Catholic teachings

Ironically, the more the culture tried to paint the Catholic Church as full of sinful people, the more convinced I became of its truth. I didn’t believe that ordinary people could come up with a set of teachings that contained unparalleled wisdom; maintain them consistently across all times and places, even despite tremendous pressure to recant; and then keep it all going for two thousand years. And even if the media had been right that the priesthood and episcopate were full of corrupt and immoral people, that would have only made the situation more inexplicable in purely human terms—corrupt and immoral people are always the first to sell out and preach whatever message the culture wants to hear in order to get more power for themselves.

In short, I saw something divine at work here.

The Catholic Church has claimed all along that this is an institution “powered by” God, so to speak. It was founded by Jesus Christ, not humans, and a divine Force continues to guide it to this day. Just as he did with Sacred Scripture, God uses imperfect people to proclaim his perfect truth. It’s a crazy claim, particularly hard to believe in this age when atheistic materialism dominates the culture. But I think that the constant negative portrayals of Catholics in popular culture can be a boon to our faith in this department. Because every time the world reminds us that our natures are no less fallen than anyone else’s, it’s a reminder that our Church, its sacraments, and its teachings could not exist without Someone helping us out.

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/why-the-scandals-increased-my-faith-in-the-church/#ixzz1Uf0pHiHQ

It Ain’t Homophobia

It Ain’t Homophobia

Either the recently enacted New York marriage law is nonsense, or its religious opponents are bigots whose prejudices should not be given the protection of law. To use Mr. Kennicott’s sociological term of art, it’s a matter of cognitive dissonance to try to have it both ways. In any event, pressures like that of the Times and its activist allies will continue, for the logic of their position requires them to try and strip away religious and other exemptions from recognizing “gay marriage.”

Should those pressures succeed, the Catholic Church will be forced to get out of the civil marriage business—as it has been forced in some states to stop providing foster care for children and young people, thanks to the pressures of the really phobic parties in these affairs: the Christophobes. Priests will no longer function as officials of the state when witnessing marriages.

So what will Catholics and other adherents of biblical morality do (for evangelical pastors are just as much at risk from the Christophobes as Catholic priests)? They’ll have a civil “wedding” that will be a farce, just like that endured by my Polish friends in 1964. And then they’ll really get married in church.

Off Grid Worship: 1968 Prophecy by a 90 Year Old Norwegian Woman

Off Grid Worship: 1968 Prophecy by a 90 Year Old Norwegian Woman: "This prophecy was given by a 90 yr. old woman in Norway 42 years ago about events leading up to the second coming of Christ. An Evangelist b...

""A lukewarmness without parallel will take hold of the Christians, a falling away from true, living Christianity. Christians will not be open for penetrating preaching. They will not, like in earlier times, want to hear of sin and grace, law and gospel, repentance and restoration. There will come a substitute instead: prosperity (happiness) Christianity.

"The important thing will be to have success, to be something; to have material things, things that God never promised us in this way. Churches and prayer houses will be emptier and emptier. Instead of the preaching we have been used to for generations -like, to take your cross up and follow Jesus, - entertainment, art and culture will invade the churches where there should have been gatherings for repentance and revival. This will increase markedly just before the return of Jesus.

WHEN THE OIL FLOWS

An elder in the Pentecostal Church at Moss, Norway, Martin Andersen, heard the following prophecy in 1937, in Moss:

‘When oil comes out of the North Sea and along the Norwegian coast, things will begin to happen, and the return of Jesus is approaching.’

When these words had been proclaimed, people stood up in the congregation and asked the man to sit down and not speak such nonsense. In 1937 it was indeed nonsense to talk about oil being pumped along the Norwegian coast. Today all the world’s big oil companies are pumping oil along the coast of Norway. Norway is the world’s second greatest exporter of oil - after Saudi Arabia.

The sum of it all is: Jesus is coming soon (suddenly).

ST. DOMINICK

St. Dominic de Guzman

WHO WAS DOMINIC DE GUZMÁN?

St. Dominic was born in Caleruega, Spain, in 1170. After graduating from the University of Palencia and Ordination to the priesthood, he became a Canon of St. Augustine and superior of the Canons in the Cathedral of Osma, devoting his time there to public ministry of the Sacraments. While passing through southern France with his bishop in the year 1203, the young priest was shocked to witness the spiritual horrors wrought by the Albigensian heresy which, among other things, taught that the physical world was evil – despite the fact that God's Son chose to live in it Himself. It was in this community, hungering for the Gospel message of Christ's redemption of the world, that our zealous brother discovered the depth of his vocation and laid the foundation for the Order of Preachers.

