From: Matthew 6:7-15
An Upright Intention in Almsgiving, Prayer and Fasting (Continuation)
(Jesus said to His disciples:) [7] "And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. [8] Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. [9] Pray then like this: Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. [10] Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. [11] Give us this day our daily bread; [12] And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors; [13] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [14] For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father also will forgive you; [15] but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
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Commentary:
7-8. Jesus condemns the superstitious notion that long prayers are needed to attract God's attention. True piety is not so much a matter of the amount of words as of the frequency and the love with which the Christian turns towards God in all the events, great or small, of his day. Vocal prayer is good, and necessary; but the words count only if they express our inner feelings.
9-13. The "Our Father" is, without any doubt, the most commented-on passage in all Sacred Scripture. Numerous great Church writers have left us commentaries full of poetry and wisdom. The early Christians, taught by the precepts of salvation, and following the divine commandment, centered their prayer on this sublime and simple form of words given them by Jesus. And the last Christians, too, will raise their hearts to say the "Our Father" for the last time when they are on the point of being taken to Heaven. In the meantime, from childhood to death, the "Our Father" is a prayer which fills us with hope and consolation. Jesus fully realized how helpful this prayer would be to us. We are grateful to Him for giving it to us, to the Apostles for passing it on to us and, in the case of most Christians, to our mothers for teaching it to us in our infancy. So important is the Lord's Prayer that from apostolic times it has been used, along with the Creed, the Ten Commandments and the Sacraments, as the basis of Christian catechesis. Catechumens were introduced to the life of prayer by the "Our Father", and our catechisms today use it for that
purpose.
St. Augustine says that the Lord's Prayer is so perfect that it sums up in a few words everything man needs to ask God for (cf. "Sermon", 56). It is usually seen as being made up of an invocation and seven petitions--three to do with praise of God and four with the needs of men.
9. It is a source of great consolation to be able to call God "our Father"; Jesus, the Son of God, teaches men to invoke God as Father because we are indeed His children, and should feel towards Him in that way.
"The Lord [...] is not a tyrannical master or a rigid and implacable judge; He is our Father. He speaks to us about our lack of generosity, our sins, our mistakes; but He also does so in order to free us from them, to promise us His friendship and His love [...]. A child of God treats the Lord as his Father. He is not obsequious and servile, he is not merely formal and well-mannered; he is completely sincere and trusting" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 64).
"Hallowed by Thy name": in the Bible a person's "name" means the same as the person himself. Here the name of God means God Himself. Why pray that His name be hallowed, sanctified? We do not mean sanctification in the human sense--leaving evil behind and drawing closer to God--for God is Holiness Itself. God, rather, is sanctified when His holiness is acknowledged and honored by His creatures--which is what this first petition of the "Our Father" means (cf. "St. Pius Catechism", IV, 10).
10. "Thy Kingdom come": this brings up again the central idea of the Gospel of Jesus Christ--the coming of the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is so identical with the life and work of Jesus Christ that the Gospel is referred to now as the Gospel of Jesus Christ, now as the Gospel of the Kingdom (Matthew 9:35). On the notion of the Kingdom of God see the commentary on Matthew 3:2 and 4:17. The coming of the Kingdom of God is the realization of God's plan of salvation in the world. The Kingdom establishes itself in the first place in the core of man's being, raising him up to share in God's own inner life. This elevation has, as it were, two stages--the first, in this life, where it is brought about by grace; the second, definitive stage in eternal life, where man's elevation to the supernatural level is fully completed. We for our part need to respond to God spontaneously, lovingly and trustingly.
"Thy will be done": this third petition expresses two desires. The first is that man identify humbly and unconditionally with God's will--abandonment in the arms of his Father God. The second that the will of God be fulfilled, that man cooperate with it in full freedom. For example, God's will is to be found in the moral aspect of the divine law--but this law is not forced on man. One of the signs of the coming of the Kingdom is man's loving fulfillment of God's will. The second part of the petition, "on earth as it is in Heaven", means that, just as the angels and saints in Heaven are fully at one with God's will, so--we desire--should the same thing obtain on earth.
Our effort to do God's will proves that we are sincere when we say the words, "Thy will be done." For our Lord says, "Not every one who says to Me, `Lord, Lord' shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven." (Matthew 7:21). "Anyone, then, who sincerely repeats this petition, `Fiat voluntas tua', must, at least in intention, have done this already" (St. Teresa of Avila, "Way of Perfection", chapter 36).
11. In making this fourth petition, we are thinking primarily of our needs in this present life. The importance of this petition is that it declares that the material things we need in our lives are good and lawful. It gives a deep religious dimension to the support of life: what Christ's disciple obtains through his own work is also something for which he should implore God--and he should receive it gratefully as a gift from God. God is our support in life: by asking God to support him and by realizing that it is God who is providing this support, the Christian avoids being worried about material needs. Jesus does not want us to pray for wealth or to be attached to material things, but to seek and make sober use of what meets our needs. Hence, in Matthew as well as in Luke (Luke 11:2), there is reference to having enough food for every day. This fourth petition, then, has to do with moderate use of food and material things--far from the extremes of opulence and misery, as God already taught in the Old Testament "Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food which is needful for me, lest I be full, and deny Thee, and say, `Who is the Lord?' or lest I be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God" (Proverbs 30:8).
The Fathers of the Church interpreted the bread asked for here not only as material food but also as referring to the Blessed Eucharist, without which our spirit cannot stay alive.
According to the "St. Pius V Catechism" (cf. IV, 13, 21) the Eucharist is called our daily bread because it is offered daily to God in the Holy Mass and because we should worthily receive it, every day if possible, as St. Ambrose advises: "If the bread is daily, why do you take it only once a year [...]? Receive daily what is of benefit to you daily! So live that you may deserve to receive it daily!" ("De Sacramentis", V, 4).
12. "Debts": clearly, here, in the sense of sin. In the Aramaic of Jesus' time the same word was used for offense and debt. In this fifth petition, then, we admit that we are debtors because we have offended God. The Old Testament is full of references to man's sinful condition. Even the "righteous" are sinners. Recognizing our sins is the first step in every conversion to God. It is not a question of recognizing that we have sinned in the past but of confessing our
present sinful condition. Awareness of our sinfulness makes us realize our religious need to have recourse to the only One who can cure it. Hence the advantage of praying insistently, using the Lord's Prayer to obtain God's forgiveness time and again.
The second part of this petition is a serious call to forgive our fellow-men, for we cannot dare to ask God to forgive us if we are not ready to forgive others. The Christian needs to realize what this prayer implies: unwillingness to forgive others means that one is condemning oneself (see the notes on Matthew 5:23-24 and 18:21:21-35).
13. "And lead us not into temptation": "We do not ask to be totally exempt from temptation, for human life is one continuous temptation (cf. Job 7:1). What, then, do we pray for in this petition? We pray that the divine assistance may not forsake us, lest having been deceived, or worsted, we should yield to temptation; and that the grace of God may be at hand to succor us when our strength fails, to refresh and invigorate us in our trials" ("St. Pius V Catechism", IV, 15, 14).
In this petition of the "Our Father" we recognize that our human efforts alone do not take us very far in trying to cope with temptation, and that we need to have humble recourse to God, to get the strength we need. For, "God is strong enough to free you from everything and can do you more good than all the devils can do you harm. All that God decrees is that you confide in Him, that you draw near Him, that you trust Him and distrust yourself, and so be helped; and with this help you will defeat whatever hell brings against you. Never lose hold of this firm hope [...] even if the demons are legion and all kinds of severe temptations harass you. Lean upon Him, because if the Lord is not your support and your strength, then you will fall and you will be afraid of everything" (St. John of Avila, "Sermons, 9, First Sunday of Lent").
"But deliver us from evil": in this petition, which, in a way, sums up the previous petitions, we ask the Lord to free us from everything our enemy does to bring us down; we cannot be free of him unless God Himself free us, in response to our prayers.
This sentence can also be translated as "Deliver us from the Evil One", that is to say, the devil, who is in the last analysis the author of all evils to which we are prone.
In making this request we can be sure that our prayer will be heard because Jesus Christ, when He was on the point of leaving this world, prayed to the Father for the salvation of all men: "I do not pray that Thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldst keep them from the evil one" (John 17:15).
14-15. In verses 14 and 15 St. Matthew gives us a sort of commentary of our Lord on the fifth petition of the "Our Father".
A God who forgives is a wonderful God. But if God, who is thrice-holy, has mercy on the sinner, how much more ought we to forgive others--we sinners, who know from our own experience the wretchedness of sin. No one on earth is perfect. Just as God loves us, even though we have defects, and forgives us, we should love others, even though they have defects, and forgive them. If we wait to love people who have no defects, we shall never love anyone. If we wait until others mend their ways or apologize, we will scarcely ever forgive them. But then we ourselves will never be forgiven. "All right: that person has behaved badly towards you. But, haven't you behaved worse towards God?" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 686).
Thus, forgiving those who have offended us makes us like our Father, God: "In loving our enemies there shines forth in us some likeness to God our Father, who, by the death of His Son, ransomed from everlasting perdition and reconciled to Himself the human race, which before was most unfriendly and hostile to Him" ("St. Pius V Catechism", IV, 14, 19).
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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.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Monday, February 14, 2005
Three Abortion Attempts Failed to End Life of UK Baby
SALFORD, February 14, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Doctors at Hope Hospital, Salford, are saying that a child, now two years old, is one of the most premature children to survive a late term abortion attempt.Article here.
“Doctors tried three or four different abortive drugs,” said Dr. Paul Clarke. “It has defeated all the odds.” Dr. Clarke, was one of the doctors treating the unnamed boy during his stay in the neo-natal intensive care unit of Hope Hospital, Salford. He has co-authored a report on the case in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Chicago priest finds premature newborn at church door
When Father Paul Kalchik peered behind the vestibule door at St. Michael Parish in Chicago before the 9:30 a.m. Mass Feb. 6, he saw a bundle wrapped in a blue terry-cloth towel.Source
It wasn't until he unwrapped the cloth that the tiny baby inside started to cry, and Father Kalchik's training as a nurse -- a degree he studied for but never completed -- and as a priest kicked in. "I was thinking, 'Little baby. Cold little baby. Get the baby warm. Get the baby safe,'" Father Kalchik said from his office at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary Feb. 7.
And as he carried the baby up the aisle and into the attached rectory, he noticed the tiny boy urinating on him ("That's good --it means his kidneys are functioning," Father Kalchik thought) as he pronounced the prayers of baptism.
He christened the child Michael Joseph, in honor of St. Michael the Archangel, the parish's patron, and late pastor Father Joseph Nowack. After Father Kalchik wrapped the baby in a dry towel and called authorities, Michael Joseph was taken to Advocate Trinity Hospital. Staff said the boy, at 3 pounds 4 ounces, was about five weeks premature. He needed tube feeding but was otherwise well.
Goodies from St. Joseph Communications
Today I received from St. Joseph Communications. three CDs from the recent Marian Conference held here in St. Louis.
The first is contains the homiles of each Mass, including the homily of Archbishop Burke...
The other two CDs are of talks given by Fr. Eugene Morris, Director of Worship for Kenrick-Glennon Seminary and Assistant Professor of Sacramental Theology. If you have not heard him speak, you should...
By the way, St. Joseph Communications has a number of great tapes, CDs, etc.
The first is contains the homiles of each Mass, including the homily of Archbishop Burke...
The other two CDs are of talks given by Fr. Eugene Morris, Director of Worship for Kenrick-Glennon Seminary and Assistant Professor of Sacramental Theology. If you have not heard him speak, you should...
By the way, St. Joseph Communications has a number of great tapes, CDs, etc.
"No More Secrets," Sister Lucia Said in 2001
The Fatima secret has been totally revealed by the Vatican, and Russia has already been consecrated as Mary requested, confirmed Sister Maria Lucia of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart.
The witness of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin of Fatima made this statement to the then secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, on Nov. 17, 2001, contradicting those who say that the Church still has secrets about the Marian apparition.
I had two of these posts (a result of my frequent problems with 'blogger') and deleted one of the duplicates...In doing so, it seems I inadvertantly deleted the one with comments...I apologize for the error.
Some throw their support behind St. Stanislaus
[A few] Catholics from other parishes are throwing their support behind St. Stanislaus in its fight with St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke. Lay board members invited the public to talk about the battle over control of the Polish parish. It was the first time the board members spoke since Burke took away their rights to receive Sacraments. Several people at Sunday's meeting were from other parishes. A spokesman for the Archbishop says the Archdiocese continues to focus on peace with the board. St. Stanislaus is appealing the Archbishop's latest ruling to the Vatican.All emphasis is mine...
