus Feel Pain

ROME, JUNE 11, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Fetus do feel pain, reports a renown neonatologist and professor of the University of Kansas.

K.J.S. Anand, who proved in the '80s that newborns feel pain, demonstrates in a study that appears in the June 2006 issue of "Pain Clinical Updates," official review of the International Association for the Study of Pain, that fetus feel pain as well, possibly even before late gestation.

According to Anand, the study was carried out because "fetal pain has so many implications that it requires a scientific appraisal independent of the heated controversies regarding abortion, women's rights, or the beginnings of human life."

Cardinal George: Will the real Vatican II please stand up?

The Second Vatican Council (1962-1966), 40 years after its conclusion, remains for many Catholics a source of both joy and tension. What was the Holy Spirit calling us to think and to do? For some, the Council itself was the work of the Spirit, but its implementation has been hijacked by left-wing or right-wing ideologues, depending upon one’s choice of enemies. For others, the Council itself was flawed because its documents are ambiguous or even inconsistent with apostolic tradition. The extremists in this line made tradition another word for museum and lose the sense of a living Body of Christ. Some even believe that Pope John XXIII and all his successors are anti-Popes and that the Church has been without a Bishop of Rome since the death of Pius XII in 1958.

A few months ago, the current Bishop of Rome and successor of St. Peter, Pope Benedict XVI, offered an interpretation of the Second Vatican Council that merits close attention. The Council was called in order to give genuinely new impetus to the Church’s mission in the world. In order to overcome within the Church anything that might impede or obscure the Church’s mission, the Council called for an updating or renewal in the Church’s life. “Aggiornamento,” which is Italian for updating, was not, however, intended to mean that the Church should simply accommodate herself to the world. Ecclesiastical renewal is not a form of self-secularization. Pope Benedict says of those who took this path: “They have underestimated the inner tensions as well as the contradictions of the modern epoch.”

Archdiocese of Washington: Clarifications....

.....Clarification to Remarks Made on CNN’s The Situation Room

Some remarks by Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, former Archbishop of Washington, that were made during an interview with Wolf Blitzer of CNN (air date June 7, 2006) were not clear and have been misinterpreted by some individuals. To prevent further confusion, the Cardinal issued the following clarification:

“I’m afraid that I misspoke last Wednesday when I was being interviewed on CNN."

Did he clear things up?

More

Gospel for Monday, 10th Week in Ordinary Time

From: Matthew 5:1-12

The Beatitudes

[1] Seeing the crowds, He (Jesus) went up on the mountain, and when He sat down His disciples came to Him. [2] And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: [3] "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. [4] Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. [5] Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. [6] Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. [7] Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. [8] Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. [9] Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. [10] Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. [11] Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. [12] Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in Heaven, for so men persecute the prophets who were before you."
_____________________

Commentary:

1. The Discourse, or Sermon, on the Mount takes up three full chapters of St. Matthew's Gospel--Chapters 5-7. It is the first of the five great discourses of Jesus which appear in this Gospel and it contains a considerable amount of our Lord's teaching.

It is difficult to reduce this discourse to one single theme, but the various teachings it contains could be said to deal with these five points: 1) the attitude a person must have for entering the Kingdom ofHeaven (the Beatitudes, the salt of the earth, the light of the world, Jesus and His teaching, the fullness of the Law); 2) uprightness of intention in religious practice (here the "Our Father" would be included); 3) trust in God's fatherly providence; 4) how God's children should behave towards one another (not judging one's neighbor, respect for holy things, the effectiveness of prayer, and the golden rule of charity); 5) the conditions for entering the Kingdom (the narrow gate, false prophets and building on rock).

"He taught them": this refers both to the disciples and to the multitude, as can be seen at the end of the Sermon (Matthew 7:28).

2. The Beatitudes (5:3-12) form, as it were, the gateway to the Sermon on the Mount. In order to understand the Beatitudes properly, we should bear in mind that they do not promise salvation only to the particular kinds of people listed here: they cover everyone whose religious dispositions and moral conduct meet the demands which Jesus lays down. In other words, the poor in spirit, the meek, those who mourn, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers and those who suffer persecution in their search for holiness--these are not different people or kinds of people but different demands made on everyone who wants to be a disciple of Christ.

Similarly, salvation is not being promised to different groups in society but to everyone, no matter what his or her position in life, who strives to follow the spirit and to meet the demands contained in the Beatitudes.