A PREACHER’S RESPONSE

In order to reach out to these souls, Dominic founded a three-fold religious Order, one for the converted Albigensian women at Prouille (later the Dominican sisters), one for an apostolic band of friars preacher, and another for men and women known as tertiaries living in the world as lay Dominicans affiliated with the Order. At first, Dominic found the heretics unreceptive, stubborn and often hostile. But the barking of the “Watchdog of the Lord” (i.e., Dominic) continued loud and clear, while his hunger for saving souls grew stronger.

THE HOLY PREACHER

St. Dominic’s humility, fatherly kindness, patience and joyfulness under persecution impressed even his enemies who at times mocked, spat at him and pelted him with stones or mud. Since he could not shed his blood for their salvation, he fasted, took the discipline during his night-vigils of prayer, and walked barefoot from village to village preaching the faith. During his lifetime, he healed the sick, raised the dead, multiplied food, and proved the truth of his doctrine by miracles during his public debates.
When threatened with death, he would reply: “I am not worthy of the martyr’s crown.” He twice rejected a bishopric, and he enjoyed a warm friendship with St. Francis, the Poor Man of Assisi, which is still commemorated in the liturgies of the Franciscan and Dominican Orders. Several times he was consoled and strengthened in his apostolate by apparitions of Christ and his Mother.

Four times in his life Dominic journeyed on foot to Rome. Pope Honorius III confirmed his Order and granted him the Convent of St. Sixtus for his nuns. He also gave Dominic the Convent of Santa Sabina for his friars, a place that, to this day, the Master of the Order of Preachers still calls home!

Dominic made foundations in university cities to ensure an adequate education for the brethren. On August 15, 1217, he scattered his men to various parts of Europe saying: “If grain is sown it bears fruit, but if it is stored it rots.” The Founder summoned two General Chapters in 1220 and 1221 and lived to witness the amazing expansion of his Order. He was felled by sheer exhaustion after his last mission in Lombardy at the age of 51. After making a general confession, he said to his weeping brethren: “Do not weep, my children, I shall be more useful to you where I am going than I have ever been in this life. I thank God who has preserved me in perfect virginity to this day. Have charity, guard humility, keep voluntary poverty.”

He fell asleep in Christ on August 6, 1221, at Bologna, Italy, where his relics now lie in a marble tomb of exquisite beauty, the work of Nicholas Pisano. The tomb was later embellished by Michelangelo and other artists, and may be seen in Santo Domingo Church at Bologna. From heaven, the Patriarch fulfills his promise to answer the prayers of all who invoke him.

OUR LADY OF THE SNOWS

Our Lady of the Snows

Our Lady's Sign.... A Snowfall. This is the history of Our Lady of the Snows. The time was the year 352, so soon after the birth of Jesus that many did not know about Him, and many "dared" not know, for fear of persecution.

The city of Rome, Italy, was fast becoming a Catholic center, and there resided Pope Liberius, the Holy Father, Successor of the Holy Apostle, St. Peter. Among his loyal subjects were a noble patrician, John, and his wife. This couple was very holy and devout.

They were not blessed with children, so it was their desire that their worldly goods should be given to the Mother of God. They discussed this with Pope Liberius and he counseled them to commend this holy intention to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Fervently, they besought her to show them her desire by some sign.

During the night of August 5th, the Virgin Mary appeared to John and his wife, and also to Pope Liberius, telling them to construct a church in her honor on the crest of the Esquiline Hill. As a sign of her will, she told them, they would find it covered with snow.

Snow is rare in Rome. When it falls, it is a day of rejoicing, and the populace delights in the beautiful sight of trees and shrubs blanketed with a soft mantle of white. Many winters pass without the least trace of a snowfall.

Imagine the great excitement of a snowfall during the first days of the hot month of August. That is exactly what happened on the night of August 5th, 352. In the morning, almost all of Rome thronged to the Esquiline Hill as the news spread that snow had fallen there during the sultry night, outlining the precise shape of the church requested by Our Lady. John, his wife, and Pope Liberius, told the crowd the snow was a favor from the Immaculate Queen of Heaven. When the people learned this, they shouted over and over again, "Our Lady of the Snows!"