This is from Fox2KTVI.com - copied and posted since it won't be there long...
St. Stanislaus - Taking it to the streets
Candlelight VigilThis is from a pop-up which appears at the St. Stanislaus web site.
To show support for the Parishoners of St. Stanislaus Kostka Church
Place: The Cathedral on Lindell Blvd
Time: 11:00 AM after prayer service
Date: Sunday March 6, 2005
For more information
Norm Pinkowski 314.752.xxxx
normpink@earthlink.net
Paul T. Myoler 314.393.xxxx
It looks like they are following in the same footsteps as the group "Justice for Women in the Catholic Church", a group promoting the ordination of women to the priesthood and diaconate and the "Holy Families" group ("People of Faith for Gay Rights") - both of whom have held "vigils" at the Cathedral in recent months for their "causes"...
What is the common denominator with each of these groups? Post your answers in the comments below...
Diocese of Colorado Springs Sponsoring Conference w/Patrick Madrid
FEBRUARY 26Link.
9am – 4pm
Holy Apostles: The Diocese of Colorado Springs is sponsoring an all day conference with Patrick Madrid. Mr. Madrid is an internationally known evangelist and apologist. He is the current editor of Envoy magazine, host to four EWTN TV and radio shows, acclaimed author and father of eleven. Please register by February 21, with Becca Grove at 719-636-2345. Cost is $10 for Adults, $5 for students, 12 and under free.
KMOX/Charlie Brennan Discussing Jamie Allman
I called KMOX this morning and was told that Charlie Brennan would be having his "discussion" of Jamie Allman around 9:20am this morning...This was a change from my previous post which listed Tuesday as the day.
Since KMOX has no internet feed, it is difficult if not impossible, for desk bound people at work or elsewhere to listen to it. I did make a quick trip to the car about 9:35 for a few minutes and picked up these tidbits of info:
Mr. Brennan, was apparently at the meeting at St. Stanislaus yesterday. He and some of the callers stated that:
Since KMOX has no internet feed, it is difficult if not impossible, for desk bound people at work or elsewhere to listen to it. I did make a quick trip to the car about 9:35 for a few minutes and picked up these tidbits of info:
Mr. Brennan, was apparently at the meeting at St. Stanislaus yesterday. He and some of the callers stated that:
There are many lawyers, bankers and others of high intellect who are perfectly capable of running a church. (My comments: Of course, that is not how the Church is governed, but, he seems to like talking, in this instance, of things of which he apears to have little or no knowledge. The Church permits and wants laymembers in a consultative role. Finance councils are required. People contribute in this way as well as other ways in the life of the Church.)I hope others who were able to listen and/or call in will be able to provide commentary.
The Archbishop and St. Stanislaus need to compromise...(Tried many times and failed, obstinacy of the Board is not easily overcome).
The Archbishop spends too much time out of town and leaves others to handle the media. (Of course, no mention is made of the various responsibilites the Archbishop has, nor of the amount of work he does - let alone how little rest he gets.)
The Archbishop needs to go back to St Stanislaus and speak to the people, providing they do boo him...(or shout at him and call him names or spit on him, as some have reported???? Perhaps he will after they come to their senses, and seek to be united to the Church - .)
Gospel for Monday, 1st Week of Lent
From: Matthew 25:31-46
The Last Judgment
[31] "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. [32] Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, [33] and He will place the sheep at His right hand, but the goats at the left. [34] Then the King will say to those at His right hand, `Come, O blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; [35] for I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me, [36] I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me.' [37] Then the righteous will answer Him, `Lord, when did we see Thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? [38] And when did we see Thee a stranger and welcome Thee, or naked and clothe Thee? [39] And when did we see Thee sick or in prison and visit Thee?' [40] And the King will answer them, `Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of My brethren, you did it to Me.' [41] Then He will say to those at His left hand, `Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; [42] for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink, [43] I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' [44] Then they also will answer, `Lord, when did we see Thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to Thee?' [45] Then He will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to Me.' [46] And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
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Commentary:
31-46. The three parables (Matthew 24:42-51; 25:1-13; and 25:14-30) are completed by the announcement of a rigorous last judgment, a last act in a drama, in which all matters of justice are resolved. Christian tradition calls it the Last Judgment, to distinguish it from the "Particular Judgment" which everyone undergoes immediately after death. The sentence pronounced at the end of time will simply be a public, formal confirmation of that already passed on the good and the evil, the elect and the reprobate.
31-33. In the Prophets and in the Book of Revelation the Messiah is depicted on a throne, like a judge. This is how Jesus will come at the end of the world, to judge the living and the dead.
The Last Judgment is a truth spelled out in the very earliest credal statements of the Church and dogma of faith solemnly defined by Benedict XII in the Constitution "Benedictus Deus" (29 January 1336).
35-46. All the various things listed in this passage (giving people ood and drink, clothing them, visiting them) become works of Christian charity when the person doing them sees Christ in these "least" of His brethren.
Here we can see the seriousness of sins of omission. Failure to do something which one should do means leaving Christ unattended.
"We must learn to recognize Christ when He comes out to meet us in our brothers, the people around us. No human life is ever isolated. It is bound up with other lives. No man or woman is a single verse; we all make up one divine poem which God writes with the cooperation of our freedom" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 111).
We will be judged on the degree and quality of our love (cf. St. John of the Cross, "Spiritual Sentences and Maxims", 57). Our Lord will ask us to account not only for the evil we have done but also for the good we have omitted. We can see that sins of omission are a very serious matter and that the basis of love of neighbor is Christ's presence in the least of our brothers and sisters.
St. Teresa of Avila writes: "Here the Lord asks only two things of us: love for His Majesty and love of our neighbor. It is for these two virtues that we must strive, and if we attain them perfectly we are doing His will [...]. The surest sign that we are keeping these two commandments is, I think, that we should really be loving our neighbor; for we cannot be sure if we are loving God, although we may have good reasons for believing that we are, but we can know quite well if we are loving our neighbor. And be certain that, the farther advanced you find you are in this, the greater the love you will have for God; for so dearly does His Majesty love us that He will reward our love for our neighbor by increasing the love which we bear to Himself, and that in a thousand ways: this I cannot doubt" ("Interior Castle", V, 3).
This parable clearly shows that Christianity cannot be reduced to a kind of agency for "doing good". Service of our neighbor acquires supernatural value when it is done out of love for Christ, when we see Christ in the person in need. This is why St. Paul asserts that "if I give away all I have...but have not love, I gain nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:3). Any interpretation of Jesus' teaching on the Last Judgment would be wide of the mark if it gave it a materialistic meaning or confused mere philanthropy with genuine Christian charity.
40-45. In describing the exigencies of Christian charity which gives meaning to "social aid", the Second Vatican Council says: "Wishing to come to topics that are practical and of some urgency, the Council lays stress on respect for the human person: everyone should look upon his neighbor (without any exception) as another self, bearing in mind, above all, his life and the means necessary for living it in a dignified way, `lest he follow the example of the rich man who ignored Lazarus, the poor man' (cf. Luke 16:18-31).
"Today there is an inescapable duty to make ourselves the neighbor of every man, no matter who he is, and if we meet him, to come to his aid in a positive way, whether he is an aged person abandoned by all, a foreign worker despised without reason, a refugee, an illegitimate child wrongly suffering for a sin he did not commit, or a starving human being who awakens our conscience by calling to mind the words of Christ: `As you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'" ("Gaudium Et Spes," 27).
46. The eternal punishment of the reprobate and the eternal reward of the elect are a dogma of faith solemnly defined by the Magisterium of the Church in the Fourth Lateran Council (1215): "He [Christ] will come at the end of the world; He will judge the living and the dead; and He will reward all, both the lost and the elect, according to their works. And all these will rise with their own bodies which they now have so that they may receive according to their works, whether good or bad; the wicked, a perpetual punishment with the devil; the good, eternal glory with Christ."
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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/
The Last Judgment
[31] "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. [32] Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, [33] and He will place the sheep at His right hand, but the goats at the left. [34] Then the King will say to those at His right hand, `Come, O blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; [35] for I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me, [36] I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me.' [37] Then the righteous will answer Him, `Lord, when did we see Thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? [38] And when did we see Thee a stranger and welcome Thee, or naked and clothe Thee? [39] And when did we see Thee sick or in prison and visit Thee?' [40] And the King will answer them, `Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of My brethren, you did it to Me.' [41] Then He will say to those at His left hand, `Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; [42] for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink, [43] I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' [44] Then they also will answer, `Lord, when did we see Thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to Thee?' [45] Then He will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to Me.' [46] And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
*****************
Commentary:
31-46. The three parables (Matthew 24:42-51; 25:1-13; and 25:14-30) are completed by the announcement of a rigorous last judgment, a last act in a drama, in which all matters of justice are resolved. Christian tradition calls it the Last Judgment, to distinguish it from the "Particular Judgment" which everyone undergoes immediately after death. The sentence pronounced at the end of time will simply be a public, formal confirmation of that already passed on the good and the evil, the elect and the reprobate.
31-33. In the Prophets and in the Book of Revelation the Messiah is depicted on a throne, like a judge. This is how Jesus will come at the end of the world, to judge the living and the dead.
The Last Judgment is a truth spelled out in the very earliest credal statements of the Church and dogma of faith solemnly defined by Benedict XII in the Constitution "Benedictus Deus" (29 January 1336).
35-46. All the various things listed in this passage (giving people ood and drink, clothing them, visiting them) become works of Christian charity when the person doing them sees Christ in these "least" of His brethren.
Here we can see the seriousness of sins of omission. Failure to do something which one should do means leaving Christ unattended.
"We must learn to recognize Christ when He comes out to meet us in our brothers, the people around us. No human life is ever isolated. It is bound up with other lives. No man or woman is a single verse; we all make up one divine poem which God writes with the cooperation of our freedom" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 111).
We will be judged on the degree and quality of our love (cf. St. John of the Cross, "Spiritual Sentences and Maxims", 57). Our Lord will ask us to account not only for the evil we have done but also for the good we have omitted. We can see that sins of omission are a very serious matter and that the basis of love of neighbor is Christ's presence in the least of our brothers and sisters.
St. Teresa of Avila writes: "Here the Lord asks only two things of us: love for His Majesty and love of our neighbor. It is for these two virtues that we must strive, and if we attain them perfectly we are doing His will [...]. The surest sign that we are keeping these two commandments is, I think, that we should really be loving our neighbor; for we cannot be sure if we are loving God, although we may have good reasons for believing that we are, but we can know quite well if we are loving our neighbor. And be certain that, the farther advanced you find you are in this, the greater the love you will have for God; for so dearly does His Majesty love us that He will reward our love for our neighbor by increasing the love which we bear to Himself, and that in a thousand ways: this I cannot doubt" ("Interior Castle", V, 3).
This parable clearly shows that Christianity cannot be reduced to a kind of agency for "doing good". Service of our neighbor acquires supernatural value when it is done out of love for Christ, when we see Christ in the person in need. This is why St. Paul asserts that "if I give away all I have...but have not love, I gain nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:3). Any interpretation of Jesus' teaching on the Last Judgment would be wide of the mark if it gave it a materialistic meaning or confused mere philanthropy with genuine Christian charity.
40-45. In describing the exigencies of Christian charity which gives meaning to "social aid", the Second Vatican Council says: "Wishing to come to topics that are practical and of some urgency, the Council lays stress on respect for the human person: everyone should look upon his neighbor (without any exception) as another self, bearing in mind, above all, his life and the means necessary for living it in a dignified way, `lest he follow the example of the rich man who ignored Lazarus, the poor man' (cf. Luke 16:18-31).
"Today there is an inescapable duty to make ourselves the neighbor of every man, no matter who he is, and if we meet him, to come to his aid in a positive way, whether he is an aged person abandoned by all, a foreign worker despised without reason, a refugee, an illegitimate child wrongly suffering for a sin he did not commit, or a starving human being who awakens our conscience by calling to mind the words of Christ: `As you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'" ("Gaudium Et Spes," 27).
46. The eternal punishment of the reprobate and the eternal reward of the elect are a dogma of faith solemnly defined by the Magisterium of the Church in the Fourth Lateran Council (1215): "He [Christ] will come at the end of the world; He will judge the living and the dead; and He will reward all, both the lost and the elect, according to their works. And all these will rise with their own bodies which they now have so that they may receive according to their works, whether good or bad; the wicked, a perpetual punishment with the devil; the good, eternal glory with Christ."
