The past is no longer yours; the future is not yet in your power. You have only the present wherein to do good.
-St. Alphonsus
________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Just for Today, December 31
Be pure and free interiorly, without being entangled by any creature. Thou must be naked and carry a pure heart to God, if thou wilt attend at leisure, and see how sweet the Lord is.
And indeed thou wilt never attain to this, unless thou be prevented and drawn by His grace; that so thou mayest all alone be united to Him alone, having cast out and dismissed all others.
-Bk. II, ch. viii.
________________
One morning after Holy Communion, Our Lord made me understand these words of the Canticle of Canticles: Draw me: we will run after thee in the odour of thy ointments (Cant. i, 3). When I pray: draw me, it is not necessary to add and draw all those I love. When a soul is led on by the sweet odour of Thy ointments, she does not run alone; the souls she loves are inevitably drawn after her. As a torrent carries down to the sea what lies in its path, so does the soul take with her all that she treasures when she casts herself into the boundless ocean of Thy love. Thou knowest, Lord, that my treasures are the souls Thou hast entrusted to me, and to whom my soul is closely knit.
I know not when my exile is to end, I may yet sing many times my evening hymn in praise of Thy tender mercies; but when my last day draws to its close, may I be allowed to make my own Thy words on the last evening of Thy mortal life:
__________________
For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
And indeed thou wilt never attain to this, unless thou be prevented and drawn by His grace; that so thou mayest all alone be united to Him alone, having cast out and dismissed all others.
-Bk. II, ch. viii.
________________
One morning after Holy Communion, Our Lord made me understand these words of the Canticle of Canticles: Draw me: we will run after thee in the odour of thy ointments (Cant. i, 3). When I pray: draw me, it is not necessary to add and draw all those I love. When a soul is led on by the sweet odour of Thy ointments, she does not run alone; the souls she loves are inevitably drawn after her. As a torrent carries down to the sea what lies in its path, so does the soul take with her all that she treasures when she casts herself into the boundless ocean of Thy love. Thou knowest, Lord, that my treasures are the souls Thou hast entrusted to me, and to whom my soul is closely knit.
I know not when my exile is to end, I may yet sing many times my evening hymn in praise of Thy tender mercies; but when my last day draws to its close, may I be allowed to make my own Thy words on the last evening of Thy mortal life:
I have glorified thee on the earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do, I have manifested thy name to those whom thou hast given me, thine they were, and to me thou gavest them. Now they have known that all things which thou hast given me, are from thee: because the words which thou gavest me, I have given to them, and they have received them, and have believed that thou didst send me (John xvii).-The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une Âme)
__________________
For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
Update on Meditations...
Just a note that I should soon have updates to the missing days within the next day or so. A computer upgrade which has taken more time and effort than originally planned has interrupted my schedule. My apologies.
Gospel for Sunday, Feast: The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph
From: Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23
The Flight Into Egypt
[13] Now when they (the Magi) had departed, behold, an angel of the
Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the Child and
His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for
Herod is about to search for the Child, to destroy Him." [14] And he
rose and took the Child and His mother by night, and departed to Egypt,
[15]and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill
what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt have I called My
Son."
The Return to Nazareth
[19] But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream
to Joseph in Egypt, saying, [20] "Rise, take the child and his mother, and
go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead."
[21] And he rose and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of
Israel. [22] But when he heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of
his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he
withdrew to the district of Galilee. [23] And he went and dwelt in a city
called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled,
"He shall be called a Nazarene."
_________________
Commentary:
14. St. John Chrysostom, commenting on this passage, draws a particular
attention to Joseph's faithfulness and obedience: "On hearing this,
Joseph was not scandalized, nor did he say, `This is hard to
understand. You yourself told me not long ago that He would save His
people, and not He is not able to save even Himself. Indeed, we have
to flee and undertake a journey and be away for a long time...'. But
he does not say any of these things, because Joseph is a faithful man.
Neither does he ask when they will be coming back, even though the
angel had left it open when he said `and remain there till I tell
you.' This does not hold him back: on the contrary, he obeys, believes
and endures all trials with joy" ("Hom. on St. Matthew", 8).
It is worth noting also how God's way of dealing with His chosen ones
contains light and shade: they have to put up with intense sufferings
side by side with great joy: "It can be clearly seen that God, who is
full of love for man, mixes pleasant things with unpleasant ones, as He
did with all the Saints. He gives us neither dangers nor consolations
in a continual way, but rather He makes the lives of the just a mixture
of both. This was what He did with Joseph" ("ibid".).
15. The text of Hosea 11:1 speaks of a child who comes out of Egypt and
is a son of God. This refers in the first place to the people of
Israel whom God brought out of Egypt under Moses' leadership. But this
event was a symbol or prefiguration of Jesus, the Head of the Church,
the New People of God. It is in Him that this prophecy is principally
fulfilled. The sacred text gives a quotation from the Old Testament in
the light of its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The Old Testament
achieves its full meaning in Christ, and, in the words of St. Paul, to
read it without keeping in mind Jesus is to have one's face covered by
a veil (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:12-18).
22. History tells us that Archelaus was ambitious and cruel like his
father. By the time Joseph returned from Egypt, the new king was quite
notorious.