The crest of the Esquiline hill, therefore, became the site of a church dedicated to the Mother of God, just as she wished. This was ancient Rome, early in Christianity, only 352 a.d. - almost sixteen hundred and fifty years ago! This was the origin of the title: Our Lady of the Snows.

The church built in her honor is known today as the Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore), because it is the Mother of all churches throughout the world dedicated to our Heavenly Queen. This church in Rome is the original Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows. In honor of Pope St. Liberius (who suffered exile during the Arian heresy), it is also called the "Liberian Basilica."

The altar of Our Lady's Basilica contains the relics of the manger crib of Our Divine Lord, which St. Helena brought back from Jerusalem with the True Cross. The image honored as Our Lady of the Snows is a venerable painting of the Madonna and Child in Greek style, attributed to the physician-Evangelist, St. Luke. Relics of many apostles and saints, as well as the body of St. Matthew and the head of St. Luke rest in this favored sanctuary.

The Greatest Marian Church throughout History. Down through the sixteen centuries since the first construction of the Basilica, pilgrims from all regions of Christendom have made Saint Mary Major one of the most popular churches in the world. Our Lady of the Snows has found pleasure in showering down countless blessings upon her children who invoke her under this particular title.

Throughout the annals of Church History, we find many a Saint greatly devoted to this magnificent Church of Our Lady.

The Popes of the past have had a tender devotion towards the Madonna of the Esquiline, and have tried to outdo one another in enriching this Mother Church dedicated to her honor. The present magnificent edifice was constructed in the fifth century by Pope Sixtus III. The compartments of the intricate ceiling were gilded with the first gold brought from America by the devout Catholic explorer, Christopher Columbus. St. Gregory the Great turned to Our Lady during the devastating black plague in Rome in 597, and had her miraculous image carried in procession from St. Mary Major to St. Peter's Basilica; and St. Michael appeared in the sky to indicate the end of the pestilence. The tomb of Pope St. Pius V lay for centuries in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, where St. Ignatius Loyola said his first Mass. Eugenio Pacelli (the future Pope Pius XII), also said his first Mass at the altar of Our Lady of the Snows in 1899. It is obvious why She is frequently referred to as the "Madonna of the Popes." Many other examples can be taken from the lives of the Popes and Saints who lived in Rome, manifesting their tender devotion to St. Mary Major, the "Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows." St. Stanislaus Kostka even used to turn in his cell to pray facing St. Mary Major.

Thus, has this beautiful title come down from Christian antiquity.

One lovely custom of olden times has come down even to our era. During Mass and Vespers each year on the Feast of Our Lady of the Snows (Aug. 5), the glorious anniversary of the origin of the Basilica is celebrated with pomp and splendor. Recalling the miraculous fall of snow that indicated the site of this Mother Church of Mary, a shower of rose petals, jasmine, and other white flowers are let to fall from the ceiling at the words: "He sendeth His snow like wool..."

The white jasmine symbolizes the purity and innocence of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The way the flowers are scattered from above suggests the manner in which Our Lady showers her graces on all souls, but in a particular manner upon those who honor her under the title of Our Lady of the Snows.

Throughout the thirty-some years of our apostolate, Our Lady has manifested herself under this special title in ways especially dear to those who cherish the providential significance of this wonderful title of the Immaculate Queen of Heaven; and we look forward to her continued protection and guidance, safe beneath the white flowing mantle of her heavenly grace.

Prayer

Our Lady of the Snows, Immaculate Queen of the Universe, from this privileged sanctuary, Thou has bestowed so many countless graces and pledges of love upon the hearts and souls of millions. O Mother, from this cradle of Christianity, this Mother Church of all churches, deign to shower forth the graces of thine Immaculate Heart upon the remnant Faithful throughout the world, wherever they may be, and grant them the graces of a childlike love and unwavering fidelity to the holy truths of our Faith. Grant, good Mother, to the faithful Bishops of the Church the grace to defend Her Sacred Teachings, and to persevere courageously against all the enemies of the Holy Church. Amen.

