Wednesday, June 20, 2007
What Happened to the Sacred?
Thanks to another Catholic priest and his love of blogging, I direct your attention to the first of four articles written by the Ordinary of the Diocese of Paterson (NJ). The Sacred will be the theme in each of the articles. If you care to read the first article, simply click here . Bishop Arthur Serratelli is the Ordinary in Paterson
Catholic Schools in Afghanistan
Catholic school opens in Afghanistan
Kabul, Jun. 20, 2007 (CWNews.com) - The Jesuit Refugee Service has opened a technical school in Herat, Afghanistan, AsiaNews reports.
The construction of the school cost around $146,000, which was paid for by donors from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. The technical school has almost 500 students, including 120 girls.
In addition to the Jesuits, the Missionaries of Charity, the Little Sisters of Jesus, the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary and Dominican Missionary Sisters are present in the country.
Kabul, Jun. 20, 2007 (CWNews.com) - The Jesuit Refugee Service has opened a technical school in Herat, Afghanistan, AsiaNews reports.
The construction of the school cost around $146,000, which was paid for by donors from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. The technical school has almost 500 students, including 120 girls.
In addition to the Jesuits, the Missionaries of Charity, the Little Sisters of Jesus, the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary and Dominican Missionary Sisters are present in the country.
DAILY REFLECTION: Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Today, in Paul VI Audience Hall, Pope Benedict continued his weekly reflection on saints. Today, he spoke about St. Athanasius. Before the Holy Father's reflecton let me introduce you to St. Athanasius if you don't already know much about him.Saint Athanasius of Alexandria
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Continuing our catechesis on the great teachers of the ancient Church, we turn today to Saint Athanasius of Alexandria. Athanasius is venerated in East and West alike as a pillar of Christian orthodoxy. Against the followers of the Arian heresy, he insisted on the full divinity and consubstantiality of the Son with the Father, and defended the faith of the Church as expressed in the Creed of the Council of Nicaea. The Arian crisis did not end with the Council; indeed, for his resolute defence of the Nicene dogma, Athanasius was exiled from his see five times in thirty years. His many writings include the treatise On the Incarnation of the Word, which defends the full divinity of the Son, whose incarnation is the source of our salvation: “he became man so that we could become God”. Athanasius also wrote a celebrated Life of Anthony, a spiritual biography of Saint Anthony Abbot, whom he had known personally. This popular book had an immense influence in the spread of the monastic ideal in East and West. Like Anthony, Athanasius stands out as one of the great figures of the Church in Egypt, a “lamp” whose teaching and example even today light up the path of the entire Church.
Continuing our catechesis on the great teachers of the ancient Church, we turn today to Saint Athanasius of Alexandria. Athanasius is venerated in East and West alike as a pillar of Christian orthodoxy. Against the followers of the Arian heresy, he insisted on the full divinity and consubstantiality of the Son with the Father, and defended the faith of the Church as expressed in the Creed of the Council of Nicaea. The Arian crisis did not end with the Council; indeed, for his resolute defence of the Nicene dogma, Athanasius was exiled from his see five times in thirty years. His many writings include the treatise On the Incarnation of the Word, which defends the full divinity of the Son, whose incarnation is the source of our salvation: “he became man so that we could become God”. Athanasius also wrote a celebrated Life of Anthony, a spiritual biography of Saint Anthony Abbot, whom he had known personally. This popular book had an immense influence in the spread of the monastic ideal in East and West. Like Anthony, Athanasius stands out as one of the great figures of the Church in Egypt, a “lamp” whose teaching and example even today light up the path of the entire Church.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Hitting Too Close to Home!
Gaza, Jun. 19, 2007 (CWNews.com) - On June 14, a school administered by the Sisters of the Holy Rosary was demolished in the Gaza Strip. In the chapel adjoining the sisters’ convent, the crucifix and a statue of Christ were broken and prayer books burned.Father Manuel Mussallam, the only Catholic priest currently living in Gaza, denounced the sacking of the school and convent, describing it to AsiaNews as a "barbaric act." The incident occurred during the course of fighting between two Palestinian factions: al Fatah and Hamas.