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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/
Sunday, February 13, 2005
I would feel the same, I 'm afraid...
**** Link Removed **** 2/15/05
Outraged, Sickened, Repelled, Scandalized...
***** UPDATED ******
Fr Dowd provides much needed enlightenment and insights to this story here. Thanks, Father!
St. Stanislaus Parishioners Stand by Board
The board of directors for St. Stanislaus Kostka parish made an hourlong presentation to a vocal and defiant standing-room-only crowd on Sunday morning, detailing the latest proposals and disagreements between board members and the Archdiocese of St. Louis.Some of the comments of participants quoted in the paper:
The meeting, which attracted about 500 of the church's parishioners and supporters, was organized in response to a compilation of materials published in the archdiocesan newspaper, the St. Louis Review, and on its Web site last week. Those articles explained the archdiocesan side in the battle for control over St. Stanislaus's governing structure.
"The bishop is the king in his castle and we are his villagers..."
"It's an abomination that he comes up with something like that." (Speaking of the interdict)
"I don't think they did anything wrong..." (Speaking about the board members)
"Poland was the first country to defeat Communism, and we can beat the archbishop if we stick together."
"It doesn't look good now, but what the archbishop doesn't understand is that we'll never give in..."
"He might be following the law of the church, but he is not following the law of God. My goal is to dig in and stay here."
Article here.
Adoremus Lists US Diocesan Activities for the Year of the Eucharist
Do you know what your diocese is doing?
An Update on Sister Lucia....
This is an excerpt from an Inside the Vatican Newsflash:
ROME, February 14, 2004 -- Sister Lucy of Fatima, a shepherd girl whose mystic visions have sparked the devotion of millions of Catholics, including Mel Gibson -- and drawn scrutiny from the world's intelligence agencies, including the CIA and the KGB -- has died four weeks short of her 98th birthday in Portugal.
Lucy, 97, was the eldest of three shepherd children who in 1917 -- the same year as the Russian revolution -- saw the Virgin Mary appear in Fatima, Portugal on six occasions: May 13, June 13, July 13, August 19 (because the children were imprisoned by communist authorities on August 13), September 13 and October 13.
The Virgin revealed three "secrets" to the children. The secrets spoke of the great events of the 20th century, and of what God asked men to do in order to avoid terrible chastisements for sin (including, according to some accounts, enormous tsunamis which would takes hundreds of thousands of lives).
The Virgin also performed an astonishing miracle before 70,000 witnesses, many of them atheists and secular journalists, on October 13, 1917, when the sun "danced", spun off multi-colored light, and moved toward the earth.
Lucy died at her Carmelite convent at Coimbra in central Portugal.
"She had been weak for several weeks and had not left her cell," Coimbra Bishop Albino Cleto told the Church's Radio Renascenca. Her funeral will be Tuesday, February 15.
Her death saddens many who had hoped she would live still longer, in order to clarify confusions and controversies regarding the messages she received.
"Fatima is undoubtedly the most prophetic of modern apparitions," Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone wrote in an official Vatican statement on the visions in 2000. "The first and second parts of the 'secret' refer especially to the frightening vision of hell, devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Second World War, and finally the prediction of the immense damage that Russia would do to humanity by abandoning the Christian faith and embracing Communist totalitarianism," he said.
In a May 12 letter to Pope John Paul in 1982, Sister Lucy wrote: "The third part of the secret refers to Our Lady's words: 'If not [consecrated and converted] she (Russia) will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated' (July 13, 1917)... And let us not say that it is God who is punishing us in this way; on the contrary it is people themselves who are preparing their own punishment. In his kindness God warns us and calls us to the right path, while respecting the freedom he has given us; hence people are responsible."
Vatican Retreat to Focus on Eucharist
The mystery of the Eucharist will be the principle theme of this year's Spiritual Exercises in the Vatican, explained the retreat master.Zenit article.
Bishop Renato Corti of Novara, vice president of the Italian episcopal conference and consultor of the Congregation for Clergy, known for his profound spirituality and asceticism, will direct the meditations for John Paul II and members of the Curia.
...
For John Paul II, Bishop Corti said, these twelve months must be a "precious occasion for a renewed awareness of the incomparable treasure that Christ has entrusted to his Church."
Sister Lucia, last remaining witness of Fatima apparitions, dies at 97
LISBON (AFP) - Sister Lucia, the last survivor of the three shepherd children to whom the Virgin Mary is said to have made a series of apparitions in 1917, has died of old age, state television RTP reported. She was 97.May Sister Lucia rest in peace and be reunited with her family, Francisco Marto, his sister Jacinta, with all the Saints and, of course, with our Lord.
She died at the convent, the station said citing a spokeswoman for the order.
Tuesday-Jan 15-Charlie Brennan Show on KMOX 1120am
I have been informed that Charlie Brennan is going to devote a FULL show starting at 9am Tuesday, February 15, to the topic of whether Jamie Allman is good or bad for the Archdiocese.
Personally, I think it is about time that the St. Louis Archdiocese has a voice from the media world, to engage the media and the culture. I do not believe that the messenger, in this case, Jamie Allman, is in any way abrasive but that the message itself is difficult for many to accept.
I have tried to recall the instances in which the previous spokeman for the Archdiocese so clearly enunciated the views and positions of the Archbishop and the Archdiocese, but am a loss to recall any other than a few quotes in the Post. Perhaps, others have a different recollection. But then, the past few weeks have been rather different in certain respects.
Considering that Archbishop Burke apparently wanted someone with media experience and other desirable qualifications, and chose Mr. Allman for the position, it seems to me that we should support both Archbishop Burke's decision and Mr. Allman.
It is a fact of history that those who are charged with presenting the views of the Church to the general public will be criticized or even villified.
Lastly, after reading and listening to many, if not most, of the various interviews with Mr. Allman, especially during these past few tumultuous weeks of frenzied media attention, particularly about the St. Stanislaus issue, I have heard nothing but a solid and reasoned defense of Archbishop Burke and his policies and decisions. One wonders, then, why there is this sudden uproar over the new Archdiocesan Executive Director of Communications?
Perhaps those who have the opportunity to listen to the show might also take that opportunity to phone KMOX with support for Mr. Allman and the Archbishop. For those who are unable to listen or call, prayers would be a most worthy alternative.
Personally, I think it is about time that the St. Louis Archdiocese has a voice from the media world, to engage the media and the culture. I do not believe that the messenger, in this case, Jamie Allman, is in any way abrasive but that the message itself is difficult for many to accept.
I have tried to recall the instances in which the previous spokeman for the Archdiocese so clearly enunciated the views and positions of the Archbishop and the Archdiocese, but am a loss to recall any other than a few quotes in the Post. Perhaps, others have a different recollection. But then, the past few weeks have been rather different in certain respects.
Considering that Archbishop Burke apparently wanted someone with media experience and other desirable qualifications, and chose Mr. Allman for the position, it seems to me that we should support both Archbishop Burke's decision and Mr. Allman.
It is a fact of history that those who are charged with presenting the views of the Church to the general public will be criticized or even villified.
Lastly, after reading and listening to many, if not most, of the various interviews with Mr. Allman, especially during these past few tumultuous weeks of frenzied media attention, particularly about the St. Stanislaus issue, I have heard nothing but a solid and reasoned defense of Archbishop Burke and his policies and decisions. One wonders, then, why there is this sudden uproar over the new Archdiocesan Executive Director of Communications?
Perhaps those who have the opportunity to listen to the show might also take that opportunity to phone KMOX with support for Mr. Allman and the Archbishop. For those who are unable to listen or call, prayers would be a most worthy alternative.
A Reader of the Post Dispatch Asks...
If Archbishop Raymond Burke is correct in ordering sanctions against the leadership of St. Stanislaus Church members, does that mean that his predecessors were wrong in taking no action for more than 100 years?This question is phrased in such a way as to confuse the different issues involved here. It would be better to view this question as two distinct questions, and look at them individually.
John F. Bernosky Jr.
St. Charles
First, with regard to the interdict being imposed on the board members:
The directors have illegally amended the bylaws of the parish corporation and have chosen not to follow the direction of the Vatican and the Archbishop to restructure the corporation in a manner consistent with Church law. They are defying the Vatican and the Archbishop in an important matter which touches on the very nature of the Church. When the faithful are no longer in unity with their pastors, they may no longer receive Holy Communion, the sacrament of unity. The Archbishop believes that he must impose a substantial penalty on the directors so that they will understand the seriousness of what they are doing. He hopes that this will have the effect on the board of causing them to reconsider their actions and to decide to follow what the Church, through its appointed representatives, is requiring. (Questions and Answers about St. Stanislaus Parish, Answer to Question 8, [http://archstl.org/parishes/documents/st-stanislaus_Q&A.pdf])Second, with respect to whether Archbishop Burke's predecessors were wrong in taking no action for more than 100 years:
When the parish corporation was formed in 1891, the Archbishop and his successors had significant and necessary authority over the parish corporation. The 1891 charter and bylaws provided that the Archbishop appoint the directors and resolve disputes among the directors (which includes disputes between the pastor and the other directors because the pastor is a member of the board) and, if the Parish ever closed, that all of the property and assets became the “absolute property” of the Archbishop. The corporate documents further provided that any amendments must not be in conflict with Church law. Without consulting the Archbishop, the board has eliminated all of his authority which he had in the 1891 corporate documents. If the bylaws had not been in this way illegally modified, there would not be a controversy today because the changes which are now being made for all other parishes could also have been made for St. Stanislaus had the original bylaws been in place. (Questions and Answers about St. Stanislaus Parish, Answer to Question 1, [http://archstl.org/parishes/documents/st-stanislaus_Q&A.pdf])Further, about the time of the establishment of the St. Stanislaus corporation, the Pope had declared that parishes should not be under the control of civil corporations with lay boards of directors. This declaration of the Holy Father was not uniformly applied until the adoption of the 1917 Code of Canon Law. By 1951, all parishes of the Archdiocese of St. Louis which had this structure were brought into conformity with Church law, except for St. Stanislaus.
In 1943, then-Archbishop John Glennon requested changes be made to the parish structure to conform to Church law.
Then-Archbishop Joseph Ritter in 1954 and again in the mid-1960s requested the necessary steps be taken to change the structure to conform with Church law.
In the fall of 2003 then-Archbishop Justin Rigali met with the board of directors and began the current process of bringing the parish into conformity with the more than 200 other parishes of the archdiocese.
Changes to the civil corporation's bylaws were made by the lay board in 1981 and 2004. These changes eliminated all relationship of the archbishop of St. Louis to the corporation and were made without the approval of the archbishop.
So one can clearly see that the Archbishop's precedessors did try to address the issues. Perhaps they did not follow through as they should have, but there have been no reports of the details of these attempts which I have seen.
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Some Background on Canon 1373
Canon 1373 (one of the canons which Archbishop Burke states is applicable in the St. Stanislaus matter) of the 1983 Code of Canon Law reads as follows:
It it important to protect the exercise of Church authority; it is essential for the Church and community to function in an healthy atmosphere.
Can. 1373 A person who publicly incites his or her subjects to hatred or animosity against the Apostolic See or the Ordinary because of some act of ecclesiastical authority or ministry, or who provokes the subjects to disobedience against them, is to be punished by interdict or other just penalties.Two canons of the 1917 Code are included in or are incorporated in Canon 1373. One of them is canon 2331 §2 on conspiracy against lawful authority and the other is canon 2344 on offenses against significant hierarchical authorities.
It it important to protect the exercise of Church authority; it is essential for the Church and community to function in an healthy atmosphere.
Regarding canon 2331:
Disobedience becomes schism when it implies rejection of the Pope's authority and separation from the center of unity. But without going that far, it may be a sufficiently grave disorder to call for a special sanction. Two forms of it are dealt with in this canon (No. 2331).
#1. Simple disobedience. Obstinate disregard for the legitimate commands or prohibitions of the Sovereign Pontiff or of the Ordinary is to be punished according to the gravity of the offence. The nature of the penalty is not determined, but it is explicitly stated that even censures may be used if the case demands.
There must be obstinacy, which supposes previous warnings; and the orders which have been disobeyed are legitimate. Papal commands are always presumed to be so. Should they seem to hard to comply with or perhaps based on insufficient information, explanations may be offered, but if they are maintained, implicit submission remains the only course to follow.