"In the different circumstances of his life, St. Joseph never refuses
to think, never neglects his responsibilities. On the contrary, he
puts his human experience at the service of faith. When he returns
from Egypt, learning `that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his
father Herod, he was afraid to go there.' In other words, he had
learned to work within the Divine Plan. And to confirm that he was
doing the right thing, Joseph received an instruction to return to
Galilee" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 42).
23. Nazareth, where the Anunciation had taken place (Luke 1:26), was a
tiny and insignificant Palestinian village. It was located in Galilee,
the most northerly part of the country. The term "Nazarene" refers to
Jesus' geographic origin, but His critics used it as term of abuse when
He began His mission (John 1:46). Even in the time of St. Paul the
Jews tried to humiliate the Christians by calling them Nazarenes (Acts
24:5). Many prophets predicted that the Messiah would suffer poverty
and contempt (Isaiah 52:2ff.; Jeremiah 11:19; Psalm 22), but the words
"He shall be called a Nazarene" are not to be found as such in any
prophetic text. They are, as St. Jerome points out, a summary of the
prophets' teaching in a short and expressive phrase.
However, St. Jerome himself (cf. "Comm. on Isaiah", 11:1) says that the
name "Nazarene" fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 11:1: Christ is the
"shoot" ("nezer", in Hebrew) of the entire race of Abraham and David.
___________________________
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 Flight Into Egypt
[13] Now when they (the Magi) had departed, behold, an angel of the
Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the Child and
His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for
Herod is about to search for the Child, to destroy Him." [14] And he
rose and took the Child and His mother by night, and departed to Egypt,
[15]and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill
what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt have I called My
Son."
The Return to Nazareth
[19] But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream
to Joseph in Egypt, saying, [20] "Rise, take the child and his mother, and
go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead."
[21] And he rose and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of
Israel. [22] But when he heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of
his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he
withdrew to the district of Galilee. [23] And he went and dwelt in a city
called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled,
"He shall be called a Nazarene."
_________________
Commentary:
14. St. John Chrysostom, commenting on this passage, draws a particular
attention to Joseph's faithfulness and obedience: "On hearing this,
Joseph was not scandalized, nor did he say, `This is hard to
understand. You yourself told me not long ago that He would save His
people, and not He is not able to save even Himself. Indeed, we have
to flee and undertake a journey and be away for a long time...'. But
he does not say any of these things, because Joseph is a faithful man.
Neither does he ask when they will be coming back, even though the
angel had left it open when he said `and remain there till I tell
you.' This does not hold him back: on the contrary, he obeys, believes
and endures all trials with joy" ("Hom. on St. Matthew", 8).
It is worth noting also how God's way of dealing with His chosen ones
contains light and shade: they have to put up with intense sufferings
side by side with great joy: "It can be clearly seen that God, who is
full of love for man, mixes pleasant things with unpleasant ones, as He
did with all the Saints. He gives us neither dangers nor consolations
in a continual way, but rather He makes the lives of the just a mixture
of both. This was what He did with Joseph" ("ibid".).
15. The text of Hosea 11:1 speaks of a child who comes out of Egypt and
is a son of God. This refers in the first place to the people of
Israel whom God brought out of Egypt under Moses' leadership. But this
event was a symbol or prefiguration of Jesus, the Head of the Church,
the New People of God. It is in Him that this prophecy is principally
fulfilled. The sacred text gives a quotation from the Old Testament in
the light of its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The Old Testament
achieves its full meaning in Christ, and, in the words of St. Paul, to
read it without keeping in mind Jesus is to have one's face covered by
a veil (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:12-18).
22. History tells us that Archelaus was ambitious and cruel like his
father. By the time Joseph returned from Egypt, the new king was quite
notorious.
"In the different circumstances of his life, St. Joseph never refuses
to think, never neglects his responsibilities. On the contrary, he
puts his human experience at the service of faith. When he returns
from Egypt, learning `that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his
father Herod, he was afraid to go there.' In other words, he had
learned to work within the Divine Plan. And to confirm that he was
doing the right thing, Joseph received an instruction to return to
Galilee" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 42).
23. Nazareth, where the Anunciation had taken place (Luke 1:26), was a
tiny and insignificant Palestinian village. It was located in Galilee,
the most northerly part of the country. The term "Nazarene" refers to
Jesus' geographic origin, but His critics used it as term of abuse when
He began His mission (John 1:46). Even in the time of St. Paul the
Jews tried to humiliate the Christians by calling them Nazarenes (Acts
24:5). Many prophets predicted that the Messiah would suffer poverty
and contempt (Isaiah 52:2ff.; Jeremiah 11:19; Psalm 22), but the words
"He shall be called a Nazarene" are not to be found as such in any
prophetic text. They are, as St. Jerome points out, a summary of the
prophets' teaching in a short and expressive phrase.
However, St. Jerome himself (cf. "Comm. on Isaiah", 11:1) says that the
name "Nazarene" fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 11:1: Christ is the
"shoot" ("nezer", in Hebrew) of the entire race of Abraham and David.
___________________________
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.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Just for Today, December 30
Keep thyself with Jesus both in life and death, and commit thyself to His care who alone can help thee, when all others fail.
- Bk. II, ch. vii.
Love watches, and sleeping, slumbers not: but like a lively flame, and a torch all on fire, it mounts upwards, and securely passes through all opposition.