All the Beatitudes have an eschatological meaning, that is, they promise us definitive salvation not in this world, but in the next. But the spirit of the Beatitudes does give us, in this life, peace in the midst of tribulation. The Beatitudes imply a completely new approach, quite at odds with the usual way man evaluates things: they rule out any kind of pharisaical religiosity, which regards earthly happiness as a blessing from God and a reward for good behavior, and unhappiness and misfortune as a form of punishment. In all ages the Beatitudes put spiritual goods on a much higher plane than material possessions. The healthy and the sick, the powerful and the weak, the rich and the poor--all are called, independently of their circumstances, to the deep happiness that is experienced by those who live up to the Beatitudes which Jesus teaches.

The Beatitudes do not, of course, contain the entire teaching of the Gospel, but they do contain, in embryo, the whole program of Christian perfection.

3. This text outlines the connection between poverty and the soul. This religious concept of poverty was deeply rooted in the Old Testament (cf., e.g., Zephaniah 2:3ff). It was more to do with a religious attitude of neediness and of humility towards God than with material poverty: that person is poor who has recourse to God without relying on his own merits and who trusts in God's mercy to be saved. This religious attitude of poverty is closely related to what is called "spiritual childhood". A Christian sees himself as a little child in the presence of God, a child who owns nothing: everything he has comes from God and belongs to God. Certainly, spiritual poverty, that is, Christian poverty, means one must be detached from material things and practice austerity in using them. God asks certain people--religious--to be legally detached from ownership and thereby bear witness to others of the transitoriness of earthly things.

4. "Those who mourn": here our Lord is saying that those are blessed who suffer from any kind of affliction--particularly those who are genuinely sorry for they sins, or are pained by the offenses which others offer God, and who bear their suffering with love and in a spirit of atonement.

"You are crying? Don't be ashamed of it. Yes, cry: men also cry like you, when they are alone and before God. Each night, says King David, I soak my bed with tears. With those tears, those burning manly tears, you can purify your past and supernaturalize your present life" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 216).

The Spirit of God will console with peace and joy, even in this life, those who weep for their sins, and later will give them a share in the fullness of happiness and glory in Heaven: these are the blessed.

5. "The meek": those who patiently suffer unjust persecution; those who remain serene, humble and steadfast in adversity, and do not give way to resentment or discouragement. The virtue of meekness is very necessary in the Christian life. Usually irritableness, which is very common, stems from a lack of humility and interior peace.

"The earth": this is usually understood as meaning our Heavenly Fatherland.

6. The notion of righteousness (or justice) in Holy Scripture is an essentially religious one (cf. notes on Matthew 1:19 and 3:15; Romans 1:17; 1:18-32; 3:21-22 and 24). A righteous person is one who sincerely strives to do the Will of God, which is discovered in the commandments, in one's duties of state in life (social, professional and family responsibilities) and through one's life of prayer. Thus, righteousness, in the language of the Bible, is the same as whatnowadays is usually called "holiness" (1 John 2:29; 3:7-10; Revelation 22:11; Genesis 15:6; Deuteronomy 9:4).

As St. Jerome comments ("Comm. on Matthew", 5, 6), in the fourth Beatitude our Lord is asking us not simply to have a vague desire for righteousness: we should hunger and thirst for it, that is, we should love and strive earnestly to seek what makes a man righteous in God's eyes. A person who genuinely wants to attain Christian holiness should love the means which the Church, the universal vehicle of salvation, offers all men and teaches them to use--frequent use of the Sacraments, an intimate relationship with God in prayer, a valiant effort to meet one's social, professional and family responsibilities.

7. Mercy is not a just a matter of giving alms to the poor but also of being understanding towards other people's defects, overlooking them, helping them cope with them and loving them despite whatever defects they may have. Being merciful also means rejoicing and suffering with other people.

8. Christ teaches us that the source of the quality of human acts lies in the heart, that is, in a man's soul, in the depths of his spirit. "When we speak of a person's heart, we refer not just to his sentiments, but to the whole person in his loving dealings with others. In order to help us understand divine things, Scripture uses the __expression `heart' in its full human meaning, as the summary and source, __expression and ultimate basis, of one's thoughts, words and actions. A man is worth what his heart is worth" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 164).

Cleanness of heart is a gift of God, which expresses itself in a capacity to love, in having an upright and pure attitude to everything noble. As St. Paul says, "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8). Helped by God's grace, a Christian should constantly strive to cleanse his heart and acquire this purity, whose reward is the vision of God.

9. The translation "peacemakers" well convey the active meaning of the original text--those who foster peace, in themselves and in others and, as a basis for that, try to be reconciled and to reconcile others with God. Being at peace with God is the cause and effect of every kind of peace. Any peace on earth not based on this divine peace would be vain and misleading.