If the Ordinary's enactments appeared objectionable, appeal or recourse to higher authority would be permitted; but in most matters, obedience would meanwhile be obligatory.
#2. Conspiracy. Disobedience is more criminal, more dangerous to common order, when to it is added conspiracy and several persons encourage one another, support one another, in the insubordination. Then those who conspire against the Roman Pontiff or of his legate or of their Ordinary, who strive to place obstacles to the legitimate exercise of that authority or to spread the spirit of rebellion among the subjects, are to be placed under censures or otherwise punished.
If they are clerics,...
The commentary regarding canon 2344 states:
Attacks on the neighbor's reputation, honor, or character, i.e., personal as distinct from real injuries, are also delinquencies often and severely punished in ancient canons...The Decretals have two distinct titles on the subject (De Maledicis, De Injuriis, v, 26, 36).
Much of this legislation was merely local or had fallen into desuetude with the change of social conditions adapting them to present needs.
#1. The persons to whom this is intended to protect belong to the highest ranks of the hierarchy: the Pope, the Cardinals, Apostolic legates, the Sacred Congregations, the Roman tribunals and their major Official, and the Ordinary of the possible offenders.
#2. The abuses at which the law strikes here consist in injurious attacks, direct or indirect, against the prelates, in the public press or speeches or libels; or in denunciations calculated to excite animosity against their acts, decrees, decisions, or sentences.
#3. The penalties are ferendae sententiae and left to the judgement of the Ordinary. He is to proceed ex officio against the delinquents, when the offended parties do not sue them, and oblige them to make proper reparation, making use even of censures or other punishments and penances, as the gravity of the fault and the scandal may demand.
*****
Source: Penal Legislation in the New Code of Canon Law (Book 5)
by Very Rev. H.A.Ayrinhac, S.S., D.D., D.C.L
Copyright 1920
Prayer Protest at St. Louis University Friday Night
There were, perhaps, twenty people or so at the prayer protest at St Louis University on Friday evening, praying the Rosary and being witnesses against the vulgarity of the performance going on at Tegeler Hall.
The organizers of the prayer vigil decided to repeat this for the remaining two shows, one this evening (Saturday) and the one tomorrow afternoon. I was unable to attend this evening's prayer vigil due to other commitments.
Tomorrow afternoon, the prayer protest is on and people are requested to meet at 12:45 at the College Church, and pray from 1:00 to 2:00.
The organizers of the prayer vigil decided to repeat this for the remaining two shows, one this evening (Saturday) and the one tomorrow afternoon. I was unable to attend this evening's prayer vigil due to other commitments.
Tomorrow afternoon, the prayer protest is on and people are requested to meet at 12:45 at the College Church, and pray from 1:00 to 2:00.
A Blog Feed Reader
This bit of software was recommended here by Fr. Thomas Dowd, of whose blog I only recently became aware.
It's really a great little program which allows one to keep up-to-date on a number of different blogs all in one window. Fr Dowd has provided a much better explanation and, hence, there is no reason to repeat it...I'm using the software, and it's one of those things about which I can say, "How did I ever get along without it?"
Check it out here.
It's really a great little program which allows one to keep up-to-date on a number of different blogs all in one window. Fr Dowd has provided a much better explanation and, hence, there is no reason to repeat it...I'm using the software, and it's one of those things about which I can say, "How did I ever get along without it?"
Check it out here.
Gibson to Re-Release “Passion of the Christ” in time for Holy Week
The new cut tones down the more violent scenes, such as the scourging and some scenes from the crucifixion, in order to avoid a restricted rating. Daily Variety reported Thursday that Gibson plans to trim five to six minutes from the film, for re-release in US theatres March 11.
Pontifical Household Preacher Comments on Sunday's Gospel
In addition to the commentary from the Navarre Bible on the Gospel for the !st Sunday of Lent, "Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, the preacher of the Pontifical Household, alerts the faithful about the devil's action and reminds them that Christ has conquered him."
Today the devil, Satanism, and other related phenomena, are gaining momentum and this is very disturbing. Our technological and industrialized world is overrun with wizards, witches, occultism, spiritualism, voluble fortune tellers, vendors of spells and amulets, as well as authentic Satanic sects. Thrown out the door, the devil has come back in through the window. That is, expelled from faith he has returned with superstition.Complete Zenit article here.
The episode of Jesus' temptations in the desert helps to clarify matters. First of all, does the devil exist? Does the word devil really indicate a personal reality, gifted with intelligence and will or is he only a symbol, a way of speaking to indicate the sum of the moral evil of the world, the collective unconscious, collective alienations, etc.? Among intellectuals, many do not believe in the devil understood in the first sense.
Gospel for the 1st Sunday in Lent
Matthew 4:1-11
Jesus Fasts and Is Tempted
[1] Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. [2] And He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward He was hungry. [3] And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." [4] But He answered, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"
[5] Then the devil took Him to the holy city, and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, [6] and said to Him, "If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'He will give His angels charge of you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone'" [7] Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'" [8] Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world
and the glory of them; [9] and he said to Him, "All these I will give You, if You will fall down and worship me." [10] Then Jesus said to him, "Begone, Satan! for it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.'"
[11] Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
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Commentary:
1. Jesus, our Savior, allowed Himself to be tempted because He so chose; and He did so out of love for us and to instruct us. However, since He was perfect He could only be tempted externally. Catholic teaching tells us that there are three levels of temptation: 1) suggestion, that is, external temptation, which we can undergo without committing any sin; 2) temptation in which we take a certain delight, whether prolonged or not, even though we do not give clear consent; this level of
temptation has now become internal and there is some sinfulness in it; 3) temptation to which we consent; this is always sinful, and since it affects the deepest part of the soul, it is definitely internal. By allowing Himself to be tempted, Jesus wanted to teach us how to fight and conquer our temptations. We will do this by having trust in God and prayer, with the help of God's grace and by having fortitude.
Jesus' temptations in the desert have a deep significance in salvation history. All the most important people throughout sacred history were tempted--Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, and the Chosen People themselves. Similarly with Jesus. By rejecting the temptations of the devil, our Lord atones for the falls of those who went before Him and those who come after Him. He is an example for us in all the temptations we were subsequently to have, and also for the battles between the Church and the power of the devil. Later Jesus teaches us in the "Our Father" to
ask God to help us with His grace not to fall at the time of temptation.
2. Before beginning His work as Messiah, that is, before promulgating the New Law or New Testament, Jesus prepares Himself by prayer and fasting in the desert. Moses acted in the same way before proclaiming, in God's name, the Old Law on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:28). Elijah, too, journeyed for forty days in the desert to fulfill the Law (1 Kings 19:5-8).
The Church follows Jesus' footsteps by prescribing the yearly Lenten fast. We should practice Lent each year with this spirit of piety. "It can be said that Christ introduced the tradition of forty days fast into the Church's liturgical year, because He Himself 'fasted forty days and forty nights' before beginning to teach. By this Lenten fast the Church is in a certain sense called every year to follow her Master and Lord if she wishes to preach His Gospel effectively" ([Pope] John Paul II, "General Audience", 28 February 1979). In the same way, Jesus' withdrawal into the desert invites us to prepare ourselves by prayer and penance before any important decision or action.
3. Jesus had fasted forty days and forty nights. Naturally He is very hungry and the devil makes use of this opportunity to tempt Him. Our Lord rejects the temptation and in doing so He uses a phrase from Deuteronomy (8:3). Although He could do this miracle, He prefers to continue to trust His Father since performing the miracle is not part of His plan of salvation. In return for this trust, angels come and minister to Him (Matthew 4:11).
Miracles in the Bible are extraordinary and wonderful deeds done by God to make His words or actions understood. They do not occur as isolated outpourings of God's power but rather as part of the work of Redemption. What the devil proposes in this temptation would be for Jesus' benefit only and therefore could not form part of the plan for Redemption. This suggests that the devil, in tempting Him in this way, wanted to check if Jesus is the "Son of God". For, although he seems to know about the voice from Heaven at Jesus' baptism, he cannot see how the Son of God could be hungry. By the way He deals with the temptation, Jesus teaches us that when we ask God for things we should not ask in the first place for what we can obtain by our own efforts. Neither should we ask for what is exclusively for our own convenience, but rather for what will help towards our holiness or that of others.
4. Jesus' reply is an act of trust in God's fatherly providence. God led Him into the desert to prepare Him for His messianic work, and now He will see to it that Jesus does not die. This point is underlined by the fact that Jesus' reply evokes Deuteronomy 8:3, where the sons of Israel are reminded how Yahweh fed them miraculously with manna in the desert. Therefore, in contrast to the Israelites who were impatient when faced with hunger in the desert, Jesus trustingly leaves His
well-being to His Father's providence. The words of Deuteronomy 8:3, repeated here by Jesus, associate "bread" and "word" as having both come from the mouth of God: God speaks and gives His Law; God speaks and makes manna appear as food.
Also, manna is commonly used in the New Testament (see, for example, in 6:32-58) and throughout Tradition as a symbol of the Eucharist.
The Second Vatican Council points out another interesting aspect of Jesus' words when it proposes guidelines for international cooperation in economic matters: "In many instances there exists a pressing need to reassess economic structures, but caution must be exercised with regard to proposed solutions which may be untimely, especially those which offer material advantages while militating against man's spiritual nature and advancement. For 'man shall not live by bread alone, but by
every word that proceeds from the mouth of God'" ("Gaudium Et Spes", 86).
5. Tradition suggests that this temptation occurred at the extreme southern corner of the temple wall. At this point, the wall was at its highest, since the ground beneath sloped away steeply to the Cedron River. Looking down from this point one could easily get a feeling of vertigo.
St. Gregory the Great ("In Evangelia Homiliae", 16) says that if we consider how our Lord allowed Himself to be treated during His passion, it is not surprising that He allowed the devil also to treat Him as he did.
6. "Holy Scripture is good, but heresies arise through its not being understood properly" (St. Augustine, "In Ioann. Evang., 18, 1). Catholics should be on their guard against arguments which, though they claim to be founded on Scripture, are nevertheless untrue. As we can see in this passage of the Gospel, the devil can also set himself up at times as an interpreter of Scripture, quoting it to suit himself. Therefore, any interpretation which is not in line with the teaching
contained in the Tradition of the Church should be rejected.
The error proposed by a heresy normally consists in stressing certain passages to the exclusion of others, interpreting them at will, losing sight of the unity that exists in Scripture and the fact that the faith is all of a piece.
7. Jesus rejects the second temptation as He did the first; to do otherwise would have been to tempt God. In rejecting it, He uses a phrase from Deuteronomy (6:16): "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test". In this way He alludes to the passage in Exodus where the Israelites demand a miracle of Moses. The latter replies, "Why do you put the Lord to the proof?"
To tempt God is the complete opposite of having trust in Him. It means presumptuously putting ourselves in the way of unnecessary danger, expecting God to help us by an exceptional use of His power. We would also tempt Him if, by our unbelief and arrogance, we were to ask Him for signs or proof. The very first lesson from this passage of the Gospel is that if ever a person were to ask or demand extraordinary proofs or signs from God, he would clearly be tempting Him.
8-10. The third temptation is the most pseudo-messianic of the three: Jesus is urged to appropriate to Himself the role of an earthly messianic king of the type so widely expected at the time. Our Lord's vigorous reply, "Begone, Satan!" is an uncompromising rejection of an earthly messianism--an attempt to reduce His transcendent, God-given mission to a purely human and political use. By His attitude, Jesus, as it were, rectifies and makes amends for the worldly views of the people of Israel. And, for the same reason, it is a warning to the Church, God's true Israel, to remain faithful to its God-given mission of salvation in the world. The Church's pastors should be on the alert and not allow themselves to be deceived by this temptation of the devil.
"We should learn from Jesus' attitude in these trials. During His life on earth He did not even want the glory that belonged to Him. Though He had the right to be treated as God, He took the form of a servant, a slave (cf. Philippians 2:6-7). And so the Christian knows that all the glory is due to God and that he must not make use of the sublimity and greatness of the Gospel to further his own interests or human ambitions.
"We should learn from Jesus. His attitude in rejecting all human glory is in perfect balance with the greatness of His unique mission as the beloved Son of God who takes flesh to save men [...]. And the Christian, who, following Christ, has this attitude of complete adoration of the Father, also experiences our Lord's loving care: 'because he cleaves to Me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect
him, because he knows My name' (Psalm 90:14)" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 62).
