Make Room for the Lord in our Hearts



Infant Jesus and John the Baptist

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1617-1682

And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins…

Luke 1, 76-77

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His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI greeted the faithful gathered in Saint Peter’s Square for the Angelus on June 24^th, the Nativity of John the Baptist, and it was on this figure of the Church that the Pope spoke of before the recitation of the Marian Prayer.

"This Sunday, we celebrate the birth of John the Baptist, the great saint who prepared the way for our Lord. John was a voice, crying in the wilderness, calling God’s people to repentance. Let us heed his voice today, and make room for the Lord in our hearts."

The Holy Father explained that John’s conception to Mary’s elderly cousin Elizabeth is a sign that “nothing is impossible to God”.

Pope Benedict described John the Baptist as “the forerunner of Jesus, a messenger who prepares the way for the Son of God.”

“Thirty years later” continued the Pope, “John begins baptizing people in the Jordan River, hence the name ‘the Baptist’. He wanted people to repent in preparation for the imminent coming of the Messiah.”

“God,” underlined the Holy Father, “had a mission for this great Saint. He was the one to baptize Jesus and in his own violent death bore witness to the Son of God and was the first to make Jesus known publicly.”

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-john-the-baptist-and-the-call-to-repentance

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River Jordan Baptismal Site

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Jesus' public life begins with his baptism by John in the Jordan.  John preaches "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins". A crowd of sinners - tax collectors and soldiers, Pharisees and Sadducees, and prostitutes - come to be baptized by him. "Then Jesus appears." the Baptist hesitates, but Jesus insists and receives baptism. Then the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, comes upon Jesus and a voice from heaven proclaims, "This is my beloved Son." This is the manifestation ("Epiphany") of Jesus as Messiah of Israel and Son of God.

The baptism of Jesus is on his part the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God's suffering Servant. He allows himself to be numbered among sinners; he is already "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world".  Already he is anticipating the "baptism" of his bloody death. Already he is coming to "fulfil all righteousness", that is, he is submitting himself entirely to his Father's will: out of love he consents to this baptism of death for the remission of our sins. The Father's voice responds to the Son's acceptance, proclaiming his entire delight in his Son. The Spirit whom Jesus possessed in fullness from his conception comes to "rest on him". Jesus will be the source of the Spirit for all mankind. At his baptism "the heavens were opened" - the heavens that Adam's sin had closed - and the waters were sanctified by the descent of Jesus and the Spirit, a prelude to the new creation.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 535-536

River Jordan Baptismal Site

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Mosaic in the Courtyard of the
Church of Saint John the Baptist, Ein Karem



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God has a mission for each one of us.

Let us hear and heed the Lord’s voice.

Let us make room for Him in our hearts every moment of our lives.

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Church of Saint John the Baptist, Ein Karem

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Presentation of the Year of Faith

His Excellency Archbishop Rino Fisichella and Msgr. Graham Bell, respectively President and Under-Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation, held a press conference on 21 June 2012 to present the Year of Faith which is scheduled from 11 October 2012 to 24 November 2013.

Archbishop Fisichella also presented the website and logo of the Year of Faith, and outlined the calendar of events due to take place in Rome during that period. 

"In his Apostolic Letter 'Porta fidei' Benedict XVI speaks ... of the need to rediscover the journey of faith so as to shed ever clearer light on the joy and renewed enthusiasm of the encounter with Christ", the archbishop said. "For this reason he called the Year of Faith, which will also coincide with two anniversaries: the fiftieth anniversary of the beginning of Vatican Council II and the twentieth anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. ... The Year of Faith aims, above all, to support the faith of believers who, in their daily trials, never cease to entrust their lives to the Lord Jesus, with courage and conviction. Their precious testimony, which does not make the news, ... is what enables the Church to present herself to the world today, as she did in the past, supported by the strength of the faith and the enthusiasm of ordinary people….”

The President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation then went on to present the logo of the Year of Faith in which the image of a ship symbolises the Church. The mast of the vessel is a cross with full-blown sails which form the monogram of Christ (IHS) and in the background is a sun representing the Eucharist.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/presentation-of-the-year-of-faith

http://www.annusfidei.va/content/novaevangelizatio/en.html 

http://www.radiovaticana.org/EN1/Articolo.asp?c=598398

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Fortnight for Freedom begins in USA

The “Fortnight for Freedom” began with a Mass celebrated by Archbishop William Lori in Baltimore’s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The fourteen days from June 21st to July 4th, Independence Day, are dedicated to prayer for the country. The period was chosen for the significance of the closing day in the national life of the United States – and also in view of the liturgical calendar, which celebrates a series of great martyrs who remained faithful in the face of persecution by political power: St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More, St. John the Baptist, SS. Peter and Paul, and the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome.