Although the school and convent are located near a police station, a spokesman for Hamas-- which now controls the Gaza Strip-- said that the group was not responsible for the violence against the Catholic nuns. Salah Bardawil said: "The Christians are our brothers in Gaza and everywhere, and we will protect their holy places and school, as we do our Islamic schools."
Ten Ways to Avoid Speed Traps!
In every city, so it seems, what is growing up at many intersections and along city street straight-a-ways? Picture taking devices that catch the traffic law violators.Now Holy Mother Church has produced for all with heavy feet, The Ten Commandments for the Road. Surely these offer serious consideration for a more regular confession!!!
1. You shall not kill.
2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.
3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.
4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.
5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination and an occasion of sin.
6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.
7. Support the families of accident victims.
8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.
9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.
10. Feel responsible toward others.
Neighbor Cardinal Keeler Recuperating Well
Baltimore's Cardinal Keeler is recouperating from surgery to alleviate the pressure created by fluid building around his brain ... further consequences (so media reports have it) from the serious auto accident the Cardinal endured last Fall while travelling with priest friends (one died) in Italy.
The "modern artist" who brought about the refurbishing of the Basilica of Mary of the Assumption in Baltimore to its original design, Cardinal Keeler has had serious difficulty walking lately ... created by the fluid build up.
A shunt was inserted into His Eminence's head and quickly began a process of alleviating the pressure on various parts of the Cardinal's brain.
Let us continue to remember him in our prayers. The Cardinal submitted his letter for retirement when he celebrated his 75th birthday April a year ago but it has not been accepted by the Holy Father.
DAILY REFLECTION: Tuesday, June 19, 2007
The gospel today puts a very real contemporary crisis for our consideration and prayer as well as action! According to Matthew, Jesus said, "Be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect." Scripture scholars, theologians and the Church teach us what Jesus meant with that sentence: be fully human as your Father is fully divine. What a challenge to us when Jesus also says "love your enemies; pray for those who persecute you." Even though the disciples and we ourselves may have heard "Love your neighbor but hate your enemies," Jesus also said that we cannot so selective to accommodate our felt needs or prejudices. Today we hear some people -- among them parishioners, family, priests, pastors, elected officials, Bishops and Cardinals --- saying "We must help the poor but do not help the undocumented." Some also say "Give humanitarian aid to democracies but not even to the needy in terrorist nations."
You and I, we are created in the image of God. Do we think about this much any more in our rat-race world? We are to be like God whose goodness has no limit. Maybe it is truly believing these words of Jesus Christ recorded in the gospels that has brought Cardinal Mahoney (Los Angeles) and a few other Bishops in our Church to speak out so strongly in the current national immigration debate.
We hear many Catholics speak out against Catholic politicians who support the Pro Choice position in the abortion debate and continue to receive the Eucharist. Where are these same Catholics in the immigration debate?
You know, those words of Jesus, "Follow me," they are not easy to swallow.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
FATHER'S DAY
Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time
June 16, 2007
Father’s Day
Recently, while reading a newspaper article about an event in Iraq, I was stopped by the incident reported. One of the men sent from his home to serve our nation in the conflict in Iraq was walking with his company. He saw a grenade roll out from a building into the middle of the soldiers. Without hesitation, this soldier, a father of three young children, pushed a soldier out of the way and himself pounced on the grenade which immediately exploded. At that moment a martyr was born. A company of men was saved by one man’s sacrifice.
I think of Saint Luke’s words: For whoever would save his life, will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, will save it. (9:24).
For almost all of us here today, we hope and pray we will never find ourselves called to make such a sacrifice. But there is no doubt in my mind that the officer who so quickly gave himself to save others must have been a man who was not a stranger to sacrifice. There must have been many moments when he gave himself as a younger man, as a son, as a sibling, as a husband and as a Dad. I do not think a person who has not learned to be self-giving would easily accept such a sacrifice.
For us and anyone wanting to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, who would want to be called a Christian, we know that we have to face from time to time a life that demands sacrifice, unselfish giving of something we possess or want. What mother who lives her vocation would seriously complain during the middle of the night when she would hear the words, "Mommy, I feel sick." What father who lives his vocation would not take on extra work or duties to make life better for his family? What priest, who truly loves his vocation, would hesitate to rush to a hospital when there was an emergency call?