11. If we struggle constantly, we will attain victory. And nobody is crowned without having first conquered: "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10). By coming to minister to Jesus after He rejects the temptations, the angels teach us the interior joy given by God to the person who fights energetically against the temptations of the devil. God has given us also powerful defenders against such temptations--our guardian angels, on whose aid we
should call.
*******************
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.
Jesus Fasts and Is Tempted
[1] Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. [2] And He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward He was hungry. [3] And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." [4] But He answered, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"
[5] Then the devil took Him to the holy city, and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, [6] and said to Him, "If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'He will give His angels charge of you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone'" [7] Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'" [8] Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world
and the glory of them; [9] and he said to Him, "All these I will give You, if You will fall down and worship me." [10] Then Jesus said to him, "Begone, Satan! for it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.'"
[11] Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
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Commentary:
1. Jesus, our Savior, allowed Himself to be tempted because He so chose; and He did so out of love for us and to instruct us. However, since He was perfect He could only be tempted externally. Catholic teaching tells us that there are three levels of temptation: 1) suggestion, that is, external temptation, which we can undergo without committing any sin; 2) temptation in which we take a certain delight, whether prolonged or not, even though we do not give clear consent; this level of
temptation has now become internal and there is some sinfulness in it; 3) temptation to which we consent; this is always sinful, and since it affects the deepest part of the soul, it is definitely internal. By allowing Himself to be tempted, Jesus wanted to teach us how to fight and conquer our temptations. We will do this by having trust in God and prayer, with the help of God's grace and by having fortitude.
Jesus' temptations in the desert have a deep significance in salvation history. All the most important people throughout sacred history were tempted--Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, and the Chosen People themselves. Similarly with Jesus. By rejecting the temptations of the devil, our Lord atones for the falls of those who went before Him and those who come after Him. He is an example for us in all the temptations we were subsequently to have, and also for the battles between the Church and the power of the devil. Later Jesus teaches us in the "Our Father" to
ask God to help us with His grace not to fall at the time of temptation.
2. Before beginning His work as Messiah, that is, before promulgating the New Law or New Testament, Jesus prepares Himself by prayer and fasting in the desert. Moses acted in the same way before proclaiming, in God's name, the Old Law on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:28). Elijah, too, journeyed for forty days in the desert to fulfill the Law (1 Kings 19:5-8).
The Church follows Jesus' footsteps by prescribing the yearly Lenten fast. We should practice Lent each year with this spirit of piety. "It can be said that Christ introduced the tradition of forty days fast into the Church's liturgical year, because He Himself 'fasted forty days and forty nights' before beginning to teach. By this Lenten fast the Church is in a certain sense called every year to follow her Master and Lord if she wishes to preach His Gospel effectively" ([Pope] John Paul II, "General Audience", 28 February 1979). In the same way, Jesus' withdrawal into the desert invites us to prepare ourselves by prayer and penance before any important decision or action.
3. Jesus had fasted forty days and forty nights. Naturally He is very hungry and the devil makes use of this opportunity to tempt Him. Our Lord rejects the temptation and in doing so He uses a phrase from Deuteronomy (8:3). Although He could do this miracle, He prefers to continue to trust His Father since performing the miracle is not part of His plan of salvation. In return for this trust, angels come and minister to Him (Matthew 4:11).
Miracles in the Bible are extraordinary and wonderful deeds done by God to make His words or actions understood. They do not occur as isolated outpourings of God's power but rather as part of the work of Redemption. What the devil proposes in this temptation would be for Jesus' benefit only and therefore could not form part of the plan for Redemption. This suggests that the devil, in tempting Him in this way, wanted to check if Jesus is the "Son of God". For, although he seems to know about the voice from Heaven at Jesus' baptism, he cannot see how the Son of God could be hungry. By the way He deals with the temptation, Jesus teaches us that when we ask God for things we should not ask in the first place for what we can obtain by our own efforts. Neither should we ask for what is exclusively for our own convenience, but rather for what will help towards our holiness or that of others.
4. Jesus' reply is an act of trust in God's fatherly providence. God led Him into the desert to prepare Him for His messianic work, and now He will see to it that Jesus does not die. This point is underlined by the fact that Jesus' reply evokes Deuteronomy 8:3, where the sons of Israel are reminded how Yahweh fed them miraculously with manna in the desert. Therefore, in contrast to the Israelites who were impatient when faced with hunger in the desert, Jesus trustingly leaves His
well-being to His Father's providence. The words of Deuteronomy 8:3, repeated here by Jesus, associate "bread" and "word" as having both come from the mouth of God: God speaks and gives His Law; God speaks and makes manna appear as food.
Also, manna is commonly used in the New Testament (see, for example, in 6:32-58) and throughout Tradition as a symbol of the Eucharist.
The Second Vatican Council points out another interesting aspect of Jesus' words when it proposes guidelines for international cooperation in economic matters: "In many instances there exists a pressing need to reassess economic structures, but caution must be exercised with regard to proposed solutions which may be untimely, especially those which offer material advantages while militating against man's spiritual nature and advancement. For 'man shall not live by bread alone, but by
every word that proceeds from the mouth of God'" ("Gaudium Et Spes", 86).
5. Tradition suggests that this temptation occurred at the extreme southern corner of the temple wall. At this point, the wall was at its highest, since the ground beneath sloped away steeply to the Cedron River. Looking down from this point one could easily get a feeling of vertigo.
St. Gregory the Great ("In Evangelia Homiliae", 16) says that if we consider how our Lord allowed Himself to be treated during His passion, it is not surprising that He allowed the devil also to treat Him as he did.
6. "Holy Scripture is good, but heresies arise through its not being understood properly" (St. Augustine, "In Ioann. Evang., 18, 1). Catholics should be on their guard against arguments which, though they claim to be founded on Scripture, are nevertheless untrue. As we can see in this passage of the Gospel, the devil can also set himself up at times as an interpreter of Scripture, quoting it to suit himself. Therefore, any interpretation which is not in line with the teaching
contained in the Tradition of the Church should be rejected.
The error proposed by a heresy normally consists in stressing certain passages to the exclusion of others, interpreting them at will, losing sight of the unity that exists in Scripture and the fact that the faith is all of a piece.
7. Jesus rejects the second temptation as He did the first; to do otherwise would have been to tempt God. In rejecting it, He uses a phrase from Deuteronomy (6:16): "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test". In this way He alludes to the passage in Exodus where the Israelites demand a miracle of Moses. The latter replies, "Why do you put the Lord to the proof?"
To tempt God is the complete opposite of having trust in Him. It means presumptuously putting ourselves in the way of unnecessary danger, expecting God to help us by an exceptional use of His power. We would also tempt Him if, by our unbelief and arrogance, we were to ask Him for signs or proof. The very first lesson from this passage of the Gospel is that if ever a person were to ask or demand extraordinary proofs or signs from God, he would clearly be tempting Him.
8-10. The third temptation is the most pseudo-messianic of the three: Jesus is urged to appropriate to Himself the role of an earthly messianic king of the type so widely expected at the time. Our Lord's vigorous reply, "Begone, Satan!" is an uncompromising rejection of an earthly messianism--an attempt to reduce His transcendent, God-given mission to a purely human and political use. By His attitude, Jesus, as it were, rectifies and makes amends for the worldly views of the people of Israel. And, for the same reason, it is a warning to the Church, God's true Israel, to remain faithful to its God-given mission of salvation in the world. The Church's pastors should be on the alert and not allow themselves to be deceived by this temptation of the devil.
"We should learn from Jesus' attitude in these trials. During His life on earth He did not even want the glory that belonged to Him. Though He had the right to be treated as God, He took the form of a servant, a slave (cf. Philippians 2:6-7). And so the Christian knows that all the glory is due to God and that he must not make use of the sublimity and greatness of the Gospel to further his own interests or human ambitions.
"We should learn from Jesus. His attitude in rejecting all human glory is in perfect balance with the greatness of His unique mission as the beloved Son of God who takes flesh to save men [...]. And the Christian, who, following Christ, has this attitude of complete adoration of the Father, also experiences our Lord's loving care: 'because he cleaves to Me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect
him, because he knows My name' (Psalm 90:14)" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 62).
11. If we struggle constantly, we will attain victory. And nobody is crowned without having first conquered: "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10). By coming to minister to Jesus after He rejects the temptations, the angels teach us the interior joy given by God to the person who fights energetically against the temptations of the devil. God has given us also powerful defenders against such temptations--our guardian angels, on whose aid we
should call.
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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.
Dr. James Hitchcock Radio Interview on...
St Stanislaus, the new Vatican statement on annulments & should the Pope retire?
The interview begins at 33 minutes and 40 seconds into the recording.
The link is here.
The interview begins at 33 minutes and 40 seconds into the recording.
The link is here.
A Summary of Previous St. Stanislaus Posts & Links
In checking some of the links, I discovered that a few of the St. Louis Post Dispatch links were no longer working. I'm not certain of the Post's article retention policy, perhaps the articles were purged...
The links are here and cover most of the past year.
The links are here and cover most of the past year.
Abp. Chaput: Conscience and contraception
DENVER, February 11, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In a commentary appearing in the Denver Post Tuesday, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput condemned a potential bill that would mandate that women victims of rape automatically receive the abortifacient morning-after pill by all hospitals, Catholic and non.Full LifeSiteNew article here
Archbishop Chaput responded to criticism from Colorado State Representative Fran Coleman, who during debate of the bill in the House January 31, said, “I absolutely resent the Catholic Church preaching to me because I represent people of all faiths,” in reaction to a letter from the Church condemning the Bill. “I question their ability to continue to be in a tax-exempt status. We don't need to be preached or read to,” according to a Rocky Mountain News report.
“If enacted, HB 1042 would have the dubious distinction of being the first law in Colorado to require a Catholic entity to actively violate its own teachings . . .,” the Colorado Conference of Bishops letter stated.
Archbishop Chaput's letter is here
Notre Dame Sponsorship of Festival Conflicts with Church Teachings
This is an article by Bishop John M. D'Arcy who is bishop of the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese.
For the second time, the University of Notre Dame is sponsoring, through six of its departments, a seminar and film festival under the title Queer Film Festival. The presenters who have been scheduled have a history of not supporting, and indeed openly opposing, church teaching concerning the morality of homosexual acts.Source.
Freedom is always linked to truth. In this seminar, held at a Catholic university, there is no place given to the presentation of Catholic teaching on the matter of homosexuality. The rights of others are violated. What about the rights of the church to have its teachings properly presented? What about the rights of parents of those students at Notre Dame who find the contents of this seminar offensive?
Hans Kueng Calls for Pope to Resign
BERLIN: Roman Catholicism's leading rebel theologian, Hans Kueng, has joined a growing number of voices calling on Pope John Paul II to resign for the good of the Church.Words of a truely confused individual...a "theologian", whose opinions reign supreme, above the teachings of the Church. The fact is, he left the Church many years ago.
The blunt Swiss 76-year-old told Germany's ARD television last night: "A Pope can resign for the need and necessity of the Church. I think this instance has now arisen - he must resign for the need and necessity of the Church."
"We cannot go on as we are," added Kueng, a priest who was banned by the Vatican from teaching Catholic theology in 1979 after challenging papal infallibility.
The Catholic Church has become "as decrepit as the Pope", he said.
Source.
Cardinal Arinze Speaks on the Eucharist
I am really looking forward to seeing and hearing Cardinal Arinze when he comes here in April for a Liturgical Conference.
I recently watched a tape of a presentation he Gave at The Church Teaches Forum entitled, The Reverence Due to the Holy Eucharist. What a blessing this man is for the Church. We have so much for which to be thankful to God!
Cardnal Arinze recently gave a talk on The Centrality of the Holy Eucharist in the Christian Life while he was visiting Ave Maria University in Naples, Fl. The talk was given at St. Peter the Apostle Church.
The text of his talk is here.
I recently watched a tape of a presentation he Gave at The Church Teaches Forum entitled, The Reverence Due to the Holy Eucharist. What a blessing this man is for the Church. We have so much for which to be thankful to God!
Cardnal Arinze recently gave a talk on The Centrality of the Holy Eucharist in the Christian Life while he was visiting Ave Maria University in Naples, Fl. The talk was given at St. Peter the Apostle Church.
The text of his talk is here.
Gospel for Saturday after Ash Wednesday
From: Luke 5:27-32
The Calling of Matthew
[27] After this He (Jesus) went out, and saw a tax collector, named Levi, sitting at the tax office; and He said to him, "Follow Me." [28] And Levi left everything, and rose and followed Him.