The period of prayer, study, catechesis, and public action is to emphasize both the Christian and American heritage of liberty, in the wake of serious challenges to the way religious freedom is understood, lived and protected in US fundamental law.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/fortnight-for-freedom-opens-in-us

http://www.usccb.org/

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Please make time to visit (often) the dynamic website of The Year of Faith.  It captures the gift we have been given through Holy Mother Church, “to support the faith of believers who, in their daily trials, never cease to entrust their lives to the Lord Jesus, with courage and conviction.”  The website radiates enthusiasm and builds excitement which will give life to the new evangelization—the Good News which each of us is called to share.    

http://www.annusfidei.va/content/novaevangelizatio/en.html

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Prayer Opens the Way for God's Plan of Love

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI continued his ongoing series of catecheses on the subject of prayer in the Letters of St. Paul during his general audience held this morning in the Paul VI Hall.

"Our prayers are often a request for help in our hour of need", he said. "That is natural because we need help, the help of other people and of God. We must also bear in mind that the prayer Christ taught us, the Our Father, is just such a petition. With that prayer the Lord teaches us our priorities. Yet, although it is natural to ask for things in prayer, that is not the only reason to pray. There is also cause to give thanks, ... because we receive so many good things from God. Thus prayer should also be praise and, if we open our hearts, we come to realise that, despite all problems, creation is beautiful and good".

In chapter one of his Letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul praises God "because 'he has made known to us the mystery of his will'. ... For believers 'mystery' does not so much mean the unknown as the merciful will of God, His plan of love which was fully revealed in Jesus Christ and offers us the chance 'to comprehend with all the saints, what is the breadth ... and depth' of that love". The unknown mystery of God has been revealed and it is that God, ever since the beginning and for all eternity, loves us....

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/prayer-opens-the-way-to-the-mystery-of-gods-plan

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The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith

"New methods and new forms of expression are needed to convey to the people of today the perennial truth of Jesus Christ, forever new and the source of all newness... This renewed dynamism in the Christian community will lead to renewed missionary activity (missio ad gentes), now more urgent than ever, given the large number of people who do not know Jesus Christ in not only far-off countries, but also those already evangelized." This is what His Excellency Mgr. Nikola Eterovic, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops writes in the Preface to the Instrumentum Laboris of the XIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the theme: "The new evangelization for the transmission of the Christian faith" (7 - 28 October, 2012).

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/vatican-the-new-evangelization-is-the-call-of-the

For the Instrumentum Laboris of the XIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, please visit:

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/documents/rc_synod_doc_20120619_instrumentum-xiii_en.html

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 “May we grow in the love of God, opening the door for the Blessed Trinity to come and dwell among us, bringing us light and warmth and guiding our lives.”

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Sacred Heart of Jesus

O my Jesus and my Love, take all that I have and all that I am and possess me to the full extent of Thy good pleasure, since all I have is Thine without reserve.  Transform me entirely into Thyself, so that I may no longer be able to separate myself from Thee for a single moment, and that I may no longer act but by the impulse of Thy pure love.

 

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

Life and Writings, II
 

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Personal Consecration to the Heart of Jesus

Lord Jesus, You who came to light a fire on the earth, I abandon myself today to the will of the Father in the breath of the Holy Spirit.  Purify my heart, set it aflame with love and charity.  Increase in me the desire to the holy.  By the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I, …, consecrate myself to Your Heart to love and to serve You.  Amen.

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Please take time to view a beautiful video about Paray-le-Monial, France, the City of the Sacred Heart:  http://vimeo.com/1045868
It is indeed a holy place where you can feel the “spirit” of Marguerite-Marie (Margaret Mary), the depth of her devotion to the Sacred Heart, and the infinite love and mercy of Jesus. 

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Good News about Women and the Church

Faithful Catholic women who joyfully work each day in service to the Church and the world rarely make headlines.  Headlines seem to be reserved for women who publicly dissent from Church teaching or express antagonism toward members of the hierarchy.