-Bk. III, ch. x
______________
A few nights before her death Soeur Genevieve came into the infirmary, and found her with eyes raised to Heaven and hands joined in prayer: "What are you doing? You ought to be trying to sleep."
"I cannot, so I am praying."
"What do you say to Our Lord?"
"Nothing; I am just loving Him."
-Summarium
__________________
For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
- Bk. II, ch. vii.
Love watches, and sleeping, slumbers not: but like a lively flame, and a torch all on fire, it mounts upwards, and securely passes through all opposition.
-Bk. III, ch. x
______________
A few nights before her death Soeur Genevieve came into the infirmary, and found her with eyes raised to Heaven and hands joined in prayer: "What are you doing? You ought to be trying to sleep."
"I cannot, so I am praying."
"What do you say to Our Lord?"
"Nothing; I am just loving Him."
-Summarium
__________________
For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
Thoughts and Counsels - December 30
He who keeps steadily on without pausing, will reach the end of his path and the summit of perfection.
-St. Teresa
________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
-St. Teresa
________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
Gospel for the 5th Day in the Octave of Christmas
Optional Memorial of St. Thomas Becket, bishop and martyr
Old Calendar: St. Thomas of Canterbury
From: Luke 2:22-35
The Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
[22] And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they (Joseph and Mary) brought Him (Jesus) up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord [23] (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") [24] and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons."
Simeon's Prophecy
[25] Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. [26] And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. [27] And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, [28] he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said, [29] "Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; [30] for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation [31] which Thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, [32] a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for the glory to Thy people Israel."
[33] And His father and His mother marvelled at what was said about Him; [34] and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, His mother, "Behold this child is set for the fall and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against [35] (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed."
__________________
Commentary:
22-24. The Holy Family goes up to Jerusalem to fulfill the prescriptions of the Law of Moses--the purification of the mother and the presentation and then redemption or buying back of the first-born. According to Leviticus 12:2-8, a woman who bore a child was unclean. The period of legal impurity ended, in the case of a mother of a male child, after forty days, with a rite of purification. Mary most holy, ever-virgin, was exempt from these precepts of the Law, because she conceived without intercourse, nor did Christ's birth undo the virginal integrity of His Mother. However, she chose to submit herself to the Law, although she was under no obligation to do so.
"Through this example, foolish child, won't you learn to fulfill the holy Law of God, regardless of personal sacrifice?
"Purification! You and I certainly do need purification. Atonement and, more than atonement, Love. Love as a searing iron to cauterize our soul's uncleanness, and as a fire to kindle with divine flames the wretchedness of our hearts" ([St] J. Escriva, "Holy Rosary", Fourth Joyful Mystery).
Also, in Exodus 13:2, 12-13 it is indicated that every first-born male belongs to God and must be set apart for the Lord, that is, dedicated to the service of God. However, once divine worship was reserved to the tribe of Levi, first-born who did not belong to that tribe were not dedicated to God's service, and to show that they continued to be God's special property, a rite of redemption was performed.
The Law also laid down that the Israelites should offer in sacrifice some lesser victim--for example, a lamb or, if they were poor, a pair of doves or two pigeons. Our Lord, who "though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9), chose to have a poor man's offering made on His behalf.
25-32. Simeon, who is described as a righteous and devout man, obedient to God's will, addresses himself to our Lord as a vassal or loyal servant who, having kept watch all his life in expectation of the coming of his Lord, sees that this moment has "now" come, the moment that explains his whole life. When he takes the Child in his arms, he learns, not through any reasoning process but through a special grace from God, that this Child is the promised Messiah, the Consolation of Israel, the Light of the nations.
Simeon's canticle (verses 29-32) is also a prophecy. It consists of two stanzas: the first (verses 29-30) is an act of thanksgiving to God, filled with profound joy for having seen the Messiah. The second (verses 31-32) is more obviously prophetic and extols the divine blessings which the Messiah is bringing to Israel and to all men. The canticle highlights the fact that Christ brings redemption to all men without exception--something foretold in many Old Testament prophecies (cf. Genesis 22:18; Isaiah 2:6; 42:6; 60:3; Psalm 28:2).
It is easy to realize how extremely happy Simeon was--given that many patriarchs, prophets and kings of Israel had yearned to see the Messiah, yet did not see Him, whereas he now held Him in his arms (cf. Luke 10:24; 1 Peter 1:10).
33. The Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph marvelled not because they did not know who Christ was; they were in awe at the way God was revealing Him. Once again they teach us to contemplate the mysteries involved in the birth of Christ.
34-35. After Simeon blesses them, the Holy Spirit moves him to further prophecy about the Child's future and His Mother's. His words become clearer in the light of our Lord's life and death.
Jesus came to bring salvation to all men, yet He will be a sign of contradiction because some people will obstinately reject Him--and for this reason He will be their ruin. But for those who accept Him with faith Jesus will be their salvation, freeing them from sin in this life and raising them up to eternal life.
The words Simeon addresses to Mary announce that she will be intimately linked with her Son's redemptive work. The sword indicates that Mary will have a share in her Son's sufferings; hers will be an unspeakable pain which pierces her soul. Our Lord suffered on the cross for our sins, and it is those sins which forge the sword of Mary's pain. Therefore, we have a duty to atone not only to God but also to His Mother, who is our Mother too.