The liturgical impact of homosexuality in the priesthood :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

The liturgical impact of homosexuality in the priesthood :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

While narcissistic behavior certainly isn’t the exclusive franchise of homosexuals, Dr. Fitzgibbons’ insights speak directly to the reason why homosexual men are ill-suited for the priesthood – a truth that comes into ever sharper focus when viewed through the lens of the sacred liturgy.  

“The male who suffers with deep-seated homosexuality has difficulty in being Christ visible in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for a number of reasons,” Dr. Fitzgibbons continued. “For instance, a number of well-designed studies have documented that the homosexual man struggles with weaknesses in male confidence, which in turn makes it difficult for him to give of himself fully in the ministerial roles as a spouse to the Church and as a spiritual father to Her children as the priest is called to carry them out in persona Christi at Mass.”

Priest Condemned to Hell by Jesus!!!

ZENIT - A Prophet's Depression, an Apostle's Grief, a Disciple's Fear

ZENIT - A Prophet's Depression, an Apostle's Grief, a Disciple's Fear

At certain times in our contemporary Church history, everything seems to indicate shipwreck, fear, drowning and death. But let us be honest and realize that the Church goes on, saving souls and journeying to its final harbor. In that blessed realm, beyond the seas of this life, all the things which threaten God's Church in this world will be gone for ever. At those times, we must listen to the Lord, as Peter did, and cast the nets again into the deep -- for it is our faith that is being tested -- not as to whether we profess it or not -- but as to whether we are ready to do something about it or not. 

He calms the storms of life

Let us never forget this fact: We are on the waters with Jesus. He is in the boat with us, during the night and during the storms. The Lord does not abandon those who come seeking his mercy and his forgiveness. He walks upon the waters. He calms the storm. He guides the boat into safe harbor, and brings with him the great catch, the great feast, to which we are all summoned -- the daily feast of his Body and Blood, our food for eternal life. This is cause for rejoicing!

Fatima Visionary Saw and Confirmed the Apparitions of Our Lady of Medjugorje

Fatima Visionary Saw and Confirmed the Apparitions of Our Lady of Medjugorje

As the Vatican continues its international Commission investigating the ongoing apparitions of Medjugorje, under the leadership of Cardinal Camillo Ruini and the CDF, the Holy See should not ignore an important, but little known, fact about these Marian apparitions. They were confirmed as being authentic by the main visionary of Fatima, Sister Lucia dos Santos, who not only confirmed but also reported experiencing apparitions of Our Lady of Medjugorje in the convent.

According to Sister Lucia’s own nephew, Father Salinho — a Salesian priest who lives in Portugal — Sister Lucia continued receiving visions of the Virgin Mary long after 1917, and some of these apparitions of the Virgin spoke to Sister Lucia of the Madonna’s continued work in Medjugorje.

satan in the World Today

http://catholicdeliverance.blogspot.com/2011/07/real-power-of-satan.html


From Exorcism and the Church Militant,

By Fr. Thomas J. Euteneuer, Exorcist

In today’s day and age, Satan is growing exponentially more powerful due to the enormity of human sinfulness, and the Church must confront his power either willingly or unwillingly. Satan is normally “hidden in the dark sea of human sin and error,” like Leviathan of the Old Testament, but nowadays he is walking tall in powerful structures of sin like abortion, pornography, sex slavery, rapacious greed and terrorism. He flexes his muscles in the massive diffusion of errors and sinful practices like the doctrines of myriad false religions, pernicious ideologies like radical feminism and “pro-choice” extremism, the militant homosexual movement and the aggressive mass media which is the ministry of propaganda for Satan and all his works and all his empty promises.

Never in all of history have we seen evil promoted so effectively and the true good so roundly mocked and rejected as in this age of extreme technological prowess. Although evil has existed since the dawn of time and manifested itself to the world, the difference between the modern world and past generations is that Satan has a greater ability to use groups and institutions for increasing his wicked reach into human life and society. No longer is evil just practiced in the haunts of cemeteries, seedy parlors and hidden covens. Nowadays, objective evil is displayed out in the open air with impunity, celebrated in the public forum and strategized in plush board rooms. Whole industries and power groups are dedicated to its promotion and dissemination, and sometimes the sheer power of these industries of immorality defies imagination. They target the younger generations with an immense seductive force, and the young are almost entirely unequipped to deal with this tyranny of sin due to unparalleled attacks on faith, marriage, family and innocent human life in modern times. Not only do young people not know the truth about their salvation; they don't even know that they don’t know it.