A month ago our local newspaper published an opinion-editorial article regarding the Catholic Church.  I was taken aback by the sweeping generalizations, misrepresentations, and fallacies which were printed particularly relating to women and bishops of the Catholic Church.  My experience as a woman who has met and worked with two (2) Popes, numerous Cardinals, Archbishops, and Bishops at the Vatican and in countries around the world, is vastly different than what was represented by this publication. 

This is the article which I submitted in response but which has not been published.

From June 2006 through October 2010 I served as President General of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations (WUCWO), a public international association of the faithful with a membership of almost 100 organizations, active in more than 60 countries, which represents more than five (5) million Catholic women of every walk of life.   I have served the Church in voluntary roles at the parish, diocesan, national and international levels for more than 25 years, including as a Member of the Holy See Delegation to the United Nations 55^th Commission on the Status of Women.  For more than 21 years I served as Pastoral Associate of Saint Margaret Mary Parish in Harrisburg, PA.

Countless Catholic women around the world strive each day to lead a morally good life and to give the very best in whatever they undertake.  They prayerfully discern God’s will and listen to a well-formed conscience as they endeavour to do what is right and true, despite the negative influences or sinful temptations which abound in the world.  God calls us to offer the gift of self and to be present for others in ways which contradict the prevailing individualistic mentality that seeks self-gratification at the expense of others. 

Faith, hope and charity animate the lives of Catholic women who usually go unnoticed by the news media.  Many wise, understanding women serve in leadership roles on staff at the Vatican, particularly at the Secretariat of State and the various congregations and dicasteries.  Knowledgeable women lead and serve on Pontifical Academies and Councils, while others are regularly contacted for their counsel by the Pope, Cardinals, and Bishops.  Available newsprint would limit any list of the innumerable roles capably and charitably filled by faithful women at national Bishops’ Conferences, in Diocesan offices, seminaries, or parishes.  We are women who love our Holy Father and feel his affection for us, who respect our bishops and experience their mutual respect for us, and who are “spiritual mothers” for priests and know their appreciation for our life-giving, prayerful support.

Women who live in accordance with God’s will, who uphold the teachings of the Church, find true freedom and peace.  They aren’t trying to make headlines for themselves; however, their actions do proclaim good news.

 

For just a glimpse of the reality of women in the Church this excerpt is offered from Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter, On the Dignity and the Vocation of Women:

Therefore the Church gives thanks for each and every woman: for mothers, for sisters, for wives; for women consecrated to God in virginity; for women dedicated to the many human beings who await the gratuitous love of another person; for women who watch over the human persons in the family, which is the fundamental sign of the human community; for women who work professionally, and who at times are burdened by a great social responsibility; for all women as they have come forth from the heart of God in all the beauty and richness of their femininity; as they have been embraced by his eternal love; as, together with men, they are pilgrims on this earth, which is the temporal "homeland" of all people and is transformed sometimes into a "valley of tears"; as they assume, together with men, a common responsibility for the destiny of humanity according to daily necessities and according to that definitive destiny which the human family has in God ….

The Church gives thanks for all the manifestations of the feminine "genius" which have appeared in the course of history, in the midst of all peoples and nations; …she gives thanks for all the fruits of feminine holiness.

The above affirmation of Pope John Paul II continues today by Pope Benedict XVI.  From both of these Holy Fathers I have personally heard their gratitude for the generous witness and good work of faithful Catholic women throughout the world.

There is a lot of good news about women and the Church and now is the time to start reporting these stories!

Will your local newspaper publish the good news?

 

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Following and Proclaiming Christ

St. Paul's experience of contemplation and the power of prayer, as recounted in his Second Letter to the Corinthians, provided the central theme of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI's catechesis, during his general audience held this morning in the Paul VI Hall.

Paul did not respond to the voices questioning the legitimacy of his apostolate by enumerating the communities he had founded, nor did he limit himself to recounting the difficulties he had had to face in announcing the Gospel. Rather, the Pope explained, "he pointed to his relationship with the Lord, ... which was so intense as to be marked by moments of ecstasy and profound contemplation". Indeed, the Apostle says: "I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me".

Thus the Apostle of the Gentiles helps us to understand "that all the difficulties we meet in following Christ and bearing witness to His Gospel can be overcome by opening ourselves trustingly to the action of the Lord. ... St. Paul clearly understood how to face and experience each event in his life, especially those involving suffering, difficulty and persecution: at the moment we feel our own weakness the power of God becomes manifest, a power which does not abandon or leave us alone but becomes our support and our strength".