The last words of the prophecy, "that out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed", link up with verse 34: uprightness or perversity will be demonstrated by whether one accepts or rejects Christ.
36-38. Anna's testimony is very similar to Simeon's; like him, she too has been awaiting the coming of the Messiah her whole life long, in faithful service of God, and she too is rewarded with the joy of seeing Him. "She spoke of Him," that is, of the Child--praising God in her prayer and exhorting others to believe that this Child is the Messiah.
Thus, the birth of Christ was revealed by three kinds of witnesses in three different ways--first, by the shepherds, after the angel's announcement; second, by the Magi, who were guided by a star; third, by Simeon and Anna, who were inspired by the Holy Spirit.
All who, like Simeon and Anna, persevere in piety and in the service of God, no matter how insignificant their lives seem in men's eyes, become instruments the Holy Spirit uses to make Christ known to other. In His plan of redemption God avails of these simple souls to do much good to all mankind.
39. Before their return to Nazareth, St. Matthew tells us (2:13-23), the Holy Family fled to Egypt where they stayed for some time.
40. "Our Lord Jesus Christ as a child, that is, as one clothed in the fragility of human nature, had to grow and become stronger but as the eternal Word of God He had no need to become stronger or to grow. Hence He is rightly described as full of wisdom and grace" (St. Bede, "In Lucae Evangelium Expositio, in loc.").
___________________________
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.
Old Calendar: St. Thomas of Canterbury
From: Luke 2:22-35
The Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
[22] And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they (Joseph and Mary) brought Him (Jesus) up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord [23] (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") [24] and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons."
Simeon's Prophecy
[25] Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. [26] And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. [27] And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, [28] he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said, [29] "Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; [30] for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation [31] which Thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, [32] a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for the glory to Thy people Israel."
[33] And His father and His mother marvelled at what was said about Him; [34] and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, His mother, "Behold this child is set for the fall and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against [35] (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed."
__________________
Commentary:
22-24. The Holy Family goes up to Jerusalem to fulfill the prescriptions of the Law of Moses--the purification of the mother and the presentation and then redemption or buying back of the first-born. According to Leviticus 12:2-8, a woman who bore a child was unclean. The period of legal impurity ended, in the case of a mother of a male child, after forty days, with a rite of purification. Mary most holy, ever-virgin, was exempt from these precepts of the Law, because she conceived without intercourse, nor did Christ's birth undo the virginal integrity of His Mother. However, she chose to submit herself to the Law, although she was under no obligation to do so.
"Through this example, foolish child, won't you learn to fulfill the holy Law of God, regardless of personal sacrifice?
"Purification! You and I certainly do need purification. Atonement and, more than atonement, Love. Love as a searing iron to cauterize our soul's uncleanness, and as a fire to kindle with divine flames the wretchedness of our hearts" ([St] J. Escriva, "Holy Rosary", Fourth Joyful Mystery).
Also, in Exodus 13:2, 12-13 it is indicated that every first-born male belongs to God and must be set apart for the Lord, that is, dedicated to the service of God. However, once divine worship was reserved to the tribe of Levi, first-born who did not belong to that tribe were not dedicated to God's service, and to show that they continued to be God's special property, a rite of redemption was performed.
The Law also laid down that the Israelites should offer in sacrifice some lesser victim--for example, a lamb or, if they were poor, a pair of doves or two pigeons. Our Lord, who "though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9), chose to have a poor man's offering made on His behalf.
25-32. Simeon, who is described as a righteous and devout man, obedient to God's will, addresses himself to our Lord as a vassal or loyal servant who, having kept watch all his life in expectation of the coming of his Lord, sees that this moment has "now" come, the moment that explains his whole life. When he takes the Child in his arms, he learns, not through any reasoning process but through a special grace from God, that this Child is the promised Messiah, the Consolation of Israel, the Light of the nations.
Simeon's canticle (verses 29-32) is also a prophecy. It consists of two stanzas: the first (verses 29-30) is an act of thanksgiving to God, filled with profound joy for having seen the Messiah. The second (verses 31-32) is more obviously prophetic and extols the divine blessings which the Messiah is bringing to Israel and to all men. The canticle highlights the fact that Christ brings redemption to all men without exception--something foretold in many Old Testament prophecies (cf. Genesis 22:18; Isaiah 2:6; 42:6; 60:3; Psalm 28:2).
It is easy to realize how extremely happy Simeon was--given that many patriarchs, prophets and kings of Israel had yearned to see the Messiah, yet did not see Him, whereas he now held Him in his arms (cf. Luke 10:24; 1 Peter 1:10).
33. The Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph marvelled not because they did not know who Christ was; they were in awe at the way God was revealing Him. Once again they teach us to contemplate the mysteries involved in the birth of Christ.
34-35. After Simeon blesses them, the Holy Spirit moves him to further prophecy about the Child's future and His Mother's. His words become clearer in the light of our Lord's life and death.
Jesus came to bring salvation to all men, yet He will be a sign of contradiction because some people will obstinately reject Him--and for this reason He will be their ruin. But for those who accept Him with faith Jesus will be their salvation, freeing them from sin in this life and raising them up to eternal life.
The words Simeon addresses to Mary announce that she will be intimately linked with her Son's redemptive work. The sword indicates that Mary will have a share in her Son's sufferings; hers will be an unspeakable pain which pierces her soul. Our Lord suffered on the cross for our sins, and it is those sins which forge the sword of Mary's pain. Therefore, we have a duty to atone not only to God but also to His Mother, who is our Mother too.
