Saints of God, Come to Our Aid

“...Honor the memory of these two holy Popes by following their teachings faithfully”.

- Pope Francis

Referring to the two new saints to whom he paid tribute as men of courage, His Holiness Pope Francis remarked how they were not afraid to look upon the wounds of Jesus... because they saw Jesus in every person who suffers and struggles. These new saints he said, were two men of courage shaped by the tragic historical events of the twentieth century without ever allowing themselves to be overwhelmed.

Pope Francis spoke of the importance of the Second Vatican Council:  How these two Popes had cooperated with the Holy Spirit in renewing and updating the Church while keeping the features which the saints have given Her down the centuries.

Speaking of the two saints' service to the Church, Pope Francis highlighted John XXIII's exquisite openness to the Holy Spirit in calling the Council, and John Paul II’s particular love of the family.

May these two new saints and shepherds of God’s people, Pope Francis said finally, intercede for the Church, so that during this two year journey towards the Synod on the Family, She may be open to the Holy Spirit in pastoral service to the family. May both of them teach us not to be scandalized by the wounds of Christ and to enter ever more deeply into the mystery of divine mercy, which always brings with it hope, forgiveness and love.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-thanks-pilgrims-urges-them-to-follow

http://www.news.va/en/news/saints-john-xxiii-and-john-paul-ii-men-of-courage

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While on Sunday  the Church celebrated the canonization of Saints John XXIII and John Paul II, today we celebrate the feast of Saint Catherine of Siena, a lay woman who was Divinely-inspired to advise Popes. My patroness Catherine's spirituality was dominated by Love, Truth, Obedience to God's Will, and the Most Holy Trinity.  She was the first woman and the first lay person to be named a Doctor of the Church.

Always and everywhere Catherine sought and found God.  Through the strength of her love she entered into union with Him.

Tomb of Saint Catherine
Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, Rome

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The Pontifical Council for the Laity Women's Section has gathered, from around the world, women's reflections, testimonies, and gratitude "in honour of two popes who are saints".  Please visit the website to read more about the Magisterium of both Saint John XXIII and Saint John Paul II on women.

http://www.laici.va/content/laici/en/sezioni/donna/in-onore-di-due-papi-santi.html

What do you remember or appreciate most about the lives of our two newest saints?

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Christ is risen! He is truly risen!

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb,
fearful yet overjoyed,
and ran to announce the news to his disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.
They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid.
Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee,
and there they will see me.”

Matthew 28:  8-10

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“The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach).  For if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  Faith in the heart leads to justification, confession on the lips to salvation.” 

Romans 10:  8b-10

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His Holiness Pope Francis began his Regina Coeli address on Monday within the Octave of Easter by saying, “Happy Easter!  Christ is risen!  He is truly risen."

Our Holy Father told the faithful gathered in Saint Peter’s Square that the dominant feeling that shines in the Gospel accounts of the Resurrection is one of joy and wonder, and he went on to say that in the liturgy we relive the mood of the disciples with the news that the women had brought:  Jesus is risen!

The Pope said, “Let this experience imprinted in the Gospel, be imprinted in our hearts and in our lives. Let the joyous wonder of Easter Sunday radiate through our thoughts, looks, attitudes, gestures and words ... But,” he stressed, “let this come from within us.”

“When it comes from within… from a heart immersed in the source of this joy, it is like that of Mary Magdalene, who wept for the loss of her Lord and could not believe her eyes seeing him risen….The person who does this becomes a witness to the resurrection and is then able to bring the ray of light of the Risen Lord to various human situations such as spreading happiness, helping those in pain and bringing serenity and hope.”

Recalling the Mother of Jesus, the Holy Father said, “We would do well this week to think about Mary, as her pain was strong enough to pierce her soul.  In going through the experience of the death and resurrection of her Son, her heart became a source of peace, comfort, hope, and mercy.  Mary is the Mother full of hope, the Mother of all the disciples, the Mother of the Church.”

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-let-the-joy-of-the-risen-lord-be-impr 

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Our Lady of Sorrows
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

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The Tomb of the Lord

What are we doing for Easter?

While we may be happily feasting after the end of our Lenten fasting, what are we going to do for all of the days of Easter?

v  Are we announcing the Good News that Jesus is Risen?

v  Are we telling others by our words and actions that Jesus is the Lord of our life?

v  Are we allowing ourselves to experience the hope that eternally springs from faith in our Risen Lord... and how are we sharing that hope with all those we meet?

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The Cross of Christ: Love, Mercy, Forgiveness

If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.

Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in fullness of days;
through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.
Therefore I will give him his portion among the great,
and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty,
because he surrendered himself to death
and was counted among the wicked;
and he shall take away the sins of many,
and win pardon for their offenses.

Isaiah 53: 10-12

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“The Cross is the word through which God has responded to evil in the world. Sometimes it may seem as though God does not react to evil, as if he is silent. And yet, God has spoken, he has replied, and his answer is the Cross of Christ: a word which is love, mercy, forgiveness. It is also reveals a judgment, namely that God, in judging us, loves us. Let us remember this: God judges us by loving us. If I embrace his love then I am saved, if I refuse it, then I am condemned, not by him, but my own self, because God never condemns, he only loves and saves.

Dear brothers and sisters, the word of the Cross is also the answer which Christians offer in the face of evil, the evil that continues to work in us and around us. Christians must respond to evil with good, taking the Cross upon themselves as Jesus did….

Let us walk together along the Way of the Cross and let us do so carrying in our hearts this word of love and forgiveness. Let us go forward waiting for the Resurrection of Jesus, who loves us so much. He is all love!”

Address of Pope Francis

Good Friday, 29 March 2013

For more information, please visit: 

http://m2.vatican.va/content/francescomobile/en/speeches/2013/march/documents/papa-francesco_20130329_via-crucis-colosseo.html

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“…Let us consider Jesus' pain, and let us say to ourselves: it is for me; even if I were the only person in the world, He would have done this, for me. Let us kiss the crucifix and say: 'For me, thank you Jesus, for me ...”. When all appears to be lost, when no one remains because the shepherd has been smitten and the flock has scattered, God will intervene with the power of the resurrection….”

Pope Francis, General Audience

16 April 2014

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/jesus-pain-on-the-cross-reflects-the-pain-of-human

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The place of Christ's Crucifixion
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

Join Fr. Kenneth Smith as we follow in the footsteps of Jesus from November 2 - 12, 2014.  The scriptures will come alive on this journey to the roots of our faith. Tour includes:  Daily Mass at holy sites, licensed Christian guide, accommodation in First Class hotels (five nights in Jerusalem, three nights in Tiberias, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee), breakfast and dinner daily, land transportation by deluxe motorcoach, roundtrip motorcoach transportation from Abbottstown  and Harrisburg, PA to New York JFK Airport, roundtrip airfare from New York to Tel Aviv on nonstop flights with Delta Airlines, and more, for $3,459 per person/double occupancy.  Airfares from other departure cities throughout the USA are available on request.

We anticipate an audience with the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem as well as time to visit, get to know, and have dinner with our brothers and sisters, the local Christians, "the living stones" of the Holy Land.

For complete details on this pilgrimage, please contact:  George’s International Tours, (800) 566-7499, sales@georgesintl.com, or Karen Hurley, k.m.hurley1@gmail.com.

For reflections on a recent pilgrimage, please visit:

http://theapostoliclady.blogspot.com/2013/03/reflections-on-lenten-pilgrimage-to.html

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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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