Again, I turn to Saint Luke: "If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me (9:23)".
Today we celebrate Father’s Day. Some are father because they said "I do," and have brought children into the world. Some are called father because they said "I will" and serve you and the Church through the sacrament of Holy Orders.
Regardless of the kind of "father" one man may be, fatherhood requires total self-giving. Fathers of a family spend hours each day working at a job and then working at parenting. The priest, hopefully, will give hours of his time to being the spiritual director of a large family, meeting needs that are brought before him.
If homes seem to be forgotten because fathers are more concerned about careers or other activities, if parishes are abandoned because the spiritual father is more concerned about himself and other interests, is it a surprise that so many people wander aimlessly about seeking loving care, direction, purpose and companionship?
Married love and the celibate life can only be understood when total dedication and sacrifice serve as the underlying structure to the life. If we priests or you fathers live a selfish lives, we can hardly experience the joys of a genuine Christian life.
The life of father, whether married or celibate, demands commitment. Commitment requires maturity, sacrifice and an incredible amount of love, genuine love. You know, it means that we really don’t have time to give our choice of life a second thought once we have embarked upon it. Moments of doubt, moments of hesitation, moments of boredom ... we all experience them ... but they only serve to undermine commitment. We cannot give them a chance to build a nest within our hearts and minds.
Fatherhood requires responsibility. We cannot serve our families and our parishes if we, as fathers, go about looking for escapes to the responsibilities that are ours. Self-pity when days are tough is hardly the anecdote to curing difficulties. We have to trust that God will provide in one way or another.
Our world is calling out, louder than ever before for real men. Forget the quiche! Real men of conviction and commitment are needed today. Men who can carry out difficult decision are the kinds of models our young people need today. Read any issue of a paper or magazine that focus on people in today’s society. There you will find a society calling for men who are generous, self-giving, morally upright, honest, hard workers, men who are sensitive to the needs of other ... often a true test of manhood ... men who are respect others and are not afraid to show that ... men who teach their children respect for wives, co-workers and friends. These are the kinds of men so often not portrayed yet made idols in today’s media.
These words, I hope, have brought to mind at least one or two men who have impacted your life because of their truly manhood be it your father, grandfather, older brother, parish priest ... whoever. There are many married fathers and celibate fathers who struggle each day to make their lives models for others. Thank them on this day when we remember them.
And to each of us who is called "Dad" or "Father," it is a day when we can reflect upon our duties to each of our very different families. Our families, our parishes need well-integrated men. We must be true and loving men who daily give ourselves to the needs of those who count on us. Let us never hesitate to give ourselves to them.
June 16, 2007
Father’s Day
Recently, while reading a newspaper article about an event in Iraq, I was stopped by the incident reported. One of the men sent from his home to serve our nation in the conflict in Iraq was walking with his company. He saw a grenade roll out from a building into the middle of the soldiers. Without hesitation, this soldier, a father of three young children, pushed a soldier out of the way and himself pounced on the grenade which immediately exploded. At that moment a martyr was born. A company of men was saved by one man’s sacrifice.
I think of Saint Luke’s words: For whoever would save his life, will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, will save it. (9:24).
For almost all of us here today, we hope and pray we will never find ourselves called to make such a sacrifice. But there is no doubt in my mind that the officer who so quickly gave himself to save others must have been a man who was not a stranger to sacrifice. There must have been many moments when he gave himself as a younger man, as a son, as a sibling, as a husband and as a Dad. I do not think a person who has not learned to be self-giving would easily accept such a sacrifice.
For us and anyone wanting to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, who would want to be called a Christian, we know that we have to face from time to time a life that demands sacrifice, unselfish giving of something we possess or want. What mother who lives her vocation would seriously complain during the middle of the night when she would hear the words, "Mommy, I feel sick." What father who lives his vocation would not take on extra work or duties to make life better for his family? What priest, who truly loves his vocation, would hesitate to rush to a hospital when there was an emergency call?
Again, I turn to Saint Luke: "If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me (9:23)".