[29] And Levi made Him a great feast in His house; and there was a large company of tax collectors and others sitting at table with them. [30] And the Pharisees and their scribes murmured against His disciples saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" [31] And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; [32] I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
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Commentary:
27-29. Levi, better known as Matthew, responds generously and promptly to the call from Jesus. To celebrate and to show how appreciative he is for his vocation he gives a banquet. This passage of the Gospel shows us that a vocation is something we should be very grateful for and happy about. If we see it only in terms of renunciation and giving things up, and not as a gift from God and something which will enhance us and redound to others' benefit, we can easily become depressed, like the rich young man who, not wanting to give up his possession, went away sad (Luke 18:18). Matthew believes in quite the opposite way, as did the Magi who "when they saw the star rejoiced exceedingly with great joy" (Matthew 2:10) and who gave much more importance to adoring the new-born God than to all the inconveniences involved in travelling to see Him. See also the notes on Matthew 9:9; 9:10-11; 9:12, 9:13; and Mark 2:14; 2:17.
32. Since this is how Jesus operates, the only way we can be saved is by admitting before God, in all simplicity, that we are sinners. "Jesus has no time for calculations, for astuteness, for the cruelty of cold hearts, for attractive but empty beauty. What He likes is the cheerfulness of a young heart, a simple step, a natural voice, clean eyes, attention to His affectionate word of advice. That is how He reigns in the soul" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 181).
***************
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.
The Calling of Matthew
[27] After this He (Jesus) went out, and saw a tax collector, named Levi, sitting at the tax office; and He said to him, "Follow Me." [28] And Levi left everything, and rose and followed Him.
[29] And Levi made Him a great feast in His house; and there was a large company of tax collectors and others sitting at table with them. [30] And the Pharisees and their scribes murmured against His disciples saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" [31] And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; [32] I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
*******************
Commentary:
27-29. Levi, better known as Matthew, responds generously and promptly to the call from Jesus. To celebrate and to show how appreciative he is for his vocation he gives a banquet. This passage of the Gospel shows us that a vocation is something we should be very grateful for and happy about. If we see it only in terms of renunciation and giving things up, and not as a gift from God and something which will enhance us and redound to others' benefit, we can easily become depressed, like the rich young man who, not wanting to give up his possession, went away sad (Luke 18:18). Matthew believes in quite the opposite way, as did the Magi who "when they saw the star rejoiced exceedingly with great joy" (Matthew 2:10) and who gave much more importance to adoring the new-born God than to all the inconveniences involved in travelling to see Him. See also the notes on Matthew 9:9; 9:10-11; 9:12, 9:13; and Mark 2:14; 2:17.
32. Since this is how Jesus operates, the only way we can be saved is by admitting before God, in all simplicity, that we are sinners. "Jesus has no time for calculations, for astuteness, for the cruelty of cold hearts, for attractive but empty beauty. What He likes is the cheerfulness of a young heart, a simple step, a natural voice, clean eyes, attention to His affectionate word of advice. That is how He reigns in the soul" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 181).
***************
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.
Friday, February 11, 2005
Lay sermons permitted, Vatican tells Swiss bishops?
Proposals by Swiss bishops to allow lay theologians to give sermons and Protestants to receive Communion have met with the approval of the Curia in Rome, Bishop Amédée Grab, president of the Swiss bishops' conference, said this week.More here.
Directors Reject Interdict (A Corrected Version)
St. Stanislaus Kostka Polish Roman Catholic ParishThe original version with all of the errors is here.
1413 N. Twentieth Street
St. Louis. Missouri 63106
News Release
8 February 2005
Directors RejectInterdictthe Authority of the Bishop and the Holy See
Archbishop Raymond L. Burke has rejected the [un]reasonable andgenerousdisingeuous offers of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish and has insteadchosenbeen forced to impose thecontemptiblejust and medicinal penalty of Interdict against the Board of Directors of the Parish Corporation. Archbishop Burke does this not over an issue of faith, but ratherover his demand for money and propertyto bring the parish in compliance with the laws of the Church, which have, so far, been rejected by the Directors.
The Directors, unanimously and withclearclouded and erroneous consciences, refuse to recognize any validity to suchan immoral, unjust and inequitablea lawful and obligatory sanction.
Archbishop Burke’sharshjustifiable and required actexceedsfollows ecclesiastical penalties imposed by him against the many accused and convicted priest[s]pedophileswho violated the laws of God and man,and insteadwhile others hid and denied those crimes helping bring theAmerican? Catholic Church to the brink of financial and moral ruin.
The actions of Archbishop Burke, who has steadfastlyrefused to meet withadmonished those hepunishesloves,exceedare within all bounds of reason and clearly indicate the priority that he places onhis own desires over that ofthe common good of the flock he has been appointed to shepherd. It is aboutraw power and greed, and nottime that a Successor of the Apostles is steadfast about the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Church and the disciplines required by Jesus and His Church in order to follow Him.
While the Archdiocese will no doubt attempt to continue todisparagepray for the Directors and Parishioners of St. Stanislausaseven though some are disobedient and rebellious against his decrees and hisselectiveproper interpretation and use of “Church law,” it is in fact Archbishop Burke whorepudiatesis faithful to his vows to serve the people, in favor of satisfyinghis own demands for power,not his will, but God's Will and Christ's command and his obligations as Archbishop.
We did not abandon our faith reluctantly but entusiastically. Archbishop Burke has not abandoned St. Stanislaus. TheArchbishopBoard of Directors abandoned St. Stanislaus by forcing Archbishop Burke to removeremovingthe priests from thefaithfulthe parish and forbidding the Sacraments at St. Stanislaus. The Archbishop continues torefuse to even meet withpray for the Board that he now tries tocondemnconvince to come to their senses.Instead ofEven though talking and being questioned by the people has not been entirely fruitful, he hires ahighly paid PR spokesmanreplacement Director of Communications tospin his demandsspeak to the press when he is unavailable to do so himself.
Instead of treating what is sacred as sacred,Archbishop Burkethe Board usesthe Sacraments as a bargaining chippolemics and inflammatory speech to incite the people and causes the priests to be removed. He refuses the Sacraments to no one except the Boardhe holds in one hand unlessuntil such time as the Directors accede tohis demands to put St. Stanislaus’ money and property in Archbishop Burke’s other handcorrecting the deficiencies in the by-laws and resolving other problems that they have caused.In the 1800s, Archbishop Kenrick set up St. Stanislaus as a separate corporation. In the many decades when St. Stanislaus was in financial peril, the Archdiocese would not assist ----- no loans were ever given. St. Stanislaus had to stand on its own. It did so only through the sacrifice, hard work and Faith. Now that the Parish has assets he wants, Archbishop Burke decrees that sacrifice, hard work and Faith by generations of faithful was and is against his interpretation of Church law. St. Stanislaus’ Parishioners do not believe that they are offending God by faithfully operating the church as it has been operated over the last centuries.
Abp. Burkeleavespermits the Directors, in accord with the will of the Parishioners, to take whatever actions are necessary to provide for their own spiritual well being or sickness.
The Board of Directors, while seemingly alwaysopenopposed to discuss the reinstatement of St. Stanislaus Directors and the Parish into the Archdiocese, will not accept the Archbishop’s or the Holy See'sdemandsdirectives toextort property and autonomous control from the Parish in exchange for the Sacraments of our Holy Catholic Churchcomply with the juridical laws of the Church.
Roger C. Krasnicki
Spokesman for the St. Stanislaus Board of Directors
UN-Commissioned Report Advocates Abortion Rights/Attacks Christian Beliefs
It is all so very tedious; the UN's obsession with abortion. It is the linchpin upon which all UN work swings. There is a new report, endorsed by UNICEF, calling for universal "reproductive rights" which in UN-speak means abortion. This new report also attacks religious "fundamentalism" which has successfully blocked the universilization of abortion.
Governments around the world are warned; the Millennium Development Goals are about to be hijacked by the sexual colonialist.
Spread the word.
Yours sincerely,
Austin Ruse
President
Arizona Faithful Have Chance to View Relics of Our Lord's Passion
The Arizona State Council of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic men’s organization, had four days to put on a display of the items that also include a fragment from the Crown of Thorns, a piece of the True Cross on which Christ died, a relic of the burial shroud, something from the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus gathered with his disciples before his arrest, a fragment from the Upper Room where the Last Supper was served and a fragment of the column where Christ was flogged after his arrest. The items are owned by the Apostolate for Holy Relics in Los Angeles and will travel to Denver on Sunday.I believe these are the same relics which we had here last year. And the lines were unbelievably long...
The items are part of 1,200 sacred relics in the apostolate’s care and most were previously kept in a Roman Catholic basilica in Rome. Most were transported from Jerusalem to Rome in the 4th century, and the church says its research confirms authenticity.
What a rare opportunity and blessing for the people of Arizona.
Source.
Archbishop Burke Issues Interdict to St. Stanislaus Board
St. Louis' archbishop followed through on his move to deny Roman Catholic sacraments to board members of a largely Polish parish, the latest development in a long-simmering dispute over control of the parish.Why not? They have exalted themselves and refused even the directives of the Church of which they claim to be members.
The six board members of St. Louis' St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church received via courier letters of interdict from Archbishop Raymond Burke on Thursday night, said parishioner Richard Bach, serving as a parish spokesman.
That means those recipients may not receive Communion or other sacraments. Board members have said they plan to ignore Burke's move.
Archbishop Burke describes an interdict:
When a member of the Church has knowingly, deliberately and publicly damaged seriously the unity of the Church, his or her bishop has the pastoral responsibility to impose a sanction, in order to call the offending person to repentance and to restore the unity of the Church.May our Lord open the hearts and minds of all those in defiance and bring them back to His Church, to His Fold, to be in complete union with Him and His Church.
If Church authority were not to address a public violation of Church unity, then scandal would be caused by those who present themselves as devout Catholics, when, in fact, they are not in full communion with the Church.
In the case of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish, the offense committed by the members of the board of directors of the civil corporation of the parish is the public refusal to obey legitimate Church authority, namely the Holy Father’s Congregation for the Clergy and the archbishop of St. Louis, and the incitement of others to such disobedience. The applicable canons of the Code of Canon Law are canon 1371, paragraph 2, and canon 1373.
The sanction of interdict, as defined in canon 1332, prohibits the member of the faithful: 1) from any ministerial part in the celebration of the Mass or any other ceremonies of worship; and 2) from celebrating the sacraments and sacramentals, and from receiving the sacraments. Interdict does not prohibit the offending party from assisting at Mass or other sacred rites. Receiving the sacraments, above all the Holy Eucharist, requires that a person be in full communion with the Church. For that reason, the sanction prohibits the reception of the sacraments.
The censure binds the member of the faithful everywhere and until the offending person has been reconciled with the Church. The censure is lifted when the offending party has repented of his or her disobedience and has submitted to Church authority. In the case of the interdict imposed upon the members of the board of directors of the civil corporation of St. Stanislaus Kostka, the archbishop of St. Louis has the authority to lift the censure and must lift the censure, as soon as the offending party has made known his or her repentance to the archbishop.
Archbishop Raymond L. Burke
Archbishop clarifies St. Stanislaus situation
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I write to you, once again, about St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish, our historic personal parish for the faithful of Polish descent, and the issue of its control by a board which, in the last few years, has completely removed itself from the authority of the Catholic Church. I regret that my request and that of my predecessor, Cardinal Justin Rigali, that the parish conform to the Catholic Church’s requirements relating to the authority of the diocesan bishop and the pastor has been met with adamant resistance, even to the point of defiance. I also deeply regret that the board, having asked the intervention of the Holy See in the matter and having received the direction to comply with Church discipline, is now adamant in its resistance to the direction of the Holy See.
I further regret that the resistance of the board has, at present, divided the parishioners and the community between those who resist the requested changes and those who support them. It is my fervent desire that the matter be amicably resolved, so that the parish may again be united at its home in St. Stanislaus Kostka Church.
Because much misinformation has appeared in the public media, I am now writing to all the faithful in the Archdiocese and am including, with my letter, the accompanying questions and answers, as well as other pertinent information. You need to know and have the right to know that I have no desire to take the assets of the parish or to close the parish, contrary to what has been repeatedly said by members of the board of directors of the parish corporation and some other parishioners. Such statements are simply and completely untrue.