The last words of the prophecy, "that out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed", link up with verse 34: uprightness or perversity will be demonstrated by whether one accepts or rejects Christ.
36-38. Anna's testimony is very similar to Simeon's; like him, she too has been awaiting the coming of the Messiah her whole life long, in faithful service of God, and she too is rewarded with the joy of seeing Him. "She spoke of Him," that is, of the Child--praising God in her prayer and exhorting others to believe that this Child is the Messiah.
Thus, the birth of Christ was revealed by three kinds of witnesses in three different ways--first, by the shepherds, after the angel's announcement; second, by the Magi, who were guided by a star; third, by Simeon and Anna, who were inspired by the Holy Spirit.
All who, like Simeon and Anna, persevere in piety and in the service of God, no matter how insignificant their lives seem in men's eyes, become instruments the Holy Spirit uses to make Christ known to other. In His plan of redemption God avails of these simple souls to do much good to all mankind.
39. Before their return to Nazareth, St. Matthew tells us (2:13-23), the Holy Family fled to Egypt where they stayed for some time.
40. "Our Lord Jesus Christ as a child, that is, as one clothed in the fragility of human nature, had to grow and become stronger but as the eternal Word of God He had no need to become stronger or to grow. Hence He is rightly described as full of wisdom and grace" (St. Bede, "In Lucae Evangelium Expositio, in loc.").
___________________________
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, December 28, 2007
Just for Today, December 29
Neither desire to be singularly praised or beloved: for this belongs to God alone, who hath none like to Himself. Neither desire that anyone's heart should be set on thee; nor do thou let thyself be taken up with the love of anyone; but let Jesus be in thee and in every good man.
- Bk. II, ch. viii.
_______________
My love for them (the novices) is so disinterested that I do not even want them to know of it, but I would be ready to give my life for them. By the grace of God I have never tried to win their affection. I knew that my mission was to lead them to God and to you, dear Mother, who represent God to them, and whom they are therefore bound to love and respect.
- The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une Âme)
__________________
For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
- Bk. II, ch. viii.
_______________
My love for them (the novices) is so disinterested that I do not even want them to know of it, but I would be ready to give my life for them. By the grace of God I have never tried to win their affection. I knew that my mission was to lead them to God and to you, dear Mother, who represent God to them, and whom they are therefore bound to love and respect.
- The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une Âme)
__________________
For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
Thoughts and Counsels - December 29
Meditation for December 29, A Great Joy
I bring you tidings of great joy, the Angels announced to the shepherds.
What is this great joy? - A Savior is born to you. What consitutes the joy of possessing a Savior?
Supernatural life was lost to the world by the fall of Adam and Eve. The only means of salvation was that possible today for those who do not possess the true faith, namely, fidelity to duty in the darkness of error. I benefit by the normal means of salvation, membership in the visible Church. How easily I can learn the truth! How much assistance I have to live it!
Am I convinced that the message of the Catholic Church is primarily a doctrine of joy? The Gospel brings good tidings. Supernatural life was lost; it is returned forever. Glory to God in the highest; peace on earth to men. "Joy, joy, weep for joy!" Pascal dared to say.
At first sight religion appears as a code rather than joyful tidings, a collection of stringent measures rather than liberty and expansion. Let me profit by the song of the angels. The Gospel is pre-eminently the announcement that the Redemption has been accomplished. God be praised! Joy, joy, Peace and joy!
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
What is this great joy? - A Savior is born to you. What consitutes the joy of possessing a Savior?
Supernatural life was lost to the world by the fall of Adam and Eve. The only means of salvation was that possible today for those who do not possess the true faith, namely, fidelity to duty in the darkness of error. I benefit by the normal means of salvation, membership in the visible Church. How easily I can learn the truth! How much assistance I have to live it!
Am I convinced that the message of the Catholic Church is primarily a doctrine of joy? The Gospel brings good tidings. Supernatural life was lost; it is returned forever. Glory to God in the highest; peace on earth to men. "Joy, joy, weep for joy!" Pascal dared to say.
At first sight religion appears as a code rather than joyful tidings, a collection of stringent measures rather than liberty and expansion. Let me profit by the song of the angels. The Gospel is pre-eminently the announcement that the Redemption has been accomplished. God be praised! Joy, joy, Peace and joy!
"O Jesus, throughout this year which is ending I have not sufficiently lived in joy. I reproach myself, because my life, on this account, has been less radiant and complete. During the coming year, I will expand my soul to the dimensions of the true Gospel and according to its spirit. 'We have no right to be sad,' said a Bishop, 'except at the authentic news of the death of our God.' But our God is not only not dead but He has come down to earth to live. What cause for joy!"_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
A Reminder - Cardinal George Visits Shrine this Saturday
His Eminence Francis Cardinal George will visit the Institute of Christ the King's Chicago headquarters, the Shrine of Christ the King, on Saturday, December 29th at 1:30 PM. His Eminence, the president of the USCCB, will attend a Solemn High Mass and crown the precious, recently acquired statue of the Divine Infant King. All are invited to attend!