Today we celebrate Father’s Day. Some are father because they said "I do," and have brought children into the world. Some are called father because they said "I will" and serve you and the Church through the sacrament of Holy Orders.
Regardless of the kind of "father" one man may be, fatherhood requires total self-giving. Fathers of a family spend hours each day working at a job and then working at parenting. The priest, hopefully, will give hours of his time to being the spiritual director of a large family, meeting needs that are brought before him.
If homes seem to be forgotten because fathers are more concerned about careers or other activities, if parishes are abandoned because the spiritual father is more concerned about himself and other interests, is it a surprise that so many people wander aimlessly about seeking loving care, direction, purpose and companionship?
Married love and the celibate life can only be understood when total dedication and sacrifice serve as the underlying structure to the life. If we priests or you fathers live a selfish lives, we can hardly experience the joys of a genuine Christian life.
The life of father, whether married or celibate, demands commitment. Commitment requires maturity, sacrifice and an incredible amount of love, genuine love. You know, it means that we really don’t have time to give our choice of life a second thought once we have embarked upon it. Moments of doubt, moments of hesitation, moments of boredom ... we all experience them ... but they only serve to undermine commitment. We cannot give them a chance to build a nest within our hearts and minds.
Fatherhood requires responsibility. We cannot serve our families and our parishes if we, as fathers, go about looking for escapes to the responsibilities that are ours. Self-pity when days are tough is hardly the anecdote to curing difficulties. We have to trust that God will provide in one way or another.
Our world is calling out, louder than ever before for real men. Forget the quiche! Real men of conviction and commitment are needed today. Men who can carry out difficult decision are the kinds of models our young people need today. Read any issue of a paper or magazine that focus on people in today’s society. There you will find a society calling for men who are generous, self-giving, morally upright, honest, hard workers, men who are sensitive to the needs of other ... often a true test of manhood ... men who are respect others and are not afraid to show that ... men who teach their children respect for wives, co-workers and friends. These are the kinds of men so often not portrayed yet made idols in today’s media.
These words, I hope, have brought to mind at least one or two men who have impacted your life because of their truly manhood be it your father, grandfather, older brother, parish priest ... whoever. There are many married fathers and celibate fathers who struggle each day to make their lives models for others. Thank them on this day when we remember them.
And to each of us who is called "Dad" or "Father," it is a day when we can reflect upon our duties to each of our very different families. Our families, our parishes need well-integrated men. We must be true and loving men who daily give ourselves to the needs of those who count on us. Let us never hesitate to give ourselves to them.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Immaculate Heart of Blessed Virgin Mary Saturday
An Act of Consecration to Mary Under the Title: Immaculate Heart of Mary
Most Holy Virgin Mary, tender Mother of men, to fulfill the desires of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the request of the Vicar of Your Son on earth, we consecrate ourselves and our families to your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and we recommend to You, all the people of our country and all the world.
Please accept our consecration, dearest Mother, and use us as You wish to accomplish Your designs in the world.
O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and Queen of the World, rule over us, together with the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, Our King. Save us from the spreading flood of modern paganism; kindle in our hearts and homes the love of purity, the practice of a virtuous life, an ardent zeal for souls, and a desire to pray the Rosary more faithfully.
We come with confidence to You, O Throne of Grace and Mother of Fair Love. Inflame us with the same Divine Fire which has inflamed Your own Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart. Make our hearts and homes Your shrine, and through us, make the Heart of Jesus, together with your rule, triumph in every heart and home.
Amen.
--Venerable Pope Pius XII
Please accept our consecration, dearest Mother, and use us as You wish to accomplish Your designs in the world.
O Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and Queen of the World, rule over us, together with the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, Our King. Save us from the spreading flood of modern paganism; kindle in our hearts and homes the love of purity, the practice of a virtuous life, an ardent zeal for souls, and a desire to pray the Rosary more faithfully.
We come with confidence to You, O Throne of Grace and Mother of Fair Love. Inflame us with the same Divine Fire which has inflamed Your own Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart. Make our hearts and homes Your shrine, and through us, make the Heart of Jesus, together with your rule, triumph in every heart and home.
Amen.