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/contemplation-of-christ-does-not-distance-us-from

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-at-weekly-general-audience-prayers-for-euchar

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International Eucharistic Congress - Dublin, Ireland

…There is a profound relationship between celebrating the Eucharist and proclaiming Christ. To enter into communion with Him means, at the same time, to be transformed into missionaries of the event that the celebration makes real. It involves making it contemporary in every age, until the Lord comes.

 

For that reason the saints, each one in a unique way in his or her own particular context, reveals or manifests Christ. Saint Anthony of Padua lived an intimate and passionate personal relationship with the Eucharist; which marked his life, filling it with confident hope…..

 
-       Oscar Andrés Cardinal Rodríguez-Maradiaga SDB

For the complete text of His Eminence’s Homily of today, “Saint Anthony of Padua and His Eucharistic Devotion,” please visit:

http://www.iec2012.ie/media/CardinalRodriquezMaradiaga13June1.pdf

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Religious Freedom and the New Evangelization on the USA Bishops’ Agenda

Today the Assembly of Bishops of the United States of America begins, after a long campaign in the local Churches so that the Bishops can officially express their worries about violations concerning religious freedom on behalf of governments and courts. On this issue the U.S. Bishops will dedicate a significant part of their spring meeting in Atlanta which ends on June 15….The debate on religious freedom includes the analysis of national and international events, and ways in which the Bishops must continue to raise public awareness on violations of religious rights, in the United States and abroad….

On the agenda there is also a space to organize the pastoral plans related to the theme "New Evangelization: Faith, Worship, Testimony." (CE) (Agenzia Fides 13/6/2012)

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/americaunited-states-religious-freedom-and-the-new

http://www.usccb.org/

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Contemplate Jesus with the Gaze of Faith

On 10 June 2012 His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI addressed the faithful gathered at midday in St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus.  This feast "is a great public act of worship of the Eucharist, the Sacrament in which the Lord's presence is extended beyond the time of celebration, to remain among us always, through the hours and the days….”   

Pope Benedict XVI noted how the Solemnity of Corpus Christi calls our attention to the importance of Eucharistic adoration. "The prayer of adoration can be performed individually, kneeling before the tabernacle, or as a community with psalms and songs, but always laying the emphasis on silence so as to hear the Lord speaking within us, the Lord Who is alive and present in the Sacrament. The Virgin Mary is our guide also in this prayer, because no one better or more than her was able to contemplate Jesus with the gaze of faith, and to welcome in her heart the intimate echo of His human and divine presence".

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/dividing-the-eucharistic-bread-renews-our-capacity

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Lord Jesus,
You were sent by the Father
to gather together those who are scattered.
You came among us, doing good and bringing healing,
announcing the Word of salvation
and giving the Bread which lasts forever.
Be our companion on life’s pilgrim way.
May your Holy Spirit inflame our hearts,
enliven our hope and open our minds,
so that together with our sisters and brothers in faith
we may recognise you in the Scriptures
and in the breaking of bread.
May your Holy Spirit transform us into one body
and lead us to walk humbly on the earth,
in justice and love,
as witnesses of your resurrection.
In communion with Mary,
whom you gave to us as our Mother
at the foot of the cross,
through you
may all praise, honour and blessing be to the Father
in the Holy Spirit and in the Church,
Now and forever.
Amen.

Please visit the website of the 50^th International Eucharistic Congress being held in Dublin, Ireland, June 10 – 17, 2012:

http://www.iec2012.ie/

http://www.iec2012.ie/index.jsp?p=159&n=168&a=0

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The Importance of Evangelization

On 9 June 2012 His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI received in audience prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, who just completed their "ad limina" visit. The Pope began by highlighting how the Church provides for the basic needs of the poor, the marginalised and the sick, especially those suffering from HIV/AIDS, through the work of diocesan agencies. He also noted that the bishops exercise an important aspect of their pastoral ministry when they "speak publicly as an objective moral voice on behalf of those in need".

The Holy Father went on: "When the Church voices her concern in the public square, she does so legitimately and in order to contribute to the common good, not proposing concrete political solutions, but rather helping to 'purify and shed light upon the application of reason to the discovery of objective moral principles'. Such principles are accessible to all through right reason and are necessary for the just ordering of civil society. In view of this, I encourage you to continue to dialogue and to work with the civil authorities so that the Church may be free to speak and to provide services for the common good in a manner fully consonant with Gospel values".