The church building, until now "gutted," has been cleaned and beautifully prepared for this occasion (see pictures here), and will now be used regularly as construction work allows. Funds are still being sought to restore the church. Details about the restoration project are available at historic-landmark.org. All donations are most gratefully accepted.
The church building, until now "gutted," has been cleaned and beautifully prepared for this occasion (see pictures here), and will now be used regularly as construction work allows. Funds are still being sought to restore the church. Details about the restoration project are available at historic-landmark.org. All donations are most gratefully accepted.
The Future of the Jesuits by Russell Shaw
December 28, 2007We should all pray for them and ask for the special interecession of St Ignatius.
On a quick trip to Rome a few weeks ago, I made it a point to visit the Gesu, the mother church of the Society of Jesus, and to pray for the Jesuits and their general congregation opening January 7. I found much of the church's magnificent Baroque interior concealed by scaffolding set up for a housecleaning before that crucial event.
The symbolism couldn't have been more apt. Just as the Gesu, in the historic heart of Rome, needed renovating, so does the Society itself. Rather than operating at the cutting edge of the Church, Jesuits in recent decades have fallen increasingly behind the times and, not unlike the Gesu, now stand in need of some serious renewing.
This is not an anti-Jesuit polemic. I am grateful for the education I received from the Society. Over the years I've known many Jesuits, and most have been — and still are — admirable men, loyal sons of the Church deeply devoted to the service of the people of God. Many have been, and still are, my friends.
Yet as 217 Jesuits from around the world convene at the Society's headquarters near St. Peter's Square for the 35th general congregation in the order's history, they face the challenge of not only electing a new General Superior but setting directions for a body in long-running crisis. Business as usual won't work. The Jesuits need an overhaul and they need it soon....
...The delegates to the 35th general congregation have the task of choosing a successor and setting policy for the years ahead. People who care about the Jesuits should wish them much success. That's what I prayed for at the Gesu when I was there.
Gospel for Dec 28, Feast: The Holy Innocents, Martyrs
From: Matthew 2:13-18
The Flight Into Egypt
[13] Now when they (the Magi) had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the Child, to destroy Him." [14] And he rose and took the Child and His mother by night, and departed to Egypt, [15]and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt have I called My Son."
The Massacre of the Innocents
[16] Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men. [17] Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: [18] "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more."
_____________________________
Commentary:
14. St. John Chrysostom, commenting on this passage, draws a particular attention to Joseph's faithfulness and obedience: "On hearing this, Joseph was not scandalized, nor did he say, `This is hard to understand. You yourself told me not long ago that He would save His people, and not He is not able to save even Himself. Indeed, we have to flee and undertake a journey and be away for a long time...'. But he does not say any of these things, because Joseph is a faithful man. Neither does he ask when they will be coming back, even though the angel had left it open when he said `and remain there till I tell you.' This does not hold him back: on the contrary, he obeys, believes and endures all trials with joy" ("Hom. on St. Matthew", 8).
It is worth noting also how God's way of dealing with His chosen ones contains light and shade: they have to put up with intense sufferings side by side with great joy: "It can be clearly seen that God, who is full of love for man, mixes pleasant things with unpleasant ones, as He did with all the Saints. He gives us neither dangers nor consolations in a continual way, but rather He makes the lives of the just a mixture of both. This was what He did with Joseph" ("ibid".).
15. The text of Hosea 11:1 speaks of a child who comes out of Egypt and is a son of God. This refers in the first place to the people of Israel whom God brought out of Egypt under Moses' leadership. But this event was a symbol or prefiguration of Jesus, the Head of the Church, the New People of God. It is in Him that this prophecy is principally fulfilled. The sacred text gives a quotation from the Old Testament in the light of its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The Old Testament achieves its full meaning in Christ, and, in the words of St. Paul, to read it without keeping in mind Jesus is to have one's face covered by a veil (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:12-18).
18. Ramah was the city in which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, concentrated the Israelites he had taken prisoner. Since Ramah was in the land of Benjamin, Jeremiah puts this lament for the children of Israel in the mouth of Rachel, the mother of Benjamin and Joseph. So great was the misfortune of those exiled to Babylon that Jeremiah says poetically that Rachel's sorrow is too great to allow for consolation.
"Rachel was buried in the racecourse near Bethlehem. Since her grave was nearby and the property belonged to her son, Benjamin (Rachel was of the tribe of Benjamin), the children beheaded in Bethlehem could reasonably be called Rachel's children" (St John Chrysostom, "Hom. on St Matthew", 9).
___________________________
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 Flight Into Egypt
[13] Now when they (the Magi) had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the Child, to destroy Him." [14] And he rose and took the Child and His mother by night, and departed to Egypt, [15]and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt have I called My Son."
The Massacre of the Innocents
[16] Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men. [17] Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: [18] "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more."
_____________________________
Commentary:
14. St. John Chrysostom, commenting on this passage, draws a particular attention to Joseph's faithfulness and obedience: "On hearing this, Joseph was not scandalized, nor did he say, `This is hard to understand. You yourself told me not long ago that He would save His people, and not He is not able to save even Himself. Indeed, we have to flee and undertake a journey and be away for a long time...'. But he does not say any of these things, because Joseph is a faithful man. Neither does he ask when they will be coming back, even though the angel had left it open when he said `and remain there till I tell you.' This does not hold him back: on the contrary, he obeys, believes and endures all trials with joy" ("Hom. on St. Matthew", 8).
