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Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Today's saint, St. Alphonsus Liguori, is a doctor of the Church, known for his contribution to moral theology and his great kindness. You can read a brief biography here.Here are ten powerful quotes from this great moral theologian: 1. "Our Savior says, if you have not received the graces that you desire, do not complain to me, but blame yourself, because you have neglected to seek them from me."2. "Realize that you may gain more in a quarter...
July 31, 2013. (Romereports.com) St. Ignatius of Loyola founded the Society of Jesus, and Pope Francis, as the first Jesuit Pope, celebrated his feast day at the Church of Gesù in Rome, along with his fellow Jesuits.The Pope arrived by car and was greeted at the door by the Society's Superior General, Father Adolfo Nicolás, who commended him on his recent trip to Brazil.-Congratulations on your trip to BrazilIn his welcome remarks, Father Nicolás told the Pope that all the Jesuits are willing to take on any task assigned by the Pope.During...
July 31, 2013. (Romereports.com) This year, the Vatican plans to celebrate family to highlight its role a fundamental institution in Christian life. To celebrate this, the Vatican is organizing a unique pilgrimage to St. Peter's tomb.The event, which will take place on Saturday, October 26th and Sunday 27th, is sponsored by the Pontifical Council for the Family. It's included in the list of celebrations for the Year of Faith. Specifically, the Council wants to emphasize the the key role the family plays in transmitting the faith to younger generations.Msgr....
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Today is the memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola, priest, and founder of the Society of Jesus.St. Ignatius of Loyola was born in 1491 in the Basque Country of Northern Spain to parents of distinguished families in that area. He was the youngest of 13 children and was called was called Iñigo. At the age of 15, he served as a page in the court of a local nobleman and later embraced a military career and became a valiant soldier.Wounded in battle by...
Monday, July 29, 2013
Today, July 30, we celebrate the feast of St. Peter Chrysologus, Early Church Father, Bishop, and Doctor of the Church. He was born (380) and died (450) in Imola in northern Italy. Peter's life was full of accomplishments.An adult convert, he became a deacon, then a priest, and finally the Bishop of Ravenna in 433. He fought paganism, enforced reforms, and built several churches in his see. He performed many corporal and spiritual works of mercy,...
I just learned this:Last week, things seemed to be going so well. Thomas Peters (aka the American Papist), who fractured the fifth cervical vertebra in a swimming accident on July 16, had been outfitted with a HALO and it appeared that spinal surgery would not be necessary.Today the report is not so good. Infection has set in, resulting in fever and exhaustion. Thomas’ vertebrae have shifted, making surgery likely. Read more.Please...
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Today is the feast of St. Martha, Virgin (who died in France around 80).Mary and Martha lived with their brother Lazarus at Bethany, a village not far from Jerusalem. They are mentioned in several episodes in the Gospels.On one occasion, when Jesus and His disciples were their guests (Luke 10:38-42), Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened to Him while her sister Martha busied herself with preparing food and waiting on the guests, and when Martha complained,...
July 28th, 2013 (Romereports.com) Millions of pilgrims took part in the world's largest flash mob, by performing a simple dance for the Pope. In fact, the title of the song they danced to is called 'Francis.' Before celebrating Sunday's closing Mass in Rio's Copacabana beach, millions of youths took a few minutes to carry out the performance.The choreography was created by two Brazilian professional dancers, who actually created a video beforehand, so people could practice the moves, before the big d...
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
July 23, 2013. (Romereports.com) Every day, hundreds of buses with thousands of pilgrims flock to a very special Brazilian known as the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Aparecida. With over 11 million visits per year, it is one of the most visited Marian shrines in the world. In fact, it welcomes much more pilgrims than other famous sites like that of Lourdes and Fatima.On arrival, many pilgrims light a candle, to thank Our Lady for the graces they've received. Others spend hours praying in this room suited for over 70,000 people. In it, some leave personal...
History of the DevotionOn a certain day in 1716 three fishermen were at work on the Paraiba River. There were no fish in the nets they lifted from the water. Instead there was an artistic terracotta image of Our Lady of the Conception, which they dubbed "Nossa Señnora Aparecida". The chronicles relate that once the Virgin was placed in the boat, the catch was so great that the frightened men returned to port because, the weight of the fish threatened...
