The Annunciation of the Lord

Today we celebrate the beginning of our salvation when the coming of the Lord was announced by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary.

Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.  Behold you shall conceive and bear a son, and he will be called the Son of the Most High.

See Luke 1:26-32

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Mother of Christ, our hope, our Patroness,
Star of the sea, our beacon in distress,

Guide to the shores of everlasting day

God’s holy people on their pilgrim way.

Virgin by vow but Mother of all grace,

Chosen by God to be his dwelling place,

Blessed are you:  God’s word you did believe,

Your “Yes” undid the “No” of sinful Eve.

Daughter of God, who bore his holy One,

Dearest of all, the Christ, your loving Son,

Show us his face, O Mother, as on earth,

Loving us all, you gave our Savior birth.

Text: Alma Redemptoris

Translator:  James Quinn, S.J.

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The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, 2001, was the last time I had the privilege to attend a Private Mass and Audience with His Holiness Pope John Paul II.  It was a bittersweet time as the effects of age and health were showing on his dear face and body, though they could not dampen his spirit or faith. 

Blessed John Paul II’s motto was “Totus Tuus,” “All Yours,” a sign of how he devoted his life to Blessed Mother Mary, who had devoted her life to our Loving God, her Son and our brother, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Soon Blessed John Paul will be canonized Saint John Paul.  It is almost unbelievable for me to have been blessed with so many encounters with him during my years of service to the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations (WUCWO).  I’ve been privileged to know and work with others in Rome who were befriended by him in their native land of Poland.  They have generously shared their experience of him and all that he taught them while here on earth.

May we devote all we have and all we do to our Blessed Mother Mary, and in turn, inspire others to share in this devotion.  May we have the grace and strength to say “yes” to God and “no” to sin.  Let us pray for each other so that we may receive and proclaim the Good News of salvation.

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Do We Want To Become Holy?

March 13, 2014

First Anniversary of the Election of His Holiness Pope Francis

To mark the first anniversary of the election of Pope Francis, the Vatican internet office has produced an online book with photographs and phrases taken from his speeches over the past 12 months.

Available on the Vatican website, the virtual publication is entitled “Do we want to become holy? Yes or no?”, a question Pope Francis posed to the crowds gathered for his Angelus address in Saint Peter’s Square in February. The 70 page booklet shows colour photos of the Pope with many of his characteristic expressions and gestures, embracing pilgrims, greeting crowds or interacting with young people. Each photo is accompanied by a short quote taken from one of his homilies or speeches over the past year since his election on the evening of March 13, 2013.  By clicking on the link below each quote, you can access the full text, together with a wealth of further links to photo galleries plus audio and video of the event itself.

To view the online book, please visit:

http://www.vatican.va/auguri-francesco/pont_2014/en/index.html#1

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/vatican-online-book-marks-first-anniversary-of-fra

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Where were you and what were you doing one year ago today?

I was in the Holy Land with a group of first-time pilgrims from the USA.  Initially watching the news reports from Saint Peter’s Square on the television in my hotel room I then joined a dear friend, habibi, who lives in Jerusalem and we watched on a large screen in the hotel lobby with a group of Italian pilgrims.  Our joy matched that of the throngs of people in the Square as we held our collective breath to see who would walk onto the balcony.  How quickly we loved the humble man wearing white who asked for our prayers and blessing before he gave us his blessing!

And the blessings have multiplied countless times over the past year!

God bless you, Holy Father, as you bless us!