It is worth noting also how God's way of dealing with His chosen ones contains light and shade: they have to put up with intense sufferings side by side with great joy: "It can be clearly seen that God, who is full of love for man, mixes pleasant things with unpleasant ones, as He did with all the Saints. He gives us neither dangers nor consolations in a continual way, but rather He makes the lives of the just a mixture of both. This was what He did with Joseph" ("ibid".).
15. The text of Hosea 11:1 speaks of a child who comes out of Egypt and is a son of God. This refers in the first place to the people of Israel whom God brought out of Egypt under Moses' leadership. But this event was a symbol or prefiguration of Jesus, the Head of the Church, the New People of God. It is in Him that this prophecy is principally fulfilled. The sacred text gives a quotation from the Old Testament in the light of its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The Old Testament achieves its full meaning in Christ, and, in the words of St. Paul, to read it without keeping in mind Jesus is to have one's face covered by a veil (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:12-18).
18. Ramah was the city in which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, concentrated the Israelites he had taken prisoner. Since Ramah was in the land of Benjamin, Jeremiah puts this lament for the children of Israel in the mouth of Rachel, the mother of Benjamin and Joseph. So great was the misfortune of those exiled to Babylon that Jeremiah says poetically that Rachel's sorrow is too great to allow for consolation.
"Rachel was buried in the racecourse near Bethlehem. Since her grave was nearby and the property belonged to her son, Benjamin (Rachel was of the tribe of Benjamin), the children beheaded in Bethlehem could reasonably be called Rachel's children" (St John Chrysostom, "Hom. on St Matthew", 9).
___________________________
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, December 27, 2007
Just for Today, December 28
Many examine who is greatest in the kingdom of God, who know not if they shall be worthy to be numbered among the least. It is a great matter to be even the least in heaven, where all are great; because all shall be called, and shall be the children of God. The least shall be as a thousand, and the sinner of a hundred years shall die.
For when the disciples asked who was the greater in the kingdom of heaven? they received this answer:
Unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven (Matt. xviii, 1,3,4).
- Bk. III, ch. lviii.
_________________
Speaking of the Communion of Saints, she said: "With the virgins we shall be virgins, with the doctors we shall be doctors, with the martyrs we shall be martyrs, for all the Saints are our kindred; but those who followed the way of spiritual childhood will always keep the charm of children. From my earliest years God has given me the conviction that I would die young."
-Novissima Verba
__________________
For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
For when the disciples asked who was the greater in the kingdom of heaven? they received this answer:
Unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven (Matt. xviii, 1,3,4).
- Bk. III, ch. lviii.
_________________
Speaking of the Communion of Saints, she said: "With the virgins we shall be virgins, with the doctors we shall be doctors, with the martyrs we shall be martyrs, for all the Saints are our kindred; but those who followed the way of spiritual childhood will always keep the charm of children. From my earliest years God has given me the conviction that I would die young."
-Novissima Verba
__________________
For more information, see this post.
Adapted from Just For Today(©1943 Burns & Oates)
Nihil Obstat: Reginaldus Phillips, S.T.L.,Censor deputatus
Imprimatur: Edwardus Myers, Vic. Cap.
Thoughts and Counsels - December 28
Meditation for December 28, The Holy Innocents
Herod and his court are angry with Jesus. Because of Him the little Innocents will perish. "This new-born child must die," Herod cries out. "Those Magi were to bring me word about Him. Did I not tell them that I would go and adore Him? Oh, the wretches, they have gone back another way into their country. Very well then, let all small children in Bethlehem be killed. Let none escape. The future King of the Jews must be included in this great slaughter. Woe to them if like Joash at the time of Queen Athaliah, the precious Child be saved! That must not be! All, you understand, kill all!"
Herod reckons without Divine Providence. Arise, says the Angel to Joseph, Take the Child and His Mother and fly into Egypt, and be there until I shall tell thee.
Joseph leaves; the Child is saved. A miracle of prompt obedience! A few hours of delay and all would have been lost. Jesus would have been among the slaughtered.
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
Herod reckons without Divine Providence. Arise, says the Angel to Joseph, Take the Child and His Mother and fly into Egypt, and be there until I shall tell thee.
Joseph leaves; the Child is saved. A miracle of prompt obedience! A few hours of delay and all would have been lost. Jesus would have been among the slaughtered.
"O my divine "Savior, since Your birth You have willed that suffering be our lot. Sometimes the mere fact that we are consecrated to You by vows is enough to bring wrath and persecution upon us. The Holy Innocents of Your time have had successors in every epoch. May You be blessed, O Jesus, if I must suffer for Your Name. Strengthen me in that hour."I must have greater trust in Divine Providence. My faith is weak. St. Felix of Nola, pursued by his enemies, hid in a crack in an old wall....A spider descended and spun its web in the opening. The police came and seeing the web said: "No one has entered here for a long time." And they passed on. St. Paulinus, who relates the fact, adds: "Where Christ is present the spider web becomes a wall; where Christ is absent the wall becomes a spider web."
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
69 Year Old Pro Lifer Attacked in Harrisburg, PA
At 6:30 am on Saturday, December 22, while most were snug in bed, resting up for Christmas activities, veteran pro-lifer Ed Snell, was arriving at Hillcrest Abortion Center, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He had come with two other activists to persuade women entering the clinic not to abort their pre-born children.This story continues by describing the serious injuries suffered by Mr. Snell, the failure of local police to promptly arrest the assailant, their threats against Mr. McTernan, and the failure of the media to cover the incident...It appears from the article that both the local police and the media are incompetent. Not surprising in a society which embraces a culture of death...