In their reports the bishops had spoken of spoken of pastoral efforts aimed at the evangelisation of culture. "This", the Holy Father noted, "is of great importance since the human person can 'achieve true and full humanity only by means of culture'. We also observe the essential role of culture in salvation history, since the Triune God gradually revealed Himself in time, culminating in the sending of His only Son, Who Himself was born into a particular culture".

The family plays a key role in this aspect of evangelisation, since it is "the first place where faith and culture are appropriated. Although society has recognised the important role of the family throughout history, particular attention needs to be given at the present time to the religious, social and moral goods of fidelity, equality and mutual respect that must exist between husband and wife. The Church tirelessly proclaims that the family is based on the natural institution of marriage between a man and a woman and, in the case of baptised Christians, it is a covenant which has been raised by Christ to the supernatural level of a Sacrament".

Finally the Holy Father turned his attention to the importance of "a properly catechised laity and well-formed clergy and religious" in order that they may "resist the temptations of the secular world" and "be wise enough not to be deceived by attempts to convert them to overly simplistic versions of Christianity that are often based solely on false promises of material prosperity. ... These witnesses and those they teach, with your guidance and support, will help to ensure that the Church in your countries will continue to be an effective instrument of evangelisation, attracting those who do not yet know Christ and inspiring those who have become lukewarm in their faith".

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/vatican-the-pope-to-the-bishops-of-papua-new-guine

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Gathering, Walking, Adoring

How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.

 Psalm 116:  12-13

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After the strong season of the liturgical year which, focusing on Easter spreads over three months - first the 40 days of Lent, then the 50 days of Eastertide -, the liturgy has us celebrate three Feasts which instead have a "synthetic" character: the Most Holy Trinity, then Corpus Christi, and lastly, the Sacred Heart of Jesus. What is the precise significance of today's Solemnity, of the Body and Blood of Christ? The answer is given to us in the fundamental actions of this celebration we are carrying out: first of all we gather around the altar of the Lord, to be together in his presence; secondly, there will be the procession, that is walking with the Lord; and lastly, kneeling before the Lord, adoration, which already begins in the Mass and accompanies the entire procession but culminates in the final moment of the Eucharistic Blessing when we all prostrate ourselves before the One who stooped down to us and gave his life for us….

Corpus Christi reminds us first of all of this: that being Christian means coming together from all parts of the world to be in the presence of the one Lord and to become one with him and in him….

God created us free but he did not leave us alone: he made himself the "way" and came to walk together with us so that in our freedom we should also have the criterion we need to discern the right way and to take it….

Adoring the Body of Christ, means believing that there, in that piece of Bread, Christ is really there, and gives true sense to life, to the immense universe as to the smallest creature, to the whole of human history as to the most brief existence. Adoration is prayer that prolongs the celebration and Eucharistic communion and in which the soul continues to be nourished: it is nourished with love, truth, peace; it is nourished with hope, because the One before whom we prostrate ourselves does not judge us, does not crush us but liberates and transforms us.…

This is why gathering, walking and adoring together fills us with joy. In making our own the adoring attitude of Mary…let us pray for ourselves and for every person that he or she may know you, O Father and the One whom you sent, Jesus Christ and thus have life in abundance.

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI

Homily, Solemnity of Corpus Christi, 2008

For the complete text, please visit:

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20080522_corpus-domini_en.html

For more information on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi 2012, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/eucharistic-communion-and-contemplation-are-insepa

  

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More than one million people had attended the VII World Meeting of Families in Milan which was, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI concluded, "an 'epiphany' of the family. Families were present in their many different forms, but also in that unicity which is their fundamental identity: a communion of love founded upon marriage and called to be a shrine of life, a small Church, a cell of society. A message of hope went out from Milan to the whole world, a message backed up by real experience that it is possible and joyful, though demanding, to experience a faithful love 'forever', open to life; it is possible to participate as families in the mission of the Church and in the construction of society. ... May the experience of Milan bring abundant fruits to the Church and favour increased attention to the cause of the family, which is the cause of man and of civilisation".

http://www.news.va/en/news/world-meeting-in-milan-an-epiphany-of-the-family

For complete information regarding the VII World Meeting of Families, please visit:

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/travels/2012/index_milano_en.htm

http://www.family2012.com/en/

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