The 21st century is a moral and spiritual battlefield of such immense proportions that no era of human history will have ever seen a war like it. Satan is using the cumulative force of this world’s sinfulness to re-define life as we know it. Now, this war is not just against trained combatants. It is total war against all that is sacred and natural. It is a war against humanity itself, something unseen before in all of history with the possible exception of atheistic Communism.

The devil now arrogates to himself the right to control the totality of human existence even in so-called free societies: from manipulating the very act of creation (in vitro fertilization, cloning, Human Genome); to the authority over life and death (abortion, embryonic stem cell research, euthanasia); to the definition of human sexuality and marriage (birth control, divorce, homosexual unions); to the very prospect of human annihilation (nuclear war, genocide and the impending New World Order). Nothing escapes the rebellious forces of hedonism and secularism in their violent march through our world. They creep into the fabric of our lives and families like a vapor until they have poisoned the entire environment and make everyone believe that their toxicity is “normal.” If the measure of a war’s ferociousness is the number of casualties, the modern war to exterminate souls is unprecedented in the history of humanity; it is nothing short of history’s worst nuclear holocaust in spiritual terms.

*****Malachi Martin, in the 1992 preface to his book, Hostage to the Devil, said that “ritualistic Satanism and its inevitable consequence, demonic Possession, are now part and parcel of the atmosphere of life in America… such pervasive cultural desolation is the most fertile ground one could possibly imagine for the causes of Possession to take root and flourish in almost unimpeded freedom.” It must be kept in mind that such a frightening observation was made at a time before the advent of the Internet, the massive diffusion of New Age beliefs and the Harry Potter books and movies. Martin’s observations suggest that this evil is so all-encompassing that only the authority of God Himself, borne and administered by the Church, is adequate to meet this challenge.

AUGUST 2 INDULGENCE

http://catholicdeliverance.blogspot.com/2011/07/august-2nd-feast-of-portiuncula.html

THE PORTIUNCULA INDULGENCE....AUGUST 2ND

The Portiuncula Indulgence is the first plenary indulgence ever granted in the Roman Catholic Church. One who gains the Portiuncula Indulgence is freed from all temporal punishments and becomes as pure as after Baptism.

(It was Pope Honorius who granted the petition of St. Francis of Assisi and confirmed this plenary indulgence.)

The conditions to obtain the Plenary Indulgence of the Forgiveness of Assisi -- for oneself or for a departed soul -- are as follows:

1) Sacramental Confession to be in God’s grace (8 days before or after).

2) Participation in the Holy Mass and Eucharist (August 2nd).

3) Recitation of The Apostles Creed, Our Father, and a prayer for the Pope’s Intentions (after Mass).

The Portiuncula Indulgence is a grace not to be missed,

not only for you but for the many suffering souls in Purgatory.

(Source: http://rhinoweb.org/portiuncula-indulgence)

John Michael Talbot

August 2, 2009

The Portiuncula (small portion) refers to the land in Assisi, Italy, that belonged to the Benedictines. On this land was an old church dedicated to the Virgin Mother of God but abandoned.
St. Francis had great devotion to the queen of the world and when he saw that the church was deserted, he began to live there and repair it. He heard that the angels often visited it, so that it was called St. Mary of the Angels.
The Benedictines wanted to give Francis the church but in order to remain faithful to Lady Poverty; Francis rented it from them with the annual compensation of a basket of fish from the Tescio River.
Here is where Francis began his service to Christ and His Church. Here Francis founded his Order, received Clare as his spiritual daughter, and where he died commending this spot above all others to the friars.
St. Francis had great love and compassion for everyone. On a night of July, 1216, Francis prayed in the little church; devoured by love for God and a thirst to save souls, he prayed for the forgiveness of sins of all mankind.
Suddenly a brilliant light shone all around. In great splendor Jesus and Mary appeared in the midst of a dazzling cloud surrounded by a multitude of radiant angels. Out of fear and reverence, St. Francis adored Our Lord prostrate upon the ground.
Then Jesus said to him: “Francis you are very zealous for the good of souls. Ask me what you want for their salvation.” St. Francis was rapt in ecstasy before Jesus. When he regained his courage he said: “Lord, I a miserable sinner beg you to concede an indulgence to all those who enter this church, who are truly contrite and have confessed their sins. And I beg Blessed Mary, your Mother, intercessor of man that she intercede on behalf of this grace.”
Our Lady at once began to beseech her son on behalf of Francis. Jesus answered: “It is a very great thing that which you ask Me; but you are worthy of even greater things, Friar Francis, and greater things you will have. So I accept your request, but I want you to go to my Vicar, to whom I have given the power to bind and loose in Heaven and on earth, to ask him on my behalf for this indulgence.”
With one of his companions, Francis hastened to Pope Honorius III and prostrate implored him to proclaim that every one visiting the church and confessing their sins with a contrite heart would be as pure from all sin and punishments as he was immediately after baptism. The Pope granted this petition. This indulgence has been extended to all parish churches throughout the world.
The date was set from vespers of the first of August until sundown on the second of August, the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels. It is said that St. Francis was given this day by Our Lord because the Feast of the Chains of St. Peter celebrated on August first is the day Peter was released from prison and his chains removed. This is an extraordinary demonstration of God’s mercy in removing the chains of sin from those who devoutly and faithfully seek to gain the indulgence by completing its requirements.
The conditions to obtain the Plenary Indulgence of the Forgiveness of Assisi is for oneself or for a departed soul as follows:

— Sacramental Confession to be in God’s grace (during eight days before or after.)

— Participation in the Holy Mass and Eucharist

— Recitation of The Apostles Creed, Our Father and a prayer for the Pope’s Intention.

The Portiuncula Indulgence is a grace not to be missed, not only for you but for the many suffering souls in Purgatory.
Mark your calendar for the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels beginning on the First of August to August 2nd and tell everyone of the magnitude of this gift. Once again, we see the unfathomable Divine Mercy of God.
In the words of St. Francis: O my Brothers and Sisters, I want you all to go to Heaven!

Clergy to Preach on Sins of Abortion and Homosexuality Marriage!

Cardinal Robert Sarah: Divine Justice Will Fall…Posted: 30 Jul 2011 08:19 AM PDT

On Clergy Who Fail To Preach Against Abortion And “Homosexual Marriage!”

From LifeSiteNews.com         By:  Matthew Cullinan Hoffman

Cardinal Robert Sarah is warning that priests who fail in their duty to oppose the breakdown of morality in modern society, particularly pro-abortion and anti-family policies, will receive the condemnation of God.

In a sermon delivered on June 25 to seminarians of the Community of St. Martin, whom he was about to ordain to the priesthood and diaconate, Sarah admonished his listeners, “if we have fear of proclaiming the truth of the Gospel, if we are ashamed of denouncing the grave deviations in the area of morality, if we accommodate ourselves to this world of moral laxity and religious and ethical relativism, if we are afraid to energetically denounce the abominable laws regarding the new global ethos, regarding marriage, the family in all of its forms, abortion, laws in total opposition to the laws of nature and of God, and that the western nations and cultures are promoting and imposing thanks to the mass media and their economic power, then the prophetic words of Ezechiel will fall on us as a grave divine reproach.” 

Sarah quoted the prophesy of Ezechiel found in chapter 34:2-4: “‘Son of man, prophesy against the pastors of Israel to pastor themselves.  Should not the pastors feed the flock? You have been fed with milk, you have dressed yourselves with wool.  You have not strengthened the weak lambs, cared for those who were sick, healed those who were injured.  You have not restored those who have strayed, searched for those who were lost.  But you have governed them with violence and hardness.’ (Ez. 34: 2-4)”

“These reproaches are serious, but more important is the offense that we have committed against God when, having received the responsibility of caring for the spiritual good of all, we mistreat souls by depriving them of the true teaching of the doctrine of regarding God, regarding man, and the fundamental values of human existence,” the cardinal added.
Cardinal Sarah, who was appointed to the presidency of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum in 2010, is overseeing a radical restructuring of the Catholic Church’s international development aid programs. These have been criticized for a secular mentality that ignores the spiritual needs of recipients, often promoting values that are opposed to Catholicism, including the legalization of abortion and homosexual unions.

In late May, Sarah gave an address to the Church’s largest coalition of aid organizations, Caritas Internationalis, in which he noted a “serious moral regression and gradual ‘silent apostasy’” in the western world. He also noted that foreign aid for Catholics “is not merely philanthropic and humanitarian assistance aimed at relieving a certain kind of distress, but also and above all it entails giving back to human persons all their dignity as children of God, and promoting an anthropology that also encompasses the religious dimension of human persons, namely their encounter with God.”