To allay the fears of the board of directors and some other parishioners, I and those assisting me have listened to each of the concerns expressed. In January 2005, I approved for presentation to the board a proposal which completely addressed each and every concern which had been expressed. I had the proposal drawn up in such a way that the commitment to use the parish property and assets only for the parish and the Catholic faithful of Polish descent would be permanent and legally enforceable in civil law.
The information which accompanies this letter in its publication in the St. Louis Review details what I have written above. For the full documentation of the proposal made to the board of directors in January 2005, I refer you to the Archdiocesan Web site, www.archstl.org.
Please continue to pray with me, through the intercession of Our Lady of Czestochowa and St. Stanislaus Kostka, for the reconciliation of the conflict between the board of directors of the civil corporation of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish and the archdiocesan and universal Church.
Asking God’s blessing upon you and your homes, I am
Yours devotedly in Christ,
(Most Rev.) Raymond L. Burke
Archbishop of St. Louis
Key documents regarding St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish are provided here for all persons who may wish to research or inform themselves more thoroughly of the history of the parish and its civil corporation, from its inception to the present day.
Catholic bishop was a communist agent, official says
A Roman Catholic bishop of Czechoslovakia was listed as an agent for the communist government's secret service, according to an official from a government institute that is making the service's files public.Post Dispatch Link.
Bishop Jan Sokol was registered by the Czech secret service as an agent in the spring of 1989, just months before he was appointed archbishop in then-communist Czechoslovakia, Miroslav Lehky of Slovakia's Institute of the National Memory said Thursday.
A link to another article is here.
Vatican rejects grievance filed by teachers
An arm of the Vatican has dismissed a grievance filed by St. Louis-area Catholic elementary school teachers that alleged Archbishop Raymond Burke had violated canon law by refusing to recognize their union.I heard this on one of the news channels last night, but could not find any details on their web sites or at the web site for the ACEE.
In response, the local Association of Catholic Elementary Educators filed an appeal this week to the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, a Supreme Court-like body of the church.
The decision, a one-page letter, arrived the first of this month at the union's office. It said that canon law limits such recourses to "all singular administrative acts," while Burke's letter "is a general decree which applies to everyone in the Archdiocese, not only to the Association of Catholic Elementary Educators."
Article here.
East St. Louis Bookkeeper Repays Stolen Church Funds
A bookkeeper who stole $144,000 from St. Patrick Church in East St. Louis has paid back all but about $25,000 and is paying the balance in monthly installments, Monsignor James Margason said Wednesday.Source.
Margason is vicar general for the Belleville Catholic Diocese and also is serving as its administrator until a replacement is named for Bishop Wilton D. Gregory...
The bookkeeper admitted taking the money over a period of years, Margason said, apparently because of a gambling addiction.
He confirmed the woman also had been fired about 15 years earlier for taking between $2,000 and $2,500 from the Sister Thea Bowman School in East St. Louis.
--------------------
Meanwhile, the diocese is still looking into the handling of an $85,000 charity fund controlled by the parish priest at St. Patrick, the Rev. Clyde Grogan. Authorities say there is no evidence of theft or embezzlement, but receipts are on file for only about $10,000.
Letter on the Reorganiztion of the NE Deanery
This is a long letter from Archbishop Burke and details the changes for the North East Deanery.
I have not read it yet except for a quick scan...For those in the area or familiar with the area, the letter is here.
I have not read it yet except for a quick scan...For those in the area or familiar with the area, the letter is here.
Archdiocese settles eight abuse cases in mediation
The Archdiocese of St. Louis settled eight cases of clergy sexual abuse last month in a mediation process.St. Louis Review article.
The settlements to be paid by the archdiocese total $267,500. The cases involved claims against five archdiocesan priests who have been removed from ministry: Romano Ferraro, Michael McGrath, Joseph Lessard, Donald Straub and Robert Yim. The Vatican recently dismissed McGrath, Straub and Yim from the priesthood.
One case involved a religious order priest, Vincentian Father Richard Lause. That claim is being paid by the Vincentians.
Liturgical Dance Expresses Religion...
...
Ah, one of my favorite subjects...
I'm going to copy this article and forward it to my parish. Maybe someone will think I'm slowly coming around...
I've been thinking about traveling the US and producing documentaries on rare "Liturgical Abuses"...
Link here.
Ah, one of my favorite subjects...
I'm going to copy this article and forward it to my parish. Maybe someone will think I'm slowly coming around...
Tom Kane, Ph.D., priest-liturgist and videographer, held a video lecture entitled "Celebrating Our Faith, Our Culture, Our Diversity" last Thursday in the Strom Thurmond Institute.Notre Dame? Maybe that explains things?
Kane received his schooling from the University of Notre Dame and his doctoral degree in Liturgy and Culture from Ohio State University. He became an ordained Catholic priest in 1975.
After receiving his doctorate, Kane traveled to Africa for eight months as well as various other continents to produce documentaries on rare liturgical dance.
I've been thinking about traveling the US and producing documentaries on rare "Liturgical Abuses"...
He suggested that since the United States is a first-world country it is hard for us to "receive" from other cultures. U.S. missionaries have been sent to foreign lands and now cultures from other lands are here in the United States -- this is difficult for some people to accept, Kane said. We sent out missionaries to "control" the people who are now the ones we should learn from, he said."We should reflect on different traditions and find ways to see how we are connected," Kane said. He suggested that people be more mindful of whatever ceremony they choose to take part in and not just "go through a routine" while in service.Hmmm..."whatever service" in which one chooses to participate? Does this mean it's time to chuck Sacrosanctum Concilium and all the liturgical documents we now have? Great! The 'man' has been keeping us down for too long! We are now so close to freedom - I'm going to try and order the video...After I watch it, I'll send it to our diocesan office of worship!
Link here.
Lent in the Vatican: The Pope, the Curia, and the Conclave
Sickness is not preventing John Paul II from fighting out his last battle. But in the meantime, maneuvers over his succession are underway. The contenders are Ratzinger, three Italians, and one outsider.
Article by Sandro Magister
And I thought I was beyond being shocked....
Quite by accident in reviewing a different story about some local teachers who want the archdioces to accept their new union in addition to the one already established, I came across a comment section regarding a story that aired earlier about the St. Stanislaus issue.
I knew there were a number of people, including professed Catholics who have no love for Archbishop Burke. I also know a number of people who are so happy to have been blessed with him as our shepherd, and I include myself in that group.
While a number of the comments are supportive, far too many are hostile and hateful. And a number of the latter come from those who claim to be Catholic.
When I see these things, what many have called a "de facto" schism, I recall the words of Cardinal Ratzinger who opined that the Church would become smaller, but from this smaller and more faithful Church, would spring a vibrant Church, faithful to Christ. I wonder some days if I am witnessing this in my lifetime.
Anyway, the link to the comments is here, Click on the link that says Results if you want to read what people are thinking. It's not for the weak! As I said, I was shocked by some of things I read.
I knew there were a number of people, including professed Catholics who have no love for Archbishop Burke. I also know a number of people who are so happy to have been blessed with him as our shepherd, and I include myself in that group.
While a number of the comments are supportive, far too many are hostile and hateful. And a number of the latter come from those who claim to be Catholic.
When I see these things, what many have called a "de facto" schism, I recall the words of Cardinal Ratzinger who opined that the Church would become smaller, but from this smaller and more faithful Church, would spring a vibrant Church, faithful to Christ. I wonder some days if I am witnessing this in my lifetime.
Anyway, the link to the comments is here, Click on the link that says Results if you want to read what people are thinking. It's not for the weak! As I said, I was shocked by some of things I read.
Credo of the Catholic Laity Lenten Retreat
Credo of the Catholic Laity will be holding it’s Lenten Retreat on Friday and Saturday March 18th & 19th at St. Agatha’s Church located at 9th and Utah just south of the brewery in St. Louis.I attended a retreat last year with Msgr. Schmitz and highly recommend it!
Our Retreat Master will be Msgr. Michael Schmitz, American Superior of The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. Msgr. Schmitz is an experienced retreat master who has conducted over eighty retreats. The retreat will start with confession at 9:00 Am Friday March 18th with Holy Mass at 9:30 a.m., and each day the retreat will conclude at about 4:p.m. There will be other opportunities for confession during the retreat. The cost for the retreat including lunch both days is $20.00.
Here is more information on the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest:“The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest is a society erected by the Catholic Church on September 1, 1990. Today it maintains Houses and Apostolates on several continents including North America. The goal of the Institute is the honor of God and the sanctification of priests in the service of the Church and souls through a spiritual formation in Roman Catholic Doctrine and piety. Its specific aim is missionary, to spread and defend the reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ in all realms of human life.”
This organization has recently moved its headquarters to Chicago but Msgr. Schmitz is the rector of St. Agatha. We can thank our own Archbishop Bishop Raymond Leo Burke for allowing this fine order of priests to come to St. Louis.
Please contact Howard Brandt by phone (314-894-0357) or e-mail him for a retreat agenda.
Our charge for the retreat is $15.00 per person to cover expenses. If are able to send a little more please do so in order to assist those who might need help. If you have a problem covering this charge, especially those with large families Do not be hesitate to ask for help. We want to make this retreat available to as many people as we can.
Gospel for Friday after Ash Wednesday
From: Matthew 9:14-15
The Call of Matthew (Continuation)
[14] Then the disciples of John (the Baptist) came to Him (Jesus), saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?" [15] And Jesus said them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast."
**************
Commentary:
14-17. This passage is interesting, not so much because it tells us about the sort of fasting practised by the Jews of the time--particularly the Pharisees and John the Baptist's disciples--but because of the reason Jesus gives for not requiring His disciples to fast in that way. His reply is both instructive and prophetic. Christianity is not a mere mending or adjusting of the old suit of Judaism. The redemption wrought by Jesus involves a total regeneration. Its spirit is too new and too vital to be suited to old forms of penance, which will no longer apply.
We know that in our Lord's time Jewish theology schools were in the grip of a highly complicated casuistry to do with fasting, purifications, etc., which smothered the simplicity of genuine piety. Jesus' words point to that simplicity of heart with which His disciples might practise prayer, fasting and almsgiving (cf. Matthew 6:1-18 and notes to same). From apostolic times onwards it is for the Church, using the authority given it by our Lord to set out the different forms fasting should take in different periods and situations.
15. "The wedding guests": literally, "the sons of the house where the wedding is being celebrated"--an _expression meaning the bridegroom's closest friends. This is an example of how St. Matthew uses typical Semitic turns of phrase, presenting Jesus' manner of speech.
This "house" to which Jesus refers has a deeper meaning; set beside the parable of the guests at the wedding (Matthew 22:1 ff), it symbolizes the Church as the house of God and the body of Christ: "Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ was faithful over God's house as a son. And we are His house if we hold fast our confidence and pride in our hope" (Hebrews 3:5-6).
The second part of the verse refers to the violent death Jesus would meet.
**********
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.
The Call of Matthew (Continuation)
[14] Then the disciples of John (the Baptist) came to Him (Jesus), saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?" [15] And Jesus said them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast."
**************
Commentary:
14-17. This passage is interesting, not so much because it tells us about the sort of fasting practised by the Jews of the time--particularly the Pharisees and John the Baptist's disciples--but because of the reason Jesus gives for not requiring His disciples to fast in that way. His reply is both instructive and prophetic. Christianity is not a mere mending or adjusting of the old suit of Judaism. The redemption wrought by Jesus involves a total regeneration. Its spirit is too new and too vital to be suited to old forms of penance, which will no longer apply.
We know that in our Lord's time Jewish theology schools were in the grip of a highly complicated casuistry to do with fasting, purifications, etc., which smothered the simplicity of genuine piety. Jesus' words point to that simplicity of heart with which His disciples might practise prayer, fasting and almsgiving (cf. Matthew 6:1-18 and notes to same). From apostolic times onwards it is for the Church, using the authority given it by our Lord to set out the different forms fasting should take in different periods and situations.
15. "The wedding guests": literally, "the sons of the house where the wedding is being celebrated"--an _expression meaning the bridegroom's closest friends. This is an example of how St. Matthew uses typical Semitic turns of phrase, presenting Jesus' manner of speech.
This "house" to which Jesus refers has a deeper meaning; set beside the parable of the guests at the wedding (Matthew 22:1 ff), it symbolizes the Church as the house of God and the body of Christ: "Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ was faithful over God's house as a son. And we are His house if we hold fast our confidence and pride in our hope" (Hebrews 3:5-6).