July 23, 2013. (Romereports.com) With World Youth Day underway, the massive gathering is bound to break some records. The official registration number exceeds 350,000 youths, but that number could easily be multiplied during the closing ceremony, since on that day, there's no need to register to attend. Some estimate that up to 2 million youths could show up to celebrate with the Pope.According to Brazil's Civil Aviation Department, about 70,000 pilgrims are arriving on a daily basis to Rio's airports. Young Catholics from 190 countries are making...
Monday, July 22, 2013
July 22nd, 2013 (Romereports.com) After a 12 hour flight, Pope Francis made it to Brazil. With a cheering crowd in the background, the Pope was greeted by the country's president, Dilma Rousseff and Brazil's religious leaders.The transportation that came afterward, seemed a bit cumbersome. He first boarded a modest gray car, where he was swarmed by enthusiastic crowds and heavy traffic. The Pope then hopped on his open air popemobile, as he went through the city's streets. He finally took a military helicopter to Rio's Guanabara Palace.There,...
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Thomas Peters, a blogging friend at American Papist and Catholic Vote, was involved in an accident yesterday evening and has sustained major injuries. He is awake, responsive, and in stable but critical condition. Family and friends are with him.Please pray for Thomas, and for his family, especially his parents at this time.I have been praying for his healing through the intercession of Venerable Fr. Emil Kapaun. Here is the prayer, if you would...
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Friday, July 12, 2013
Today we commerorate St. Henry.Henry II, successively Duke of Bavaria, King of Germany and Emperor, devoted himself to the spread of religion by rebuilding churches and founding monasteries. Henry II, son of Henry, Duke of Bavaria, and of Gisella, daughter of Conrad, King of Burgundy, was born in 972. He succeeded his father as Duke of Bavaria, and in 1002, he was elected emperor. In 1014, he went to Rome and received the imperial crown at the...
The saint of the day for July 12 is St. Ignatius Delgado, Dominican bishop and martyr.“This stranger, who was introduced clandestinely into the kingdom, spends his life in the study of things of the heart and in the meditation on what is incomprehensible…” (From the death sentence of Bishop Ignatius Delgado).This group of 117 martyrs, of which Bishop Delgado OP was part, suffered and shed their blood out of love for Christ in the region known today...
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
July 11 is the feast of St. Benedict of Nursia, the twin brother of St. Scholastica, the patron of Europe, and the founder of Western monasticism.BiographyTradition teaches that St. Benedict lived from 480 to 547, though we cannot be sure that these dates are historically accurate. His biographer, St. Gregory the Great, pope from 590 to 604, does not record the dates of his birth and death, though he refers to a Rule written by Benedict. Scholars...
Praise God! It was a nasty battle, but we won. Now to move onto the abolishment of all abortion. AUSTIN, TX, July 10, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Texas House of Representatives has passed a pro-life law that would restrict abortions to the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. On the third reading, HB2 passed the chamber by a vote of 96-49.The bill stalled during a first special session as a mob of pro-abortion activists shouted down a vote, and an...
July 10, 2013 (Romereports.com) Preparations for WYD 2013 started months ago, but there is still a lot on the agenda. One of the issues organizers are working on, is the installations of two main stages, where most of the gathering with Pope Francis will take place. They include stages in Copacabana and Campus Fidei. Organizers say, they goal is to build a structure where everyone can see Pope Francis, even from a distance.It's not just about logistics. Organizers are also looking for an artistic touch. Abel Gomes, who designed the...
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Born in 1804 in the province of Santander in Spain, Emmanuel joined the Franciscans with the hope of becoming a missionary. Ordained in 1831, following his request, he was sent to the Holy Land. There he had two terms of service. During the second, he was appointed guardian of Damascus in 1858 with a community of eight friars, six of whom were priests. A quarrel between a Maronite and a Druse in 1860 sparked atrocious rioting in which the Druses...
by Michelle Riestra and Rebecca Oas, Ph.D.The UN Security Council rebuffed suggestions that victims of wartime rape have a right to abortion in a landmark resolution on women in peace and security last week.Actress Angelina Jolie urged the United Nations to help victims and punish perpetrators as part of the effort to garner celebrity status for UN causes. She told harrowing tales of women and children being sexually abused in refugee camps.The Security...