In his June 25 address, Sarah notes that in modern society “we no longer know what is evil and what is good. There are a multitude of points of view.  Today, we call white what we once called black, and vice versa.  What is serious, and make no mistake about it, is the transformation of error into a rule of life.

“In this context, as priests, pastors and guides of the People of God, you should be continuously focused on being always loyal to the doctrine of Christ.  It is necessary for you to constantly strive to acquire the sensitivity of conscience, the faithful respect for dogma and morality, which constitute the deposit of faith and the common patrimony of the Church of Christ.”
click here to read entire sermon http://www.lifesitenews.com/resources/robert-cardinal-sarah-address-to-ordinands-of-the-community-of-st-martin-j 

Marshall McLuhan - conversion testimony

Note from the Managing Editor: of CERC Many years ago – long before I was a Catholic – I was presented with an opportunity to sit down and have a discussion with Marshall McLuhan and his wife at their home in Toronto. It could only have been the intimidation factor that led me to decline that invitation. I certainly now regret not having taken advantage of it. Aside from his stature as the preeminent prophet of media culture at the time, McLuhan was a devout and intellectually convicted Catholic who understood both how very true the Church's teaching is and how very counter-cultural Catholicism is. McLuhan was converted to the faith in 1937 while studying at Cambridge and as a result of reading G.K. Chesterton. In 1935 he wrote his mother: "Had I not encountered Chesterton, I would have remained agnostic for many years at least". At the news of his intended conversion, his mother was inconsolable, convinced that it would damage his career. McLuhan's faith was quite a private matter for most of his life, though on occasion he revealed to intimates that the Virgin Mary had provided intellectual guidance for him. On one occasion during a retreat I was on, Father John Hardon, S.J. quoted McLuhan as having said that: "The modern media is involved in a Luciferian conspiracy against the truth." All this is leading up to telling you that July 21st was the centenary of Marshall McLuhan's birth and Father de Souza has a fitting tribute to that great Catholic Canadian below. http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/stories_of_faith_and_character/cs0523.htm

Love and Healing

Love and Healing click to read entire article

1.  Healing is rooted in love insofar as love desires the other to be restored to wholeness, and this restoration process presupposes the primary and primal significance of wholeness. Disease, depression, sin, and alienation are all impediments that compromise wholeness. Healing involves the removal of these impediments.


Plato regarded all impediments to wholeness as "alien" factors that do not belong to the human in which they have lodged themselves. In the third book of his Republic,[1] he refers to all such impediments as "evil" and specifies such evil as "an alien thing in alien souls". Evil is that which does not belong in a person and inhibits his proper functioning. Consequently, it should be removed so that the person can be truly himself again.


The process of healing for Plato, therefore, is the removal of that which is alien to a person in the interest of restoring him to wholeness. Plato's conception of personal wholeness is evident throughout his many writings. In his dialogue, Charmides,[2] he insists that healing must always begin in the soul. Accordingly, he writes as follows:

2.  In considering another of the Deadly Sins, lust, we find the same transition from self to non-self taking place. A person who is driven by lust may welcome this potentially ruinous disposition because it is convenient or because it promises pleasure. But lust fractures the personality, allowing one part to dominate or even displace the whole. Temperance, on the other hand, is the moral virtue that holds the self together. It ensures that various desires and inclinations are brought into harmony with each other. It honors the value of human wholeness.

Prayer and the Grace of God

Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.   

The popular understanding of prayer as asking for God's help is correct. Most of the prayers in the Scriptures are petitions. Most of the prayers of the liturgy are the same. Even the acts of adoration or love are always implicit petitions. Why is this so? Why do we need to ask for God's help? The reason is the obvious one: because we need that help. However, since we are talking about God and God is not obvious, this cannot be all that obvious as it may seem.

We need God's help because we are creatures; because we have a fallen human nature and because we are constantly being besieged by the evil spirit.
The first reason then that we must pray for help is because we are creatures whom God has raised to an "above-creaturely" destiny. Sometimes I think we should more often use the expression "supercreaturely" or "supercreated" instead of the by now prosaic "supernatural." We have been destined for heaven but heaven is not natural to anyone – except God!
Consequently, although having been destined for heaven – and what could be clearer – we are not there yet and cannot get there by merely human or created means. We need what we callgrace which could be described as what we need but do not of ourselves possess in order to reach the heavenly beatitude for which we were made. What we have is nature; where we are going is heaven; what we need is grace.