The group customarily meets at the clinic and has saved many lives. In fact, they have been so effective, that the clinic erected a 7-foot privacy fence to cut off all communication between the women and the pro-lifers. However, their efforts were scuttled, when the activists began bringing ladders so they could speak over the fence.
Mr. Snell, age 69, preferred to stand on a more solid foundation, so he constructed a plywood platform on the roof of his car to elevate him above the fence.
...As Ed stood on his platform that morning, a man and woman exited a car in the parking lot and proceeded towards that door of the abortion mill.
When Mr. Snell tried to counsel the woman, his words were cut short when the man became furious, jumped the fence and, in the words of [fellow activist and eyewitness John] McTernan, “leaped on the vehicle with Ed and catapulted him off of the vehicle and onto the ground.” Mr. Snell hit his back and head on the pavement and was knocked unconscious...
As Mr. McTernan related, had the tables been turned and a pro-life advocate assaulted an abortion worker or 'client,' the police most assuredly would have arrested the assailant on the spot and the media would have played this up this story for viewers' amusement and ridicule of the pro-life movement - all while countless assaults and murders take place daily in the nation's abortuaries - America's own human extermination program.
Thankfully, Mr. Snell will recover from his extensive injuries.
Yuo can read the entire article here.
HT to Mark S. for the link.
Our Lady of Lourdes in Minneapolis Features Dissenting Speakers
The following was received from a concerned member of the faithful in Minneapolis:
Our Lady of Lourdes Women's Prayer Series in 2008 highlights several women writers that are prolifically outspoken in support of same sex marriage and other topics that have not yet been but sometime to be approved by the Hierarchy of the Catholic Church.A special TotH to PC for the update...
Sessions will start at 9:30 am and last approximately one a half hour.
Reservations are helpful. Please call the parish office 612.379.2259
Saturday, January 12 – Maria Harris
From the book "Homosexuality and Christian Faith", we quote Maria Harris directly:At the end of the 20th century, individuals are probably no wiser than they ever have been about their sexual lives, but the human race undeniably has a different understanding of sexuality from what it had in the past. Studies subsequent to the two Kinsey Reports have confirmed the fact that the human race has an imaginative diversity of sexual expression. Sexual intimacy between consenting partners of same sex seems to be nothing less and nothing more than part of that wonderful range of expression.Saturday, February 9th – Sister Joan Chittister
What would (Saint) Paul make of today's sexual scene? It really is not possible to lift people out of one place in history and situate them in another. Presumably they could learn the language of a new era if given time to adjust. ….
A Christian today might even think that (Saint) Paul would see homosexuality as part of God's creation, sanctified by the Incarnation. The world of our bodily senses is not a veil that obscures divinity. The material world, whatever its groans and travails, is the expression of divine goodness. The best impulses of that world – the genuine struggles for the fulfillment of bodily existence – cannot be dismissed...People's sexual expressions have to be seen within that context.
Sister Joan Chittister, OSB has garnered a well-earned reputation as a vociferous advocate of contraception, abortion, women priests and homosexuality. Sister Chittister has lambasted the Church's teachings on homosexuality as "spiritual violence and abuse."
A google search on Sister Joan Chittister would inundate one with articles and books about and by Sister Joan Chittister and her prolific activism on the advocacy of contraception, abortion, women priests and homosexuality.
Saturday March 8th Anita Diamant
Anita Diamant's "The New Jewish Wedding" book has a specific section on same sex weddings. The new edition also includes a chapter called "New Faces under the Huppah" (the bridal canopy), which discusses the special needs and concerns of Jews-by-choice, non-Jewish partners, and gay and lesbian couples.
Anita wrote the hugely popular book "The Red Tent" which typecasts the patriarchy in a stereotypical and negative light.
Anita Diamant recently stated that "The Red Tent is gay-friendly for sure and Joseph is depicted as bisexual."
Mexico City Archbishop Cancels Weekly PressConferences
The cardinal archbishop of Mexico City has indefinitely postponed his weekly meetings with the press, usually held following Sunday Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral, after he rebuked members of the news media for what the archbishop says is a deliberate and unjustified campaign to defame him.The real world of the lame stream media.
“There are people out there who kill the good name and dignity of other persons,” Cardinal Norberto Rivera told 1,500 inmates during a Dec. 18 visit to Mexico City’s main female penitentiary. He called such persons “male and female communication prostitutes.”
“There are people outside who say, ‘I’m not a sinner,’ ‘I don’t kill,’ ‘I don’t steal’ -- but ah, how many other worse things they do,” Cardinal Rivera told the inmates. “They don’t kill the body, but they are like snakes that kill the good name of others. And they don’t care if their victims are innocent. They judge, they sentence and they condemn without any consideration but their own political benefit. For them, there is no justice other than what they themselves dictate.”
Jan 6, The St Cecilia Choir Presents "A Christmas Recital"
Click picture for a larger view.
This looks to be an uplifting event and an excellent way to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany!
Sunday, January 6 at 2:00pm
at St Francis de Sales Oratory
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