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United in Prayer

His Holiness Pope Francis asked for prayers for Ukraine, which he said was living through a delicate situation.  The Holy Father expressed the hope that all parts of the country “will endeavour to overcome misunderstandings and build together the future of the nation.”  The Pope also appealed to the international community “to support any initiative for dialogue and harmony.”
He made the call following the recitation of the Angelus in Saint Peter’s Square on Sunday, March 2, 2014.  Pope Francis also looked towards the beginning of Lent which he described as a journey of conversion, to combat evil with the weapons of prayer, fasting and mercy.  Pope Francis stressed that humanity needs justice, reconciliation, and peace, and it will only have them by turning to God.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-angelus-appeal-for-ukraine-and-christian-frat

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May the Holy Spirit, through whom we are "as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything" (2 Cor 6:10), sustain us in our resolutions and increase our concern and responsibility for human destitution, so that we can become merciful and act with mercy. In expressing this hope, I likewise pray that each individual member of the faithful and every Church community will undertake a fruitful Lenten journey. I ask all of you to pray for me. May the Lord bless you and Our Lady keep you safe.

Pope Francis, Lenten Message 2014 (excerpt)

For the complete text, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/message-of-pope-francis-for-lent-2014-he-became-po

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His Holiness Pope Francis’ universal prayer intention for March is “that all cultures may respect the rights and dignity of women”.

His prayer intention for evangelization is “that many young people may accept the Lord's invitation to consecrate their lives to proclaiming the Gospel”.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-prayer-intentions-for-march

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Defend the Vatican at the UN

Today, in many international arenas, the values and virtues upon which the greatest achievements of civilization were built are under attack. Certain organizations, in the name of a false “liberation,” seek to undermine central truths regarding the nature of the human person and of the family. In the name of a false doctrine of human rights, they deny what makes men truly human and violate true human rights.

These groups have made the Holy See at the United Nations a particular target. They attack the Holy See’s credentials, ignoring the fact that the Holy See has engaged in diplomatic relations since the 4th Century and currently exchanges diplomats with 177 nations. The true ground of their animus, however, is the Holy See’s steadfast defense of the sanctity of human life and the inviolable dignity of the family….

Join with the Member States in gratitude for the spiritual and moral witness of the Holy See at the United Nations. The world would be far poorer if the voice of the Holy See within the United Nations were ever silenced. May that day never come.

For more information and to sign the petition, please visit Defend the Vatican at the UN:

http://defendtheholysee.org/

For information about the mission and work of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM), please visit:

http://c-fam.org/en/

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I was invited to serve as a member of the Holy See Delegation to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in 2011.  Truth was absent in UN initiatives being advanced in the name of “empowerment of women and girls”, as the falsehoods actually being promoted were reproductive rights, reproductive health, freedom to choose one’s sexuality (especially for young girls), gender (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, etc.)  Lies, deception, manipulation were used to attack God’s moral law.  A prime example of how some persons use words to advance their own agenda was a delegate from Greece who quoted Mother Teresa of Calcutta in order to support the delegate’s promotion of the availability of abortion. Yes, she quoted Blessed Mother Teresa in order to promote abortion!  It is hard to describe the palpable sense of evil which pervaded the UNconference building:  clearly ungodly work was going on, and continues to go on.  But this is why the Holy See must be present at the UN:  this is why faithful Catholics must be present at the UN, and in every part of society, in order to promote and defend the Truth.

Each and every one of us is called to accomplish our role with faithfulness, courage and charity, and to put at the Lord’s service the gifts and talents He has given us. We must strive to develop a well-formed conscience so that we can indeed stay focused on our Lord as “the way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) 

Whether we are called to serve the Church “formally” or “informally” we need to be well-formed in the Catechism and Social Doctrine of the Church, in addition to God’s moral law, so that we are able to lovingly carry out our baptismal mission to share the Gospel with others.

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI speaking at the UN in 2008

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Prayer Intentions

His Holiness Pope Francis' universal prayer intention for February is:

“That the Church and society may respect the wisdom and experience of older people”.

His intention for evangelization is:

“That priests, religious, and lay people may work together with generosity for evangelization”.

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“The offering of oneself to God relates to every Christian, because we are all consecrated to Him through baptism … making a generous gift of our life, in the family, at work, in the service the Church, in works of mercy…”

Pope Francis

Angelus, 2 February 2014

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“I encourage you to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ everywhere…. Evangelise with love, take God's love to all… Be messengers and witnesses to the infinite goodness and inexhaustible mercy of the Father”.