Judie Brown Exposes 'Criminal Minds' in the Field of Bio-Ethics - U.s. - Catholic Online

Judie Brown Exposes 'Criminal Minds' in the Field of Bio-Ethics - U.s. - Catholic Online 
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The field of bioethics, which is a fairly recent phenomenon in the history of mankind, has always been a slippery slope, as there is a huge difference between the natural law and the bioethical framework of committees or individuals making up the rules as they move along. 

In analyzing "Which Medical Ethics for the 21st Century?" Professor Dianne Irving, an expert in this field, has written, "[I]f the natural law is naturally known, why is it that so many people don't seem to know it, act against it, even deny it? This is a good question, and does indeed point to the limits of using just the natural law as a moral guide in the 21st century. Many people have lost their sense of the natural law within them by habitually acting against their true good, by seeking only things that feel good, or by succumbing to the myriad of temptations constantly surrounding us that seem good."

BISHOPS WHO VISITED MEDJUGOJRE

BISHOPS WHO VISITED MEDJUGORJE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA LISTED HERE, FOR MORE NAMES, CLICK ON LINK 

• Cardinal Timothy Manning, Los Angeles, CA
• Archbishop Sablan Apuron, Guam
• Archbishop Patrick Flores, San Antonio, TX (USA)
• Archbishop Philip M. Hannan, (retired) New Orleans, LA
• Archbishop Edwin O’Brien, United States Armed Forces
• Bishop Nicholas D’Antonio, New Orleans, LA
• Bishop Carl A. Fisher, Los Angeles, CA
• Bishop Michael Pfeifer, San Angelo, TX
• Bishop Francis A. Quinn, Sacramento, CA
• Bishop Sylvester Treinen, (retired) Boise, ID
• Bishop Stanley Ott, Baton Rouge, LA
• Bishop Patrick Zeisman, Los Angeles, CA
• Bishop Thomas O’Connel, Los Angeles, CA
• Bishop George Speltz, St. Cloud, Minnesota
• Bishop Ricardo Ramirez, La Cruces, NM
• Bishop Armando Ochoa, Los Angeles, CA
• Bishop Thomas Connolly, Baker, CA
• Bishop Richard Parime, Orange, CA
• Bishop Tom O’Connell, Los Angeles, CA
• Bishop Michael Wiwchar, Byzantine Eparchy of Chicago
• Bishop Donald Montrose, Stockton, CA
• Bishop Franco Hillary, NY
• Bishop Pierre Dumaine, San Jose, CA
• Auxiliary Bishop Kenneth Steiner, Portland, Oreon

HINTS ON MEDJUGORJE SECRETS

HINTS ON MEDJUGORJE SECRETS  ***CLICK TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE***

EXCERPT ---In recent years, Mirjana has stayed almost completely away from discussing her secrets, as do the other visionaries. In fact, she has stated that a supernatural "block" about them has allowed her to go about life without thinking or even readily recalling most of them. She brushes aside questions about them.

But back in 1985 -- when the alleged revelations were fresh -- she said about the first secret, “To the people of this world who pray it will be a gift.” Other parts of the interview were even more revealing:

Father Ljubicic: How would you assess the current situation around the world? How would you personally view all these things?

Mirjana: There never was an age such as this one, never before was God honored and respected less than now, never before have so few prayed to Him; everything seems to be more important than God. This is the reason why she cries so much. The number of unbelievers is becoming greater and greater. As they endeavor for a better life, to such people, God Himself is superfluous and dispensable. This is why I feel deeply sorry for them and for the world. They have no idea what awaits them. If they could only take a tiny peek at these secrets, they would convert in time. Certainly, God always forgives all those who genuinely convert.

Father Ljubicic: Did she perhaps alert us to other things we must do, in addition to praying and preparing for that time? Perhaps something concrete?

Mirjana: Yes, she told me it is necessary to pray a great deal until the first secret is revealed. But in addition to that, it is necessary to make sacrifices as much as possible, to help others as much as it is within our abilities, to fast – especially now, before the first secret. She stated that we are obliged to prepare ourselves.