"They shall be called sons of God": this is an Hebraicism often found in Sacred Scripture; it is the same as saying "they will be sons of God". St. John's first letter (3:1) provides a correct exegesis of this Beatitude: "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are".

10. What this Beatitude means, then, is: blessed are those who are persecuted because they are holy, or because they are striving to be holy, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Thus, blessed is he who suffers persecution for being true to Jesus Christ and who does so not only patiently but joyfully. Circumstances arise in a Christian's life that call for heroism--where no compromise is admissible: either one stays true to Jesus Christ whatever the cost in terms of reputation, life or possessions, or one denies Him. St. Bernard ("Sermon on the Feast of All Saints") says that the eighth Beatitude is as it were the prerogative of Christian martyrs. Every Christian who is faithful to Jesus' teaching is in fact a "martyr" (a witness) who reflects or acts according with this Beatitude, even if he does not undergo physical death.

11-12. The Beatitudes are the conditions Jesus lays down for entering the Kingdom of Heaven. This verse, in a way summing up the preceding ones, is an invitation to everyone to put this teaching into practice. The Christian life, then, is no easy matter, but it is worthwhile, given the reward that Jesus promises.
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Mental Prayer for June 11 - I Am the Bread of Life

Mental Prayer Meditation Helps

Presence of God.

Grace I Ask: My God, I ask you for a deep appreciation of the Holy Eucharist.
Mental Picture (cf.John 6: 32-59) : A bright, clear morning... I am on the shore of the Sea of Galilee close to Jesus... the Apostles are near... a large crowd is present. Jesus speaks... "I am the bread of life... who comes to me will never hunger... who believes in me will never thirst... when anyone comes to Me, I will certainly not reject him... I am the bread of life... I am the living bread that has come down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; the bread which I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world... He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood is united with me, and I with him."

My Personal Application: How frequently have I asked Christ our Lord to be united with me physically in Holy Communion? Is there any reason why it should not be every day... or at the very least once a week? And what about all those other men - rich and poor, white and black and brown and yellow, near and far - who also receive Christ? Christ says He is united with them too... and so they, through Communion, are united in an extra-special way with me also. If we all eat together at the table of the Lord, then how should we treat each other when we leave that table?

I Speak to Christ: My Lord and my God, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to receive you in Holy Communion. Please deepen my faith in your divine presence. Help me to love you with all my heart. Help me also to love truly all those other brothers of mine, who share with me your supreme gift, yourself. "Communion" means "union with." Help me to be united with you, and through you with all men.

Thought for Today: "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood is united with me and I with him."
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Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)

Boston Priest Cheered at "Gay" Pride Service

A Catholic priest preached yesterday at the main worship service associated with Boston's gay pride week...

The Rev. Walter H. Cuenin, a longtime advocate of outreach to gays and lesbians in the Catholic Church, did not criticize or dispute Catholic teaching during his remarks, and he quoted several times from a 1997 document issued by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, which declared that "the teachings of the Church make it clear that the fundamental human rights of homosexual persons must be defended."

It is correct that the Church teaches that those who suffer from this disordered inclination are to respected because of their human dignity. However, one cannot respect or defend a homosexual lifestyle - sexual deviance is not a human right. Any attempts to blur the clear distinctions are a scandal.

In 2000, Pope John Paul II called a gay pride parade in Rome an "offense to the Christian values," and last year, his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, issued a document declaring that men who "support the so-called `gay culture' " should not be admitted to Catholic seminaries.

It more than an offense to Christian values - it's an offense to all that is human...

Persecuted priests: A growing problem in US

During the civil war many soldiers suffered such severe wounds that surgeons had to remove limbs to save lives. Eye witnesses describe piles of arms and legs outside makeshift hospitals near the battlefield. Doctors mutilated men to save their lives. But what if the surgeons wouldn't cut? Suppose they ignored infections because they feared the attitudes of those who saw men disfigured by the knife? Even worse, what if they were quacks selling snake oil cures with no concern for their patients at all? The men would die, of course, victims of lethal bacteria.

That's our plight in the Church in the United States.

The patient is the bride of Christ, and her diseased limbs are the many dioceses infected with the corruption of dissent and homosexuality. The doctors are bishops and clergy. Those who cover up the rot are the quacks. They apply false remedies like touching programs and mandatory fingerprinting while covering up and enabling corruption. The true doctors are faithful priests who love the Church and want to purify her. Instead of thanking their loyal sons, bad bishops persecute and vilify them. Meanwhile the quacks and charlatans flourish.