Pope Francis

Audience with Members of the Neocatechumenal Way, 1 February 2014

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Let us be close in prayer with and for our sisters and brothers, especially those who are sick , those who mourn, and those who are suffering from the effects of extreme weather conditions.  May God grant them every grace and blessing.

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A More Incisive Female Presence

On 25 January 2014 His Holiness Pope Francis received in audience representatives of the CIF (Centro Italiano Femminile – Italian Women's Centre), on the occasion of their congress. In his address, Pope Francis observed that during recent decades, “alongside other cultural and social transformations, also the identity and role of women in the family, in society and in the Church has seen significant changes, and in general the participation and responsibility of women has increased”.

In this process, he recalled, “discernment on the part of the Magisterium of the Popes” has been, and still is, important, especially the publication in 1988 of Blessed John Paul II's Apostolic Letter “Mulieris dignitatem” on the dignity and vocation of women, and his Message for the 1995 World Day for Peace on the theme “Women: teachers of peace”. He continued, “I too have considered the indispensable contribution of women in society … I have rejoiced in seeing many women sharing some pastoral responsibility with priests in accompanying people, families and groups, as in theological reflection, and I have expressed my hope that greater room can be made for a more capillary and incisive female presence in the Church”.

“If in the world of work and in the public sphere a more incisive contribution by the female gender is important, then this contribution also remains indispensable within the domain of the family, which for Christians is not simply a private space, but rather that 'domestic Church' whose health and prosperity is a condition for the health and prosperity of the Church of society itself”, he added. “At this point it is natural to ask: how is it possible for women to increase their effective presence in many contexts within the public sphere, in the world of work and in places where the most important decisions are made, and at the same time maintaining their presence and preferential and entirely special attention in and for the family? Here it is the field of discernment that, aside from reflection on the reality of women in society, presupposes assiduous and persistent prayer”.

“It is in dialogue with God, enlightened by prayer, that the Christian woman continually searches to answer the Lord's call, in the reality of her situation. This is a prayer that is always supported by the maternal presence of Mary. She, who cared for her divine Son, who propitiated his first miracle at the wedding at Cana, who was present on Calvary and at the Pentecost, shows you the road to take to deepen the meaning and role of women in society and to be fully faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ and to your mission in the world”.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-receives-the-italian-womens-centre-br

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-encourages-increased-participation-of

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Our Dad: In Our Hearts and In Heaven

Our dear Dad, John L. Coval, died peacefully on January 9, 2014, surrounded by his loving family.  He was born on February 21, 1927, in Jeanesville, PA, to the late John and Anna (Marcinko) Koval.  While we mourn the loss of our Dad, we know that he is happy with the Lord in heaven.  He was preceded in death by our Mom, Iona, his wife of 60 years.

Dad was a military veteran who served during World War II in the US Army Air Corps.  He worked for several engineering firms in the Harrisburg area and retired as a civil engineer technician.  He was an active member of Saint Margaret Mary Parish for more than 50 years.

He was a devoted husband and father.  He was a wonderful neighbor, always ready to help others and genuinely interested in everyone he met.  His main interests included all types of home improvement and construction projects, refurbishing cars, photography, traveling and watching football and NASCAR racing events with his family.  He liked smaller detailed projects such as building model airplanes and doing crossword puzzles.

Your support and prayers are greatly appreciated especially as we have lost our Dad less than 6 months after we lost our Mom.  Words cannot express our gratitude for your countless expressions of sympathy and kindness: the Holy Sacrifices of the Mass being offered for Dad (John), the perpetual enrollments in spiritual works of religious congregations, memorial donations in honor of Dad, beautiful flowers, delicious food, phone calls, e-mails, precious shared memories of Dad and so much more. 

You are signs of God’s love and our Heavenly Father’s care for each of us. May God richly bless you as you have blessed us!