The second part of the verse refers to the violent death Jesus would meet.
**********
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.
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Cardinal Pell on True and False Conscience
CHICAGO, FEB. 10, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Australian Cardinal George Pell delivered an address to members of the Lumen Christi Institute at the University of Chicago last fall, on the "primacy of truth" and the "primacy of conscience." ZENIT offers this synopsis of the Sydney archbishop's speech.This is an excellent article. Cardinal Pell begins:
Cardinal John Newman's view of conscience is far from that usually held by those who speak of "primacy of conscience" today. Newman believes a good Catholic conscience can never accept a position of dissent against central Church teaching. Moral truth is the key to conscience, and this is very difficult to deny coherently.I wonder if his talk was taped, while this synopsis is very good, I would imagine the entire talk would be so much better.
...
A Catholic conscience cannot accept a settled position against the Church, at least on a central moral teaching. Any difficulties with Church teaching should be not the end of the matter but the beginning of a process of conversion, education and quite possibly repentance. Where a Catholic disagrees with the Church on some serious matter, the response should not be "that's that; I can't follow the Church here"; instead we should kneel and pray that God will lead our weak steps and enlighten our fragile minds, as Newman recommends in Sermon 17 -- "The Testimony of Conscience."
...
Much of the debate over conscience in Catholic circles focuses on the possibility of a conscience against the Church's teaching. This seems to me a peculiar notion. For a start, it would mean that dissenters believed that following the Church on, for example, contraception or same-sex relationships, would actually give them a guilty conscience, not just frustrated wishes. Yet it seems clear that most dissenters do not fear guilt if they obey the Church: What they fear is precisely the frustration of their unsatisfied wishes. ...
Zenit article here
The "I was abused" Defense Strategy
The defense strategy to use?...Claim abuse by priests...No proof is required, one's word is sufficient.
Miami Herald Version "Suspect in nun's killing may get 30 years"
Sun Sentinel story from March 2001
The Religious school where nun was killed closes
MIAMI (AP) -- An apprentice monk pleaded guilty Thursday to stabbing and beating a nun to death and got 30 years in prison in a deal with prosecutors, who offered him leniency because of evidence he was molested by two priests.Post Dispatch AP Version.
Mykhaylo Kofel, 22, admitted killing 39-year-old Michelle Lewis, whose nude body was found stabbed more than 90 times in 2001 in her residence at Holy Cross Academy in Miami-Dade County. Kofel had studied at the school for five years.
Kofel, who is Ukrainian, said two priests at the school sexually abused him while he was training with a Byzantine Catholic monastic order.
Kofel pleaded guilty to second-degree murder...prosecutor Gail Levine said she believed Kofel (about being abused), and that led to the plea bargain.
Miami Herald Version "Suspect in nun's killing may get 30 years"
Sun Sentinel story from March 2001
The Religious school where nun was killed closes
Canadian PM’s Parish Priest says he is Considering “Marrying” Gay Partners
***Updated*** for clarification...
The importance of teaching the truth cannot be understated. This past week I have been listening (over and over) to a talk by Cardinal Arinze about the subject of teaching the truth and living in the truth - in the light of Christ Who is Truth. It is only by living in the Light of Christ, following Him in the Truth, that we will reach the eternal beatitude He wills for us. When we depart on a different path, the path of shadows and darkness, we separate ourselves from Him...
What sorrow and anquish things like this cause! There are two paths one can take, that narrow and difficult path that leads to our Lord or the wide and easy path that leads to eternal punishment. Again, IF this article is accurate, this man is directing the faithful in the wrong direction. Let us pray that this is not so.
LifeSiteNews article.
LASALLE, February 10, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Fr. John Walsh, the “Parochial Administrator” (parish priest) of St. Jean de Brebeuf parish in LaSalle Quebec, told MacLean’s Magazine last week, that he is open to marrying homosexual partners in his Catholic church. Last week LifeSiteNews.com reported that Fr. Walsh, whose parish Prime Minister Paul Martin attends when he is in town, said in another interview that he was in disagreement with the Catholic Church over the teaching on homosexuality.We must be concerned about priests who hold opinions of this kind which are contrary to the teaching of the Church. He may truly be unaware of it but nowhere, in any documents of the Second Vatican Council, can he find support for his views. Regardless of his culpability, if - and I repeat, IF - his statements are accurately represented, he is in a state of material heresy. If these things are true, it is now up to him to publicly recant this position, and his superiors must deal with this in a forthright manner to correct any scandal he has caused among the faithful.
Walsh implied that the Second Vatican Council, the meeting of Catholic bishops in the early 1960’s that reformed many areas of Catholic life, gave the Church a new definition of marriage that could include homosexuals. He said, “Then Vatican II opened us to new meanings of marriage…Now the Church tells couples they're creating a community of love.”
Father Walsh told MacLean’s the people in his parish are conflicted over his support of gay ‘marriage.’ He said, “But my responsibility as a priest is to educate people as to what we see as the values of marriage, not to impose one definition on anybody.”Again, he is mistaken - his responsiblity, indeed, is to educate - BUT, he is to educate, to catechize the faithful in what the Church teaches, to hand on faithfully what the Church has received from Christ and the Apostles. There is an obligation to teach the truth and to avoid teaching error.
The importance of teaching the truth cannot be understated. This past week I have been listening (over and over) to a talk by Cardinal Arinze about the subject of teaching the truth and living in the truth - in the light of Christ Who is Truth. It is only by living in the Light of Christ, following Him in the Truth, that we will reach the eternal beatitude He wills for us. When we depart on a different path, the path of shadows and darkness, we separate ourselves from Him...
What sorrow and anquish things like this cause! There are two paths one can take, that narrow and difficult path that leads to our Lord or the wide and easy path that leads to eternal punishment. Again, IF this article is accurate, this man is directing the faithful in the wrong direction. Let us pray that this is not so.
LifeSiteNews article.
?Final? Update on Prayer Protest at St Louis University
******* This is in response to the performance of "The V****** Monologues" being held at SLU.
**********************
We are going to meet in front of St. Francis Xavier Church at 5:45PM. The 'theater' is across the street from the Church. Once we are all assembled, we will walk to the theater and begin the protest at 6PM and stay until 7PM when the 'play' starts.
We have notified the police that we will be on the sidewalk protesting. Depending on how or if they get involved they may ask us to picket. Mostly they just ask that we not block the sidewalk.
We will pray the Rosary (15 decades) and the Litany to the Blessed Mother (I have a mini megaphone for amplification) and end with any hymns that we all know and can sing.
We will have a large banner on poles for display. We are also trying to get signs made, however if you could or would like to bring a sign, please do. It should be large enough for passing cars to read. We only ask that people use discretion on the wording of their signs, no vulgar words, just clear statements like "Louis University turns their back on Catholic Teaching" etc...(I am clearly not a good sign writer)
We are also working (hopefully since time is so short) on a flier to hand out to passers-by at the protest. Something like a post card with Father Biondi's address on it, with a statement of outrage printed which a person can sign and then mail to his office.
Are there any priests that you know who might attend?
Let me know if you have any other ideas.
**************************
Previous posts on this subject are here and here:
As much as I wish to attend Stations of the Cross Friday night, this prayerful vigil in protest is something which I feel must be done since I can pray the stations afterwards in private at the chapel.
If you are in St. Louis, and wish to attend, please do so.
**********************
We are going to meet in front of St. Francis Xavier Church at 5:45PM. The 'theater' is across the street from the Church. Once we are all assembled, we will walk to the theater and begin the protest at 6PM and stay until 7PM when the 'play' starts.
We have notified the police that we will be on the sidewalk protesting. Depending on how or if they get involved they may ask us to picket. Mostly they just ask that we not block the sidewalk.
We will pray the Rosary (15 decades) and the Litany to the Blessed Mother (I have a mini megaphone for amplification) and end with any hymns that we all know and can sing.
We will have a large banner on poles for display. We are also trying to get signs made, however if you could or would like to bring a sign, please do. It should be large enough for passing cars to read. We only ask that people use discretion on the wording of their signs, no vulgar words, just clear statements like "Louis University turns their back on Catholic Teaching" etc...(I am clearly not a good sign writer)
We are also working (hopefully since time is so short) on a flier to hand out to passers-by at the protest. Something like a post card with Father Biondi's address on it, with a statement of outrage printed which a person can sign and then mail to his office.
Are there any priests that you know who might attend?
Let me know if you have any other ideas.
**************************
Previous posts on this subject are here and here:
As much as I wish to attend Stations of the Cross Friday night, this prayerful vigil in protest is something which I feel must be done since I can pray the stations afterwards in private at the chapel.
If you are in St. Louis, and wish to attend, please do so.
Systematic liturgical rebellion against Rome in the Diocese of Linz
Official diocesan Website presents a "Liturgical Marketplace" with models for "women´s sermons", clearly positioning itself against the Church´s liturgical norms - alternative Lectionary with "Women´s Bible Readings" already being used in 20 parishes -One should read the complete article.
...
A special cause for concern can be found in the category "Models for Women´s Sermons". In a "Sermon Help Notes" (issue 33/2004) lay Pastoral Assistant Alexandra Freinthaler writes: "God is mankind´s good shepherdess, her wisdom is larger than this world´s, nobody can take from her those whom she has adopted in love. God and me, we are one, in our love, in our devotion to love every person in this world. We are fire and flame for mankind, we follow and protect them on all their ways - be they straight or not". In the "Final Prayer" Ms Freinthaler writes: "May the Holy Spirit (using here an artificial German word denoting the feminine form for Spirit - "Heilige Geistin", the translator), the one that wakes you up in the morning with a kiss and stands by you, through all your ups and downs, bless you"
Is it possible that the ultimate goal of this is something other than the attempted destruction of the Church? It seems nearly impossible for ignorance to be an excuse for the rampant and flagrant destruction of the liturgy by self-appointed "experts" who only seem to have Satan's interests in mind.
And one can rightly ask where the shepherds have been? Asleep at their watch, perhaps? Or have they been complicit in the evil overtaking the churches and the people by their very silence or lack of attention?
Source...
Pius XII Now on Fast Track to Become a Saint
This is excerpted from an Inside the Vatican Newsflash:
*** UPDATED ***
I received the article via email, and being unclear whether I am permitted to post it in its entirety, only included a small excerpt. However, the complete Article is here for those who may wish to read it.
To Subscribe to Inside the Vatican's Newsflash, Please Click Here.
Exclusive NEWSFLASH from Inside the Vatican!
"I will not die before I canonize Pope Pius XII"
Five days ago, we reported that Pope John Paul II was 10 minutes from death the night he was hospitalized (February 1).
Now, in the very different context of an 84-year-old Pope on the mend, we consider one of the most controversial issues he will have to face in the months ahead, and reveal that he himself has already, according to our sources, made up his mind on the matter.
Our sources tell us they believe that John Paul II, barring an unexpected crisis of the type which just occurred, will live for some time yet (one source suggested the figure "five more years").
During that time, we have been told, John Paul fully intends to perform at least one very controversial act: declare that Pope Pius XII -- denounced by many for his alleged "silence" during the Nazi persecution of the Jews -- was a saint who helped save the lives of nearly 1 million Jews.
- by Inside the Vatican staff
Pius XII Now on Fast Track to Become a Saint
Pope John Paul II, who nearly suffocated last week due to a constricted throat and had to be rushed to the hospital, is strongly supporting the advancement of the controversial cause of Pope Pius XII for beatification, "Inside the Vatican" has learned from reliable sources.
Because of this papal support, Pius XII, the pontiff who guided the Church throughout World War II, fighting both the Nazis and Communists, who slept only four hours a night and ended his life weighing only 125 pounds -- and nearly died in 1954, four years before his death -- is now on the fast track to beatification, and ultimately, canonization, multiple sources confirm.
Indeed, one source, who asked not to be identified, but agreed to have the phrase cited, told us that John Paul, sometime prior to this latest hospital episode, remarked: "I will not die before I canonize Pope Pius XII."
This source continued: "The Pope was only minutes from dying, but now seems to have recovered. Maybe this happened because God has something still in mind for him to accomplish. The Pope would like to declare Pius a saint because he stood against the great totalitarian regimes of the last century, and because he wants that model for dangers facing the Church and mankind today."
*** UPDATED ***
I received the article via email, and being unclear whether I am permitted to post it in its entirety, only included a small excerpt. However, the complete Article is here for those who may wish to read it.
To Subscribe to Inside the Vatican's Newsflash, Please Click Here.
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