Read more at Catholic Citizens of Illinois

St Stanislaus Has a New Web Site...

...The old "Save St Stans" now redirects to this...

And not surprisingly, it states that it is "Polish Roman Catholic Parish"...

Bishop Finn Ordains 3 Priests...

Some excerpts from his homily:

"In your priestly apostolate, allow God to make you an instrument of justice and peace...Promote the dignity and respect for all human life from its inception until natural death," the bishop said.

"Support with zeal those persons who have no voice of their own - the unborn, those with special needs, the aged and the dying. Defend the integrity of marriage and the family which, as the church teaches, are at the core of our society. Be in solidarity with those who suffer injustices in our society, those who are targets of prejudice, the poor, the migrant and the refugee. Be for them signs of God's love and mercy."

"Above all, be filled with wonder and awe at the mystery of the Holy Eucharist, from which flows the life of the church and which is the primary source of the priest's pastoral love...By the manner of your celebration of the Holy Eucharist and other sacraments, the faithful will understand more fully the transcendent truths of the faith."

"Pray before Mass," he said. "Pray in thanksgiving after Mass. Though you never do this for show, do not hesitate to let your parishioners see you as a man of prayer. They will be inspired both to pray more fervently themselves and also to pray for your perseverance."

"Love confession, both as a necessity in your own life and as the expression of your priestly ministry second only to the Holy Eucharist...Make it clear to the faithful that this sacrament is a vital part of your life," he said.

"Allow yourself to be recognized as priests, not for the sake of privilege or honor, but as a sign of your ready service to God's people. Be spiritual fathers and guides. Be directors of souls. Let your priesthood be your joy...[Appreciate] the gift of priestly celibacy by which you are free to give yourself completely to the church with an undivided heart."

Gospel for Sunday, the Solemnity of The Most Holy Trinity

From: Matthew 28:16-20

Appearance in Galilee. The Mission to the World

[16] Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. [17] And when they saw him they worshipped him; but some doubted. [18] And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."
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Commentary:

16-20. This short passage, which brings to a close the Gospel of St Matthew, is of great importance. Seeing the risen Christ, the disciples adore him, worshipping him as God. This shows that at last they are fully conscious of what, from much earlier on, they felt in their heart and confessed by their words--that their Master is the Messiah, the Son of God (cf. Mt 16:18; Jn 1:49). They are overcome by amazement and joy at the wonder their eyes behold: it seems almost impossible, were he not before their very eyes. Yet he is completely real, so their fearful amazement gives way to adoration. The Master addresses them with the majesty proper to God: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Omnipotence, an attribute belonging exclusively to God, belongs to him: he is confirming the faith of his worshippers; and he is also telling them that the authority which he is going to give them to equip them to carry out their mission to the whole world, derives from his own divine authority.

On hearing him speak these words, we should bear in mind that the authority of the Church, which is given it for the salvation of mankind, comes directly from Jesus Christ, and that this authority, in the sphere of faith and morals, is above any other authority on earth.

The Apostles present on this occasion, and after them their lawful successors, receive the charge of teaching all nations what Jesus taught by word and work: he is the only path that leads to God. The Church, and in it all Christian faithful, have the duty to proclaim until the end of time, by word and example, the faith that they have received. This mission belongs especially to the successors of the Apostles, for on them devolves the power to teach with authority, "for, before Christ ascended to his Father after his resurrection, he [...] entrusted them with the mission and power to proclaim to mankind what they had heard, what they had seen with their eyes, what they had looked upon and touched with their hands, concerning the Word of Life (1 Jn 1: 1). He also entrusted them with the mission and power to explain with authority what he had taught them, his words and actions, his signs and commandments. And he gave them the Spirit to fulfill their mission" (John Paul II, "Catechesi Tradendae", 1). Therefore, the teachings of the Pope and of the Bishops united to him should always be accepted by everyone with assent and obedience.

Here Christ also passes on to the Apostles and their successors the power to baptize, that is, to receive people into the Church, thereby opening up to them the way to personal salvation.

The mission which the Church is definitively given here at the end of St Matthew's Gospel is one of continuing the work of Christ--teaching men and women the truths concerning God and the duty incumbent on them to identify with these truths, to make them their own by having constant recourse to the grace of the sacraments. This mission will endure until the end of time and, to enable it to do this work, the risen Christ promises to stay with the Church and never leave it. When Sacred Scripture says that God is with someone, this means that that person will be successful in everything he undertakes. Therefore, the Church, helped in this way by the presence of its divine Founder, can be confident of never failing to fulfill its mission down the centuries until the end of time.
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.