--Venerable Pope Pius XII
Friday, June 15, 2007
A Lively Ballroom: Polka Heaven
Even the young are returning to the ballroom dance floor!!! Reading my blog about an upcoming Ballroom Dancing event in the parish, a dear friend sent me short article she had written about Polkas. In light of the previous blog, I suspect you might get a sense of one person's love for dancing. You younger readers might also get a sense of this lady's loss at no longer being able to dance ... her legs just tired out from her walking around hospitals helping so many people. Enjoy the read.
Polkas
Hear a polka immediately the music invades the body. The sound permeates the whole person. It’s rhythm hypnotizes; blood tingles throughout the circulatory system. Every muscle and tendon is affected .The feet pick up the beat, the nerves become almost involuntary, a spontaneous urge to move to the magic sound occurs. This rhythm is happy felt from the heart .The surrounding folks are overcome by the spell. Not a soul in the vicinity is grumpy or grouchy. The place exudes an air of joyfulness. The dance begins. The floor of dancers becomes alive with spinning and twirls. Happy faces explode in merriment.
In my family if you could breath you could polka. You were born to the hop of this spirited music. It feels like a fast waltz. My sister and I often had the cancan and Strauss’s waltzes on the record player as we tried to clean the house. This was a way to make the chores less like work. Music and twirling filled the air. Mom would shout up to us,"are you girls doing your work, It sounds like you are playing?" "Mom it is getting done. Don’t worry."
When we went to our Lithuanian social club on Fridays,
we danced every polka, dancing and dancing until we were breathless. Oh! Those wonderful light-hearted days. Many of the polkas had words . We were quick to learn every word. On celebrations they became spontaneous out burst.
Some songs told of a difficult lover, and others of unhappy love affairs. Most poked fun at annoyances . One in particular was about a dumb person where all sorts of peculiar things occurred. These stories were much like country ballads, sung in Lithuanian, We learned the family language easily this way.
At a Lithuanian wedding reception the band plays a wedding polka. Older women serenade the couple and they pretend with knives to keep the couple from cutting the cake. Of course the Bride and Groom win. This ritual signifies all will not always go well in their future life together and difficulties must be overcome.
Polkas are time machines that bring days and nights gone by but not forgotten. Every tune recalls past fun –filled times.
Remember "The beer Barrel Polka and there is a Tavern in the Town". These had a terrific Hey-Day.
Polkas
Hear a polka immediately the music invades the body. The sound permeates the whole person. It’s rhythm hypnotizes; blood tingles throughout the circulatory system. Every muscle and tendon is affected .The feet pick up the beat, the nerves become almost involuntary, a spontaneous urge to move to the magic sound occurs. This rhythm is happy felt from the heart .The surrounding folks are overcome by the spell. Not a soul in the vicinity is grumpy or grouchy. The place exudes an air of joyfulness. The dance begins. The floor of dancers becomes alive with spinning and twirls. Happy faces explode in merriment.
In my family if you could breath you could polka. You were born to the hop of this spirited music. It feels like a fast waltz. My sister and I often had the cancan and Strauss’s waltzes on the record player as we tried to clean the house. This was a way to make the chores less like work. Music and twirling filled the air. Mom would shout up to us,"are you girls doing your work, It sounds like you are playing?" "Mom it is getting done. Don’t worry."
When we went to our Lithuanian social club on Fridays,
we danced every polka, dancing and dancing until we were breathless. Oh! Those wonderful light-hearted days. Many of the polkas had words . We were quick to learn every word. On celebrations they became spontaneous out burst.
Some songs told of a difficult lover, and others of unhappy love affairs. Most poked fun at annoyances . One in particular was about a dumb person where all sorts of peculiar things occurred. These stories were much like country ballads, sung in Lithuanian, We learned the family language easily this way.
At a Lithuanian wedding reception the band plays a wedding polka. Older women serenade the couple and they pretend with knives to keep the couple from cutting the cake. Of course the Bride and Groom win. This ritual signifies all will not always go well in their future life together and difficulties must be overcome.
Polkas are time machines that bring days and nights gone by but not forgotten. Every tune recalls past fun –filled times.
Remember "The beer Barrel Polka and there is a Tavern in the Town". These had a terrific Hey-Day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