Gov. Scott Walker has signed into law a measure that requires Wisconsin abortion clinics to offer women the option of viewing an ultrasound of their unborn child. The Wisconsin Catholic Conference had offered testimony on behalf of the legislation.“In every other medical procedure, women are offered the opportunity to see their sonogram and mammogram images, chest and bone x-rays, etc.,” said Barbara Sella, associate director of the Wisconsin Catholic...
July 9, 2013 (Romereports.com) The life of late Cardinal, Francis Xavier Van Thuan was unique, and perhaps even saintly. From being imprisoned for over a decade to becoming one of the main prelates of his native Vietnam.WALDERY HILGEMANVan Thuan Cause for Canonization“Saints stand out from the rest, not because they were perfect but because they made it a point, despite the challenges, to follow Christ closely. It's about living one's Christian vocation at a heroic level.”The first stage of his canonization process, known as the Diocesan...
July 9, 2013 (Romereports.com) The Vatican held a special celebration for the early martyrs of the Church. The so called 'protomartyrs', were those who died during the first centuries AD, a time when practicing Christianity was forbidden by Roman authorities. Some of the best known saints in the Catholic tradition, such as Saint Peter, died a martyr's death in Rome, in places that are still famous today.REGINALDO LUCIOLIVatican City State Marching Band“The Roman Protomartyrs are the very first martyrs of the Catholic Church. Right next to us here...
Monday, July 8, 2013
Today is the optional memorial of St. Augustine Zhao Rong, priest, and companions, Chinese martyrs. Saint Augustine Zhao Rong was a Chinese diocesan priest who was martyred with his 119 companions in 1815. Among their number was an eighteen year old boy, Chi Zhuzi, who cried out to those who had just cut off his right arm and were preparing to flay him alive: "Every piece of my flesh, every drop of my blood will tell you that I am Christian."Christianity...
July 8, 2013 (Romereports.com) The four-day pilgrimage of over 6,000 seminarians and novices culminated with a special Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Basilica. The Pope addressed those on a vocational journey by stressing the fact that their young age is a great treasure for their mission within the Church.POPE FRANCIS“You represent the Church’s youth! If the Church is the Bride of Christ, you in a certain sense represent the moment of betrothal, the Spring of vocation, the season of discovery, assessment, formation. And it is a...
July 8, 2013 (Romereports.com) During his Sunday Angelus prayer and following his special Mass with seminarians and novices, Pope Francis reflected upon the role of ordained ministers as successors of the disciples, whom Jesus sent to the world as missionaries and witnesses to this message.POPE FRANCIS“He forms immediately a community of disciples, which is a missionary community. Right from the start, He trains them for the mission, to go on a mission. Beware, however! The purpose is not to socialize, to spend time together – no, the purpose...
Sunday, July 7, 2013
The saint of the day for July 8 is St. Jeanne-Marie Kerguin, Franciscan Missionary and Martyr.Jeanne-Marie was born on May 5, 1864, at Belle-Isle en Terre, France to a poor peasant family. Her mother died when she was quite young, and she was forced to take over the household chores for the family. With her home obligations fulfilled, she joined the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in 1887, taking the name Marie Santa Natalia. There she happily...
Dr. Taylor Marshall (one of my favorite bloggers) sums up the new Encylical Lumen Fidei (Latin for "The Light of Faith") written by both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis in 15 simple points:He begins with referring to Nietzsche as the pioneer of non-faith for our era. Consequently, "humanity renounced the search for a great light, Truth itself."He then refers to Dante, who in the Divine Comedy, after professing his faith to Saint Peter,...
By Greg Willits, released June, 2013, Servant Books, Cincinnati, Ohio, 149 pages, Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook,CD, and Audible Audio Edition, CD abridged. Available from Servant Books, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble, Major books stores and Catholic and Christian book stores.Reviewed by JEAN M. HEIMANN, M.A. in Theology, adult educator, new evangelizer, freelance writer, and oblate with the Community of St. John.Archbishop Charles Chaput...
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Today is the feast of St. Maria Goretti (1890-1902), a peasant girl who was stabbed fourteen times, while fighting off a rapist. She died forgiving her killer.Maria Goretti was born on October 16, 1890, in Coranaldo in the province of Ancona in Italy, the third of seven children of Assunta and Luigi Goretti. When Maria was six, her father, realizing he could not support his growing family on the barren countryside, took them south, toward Rome, to...
Friday, July 5, 2013
July 5, 2013 (Romereports.com) Pope Francis has published his first encyclical titled 'Lumen fidei', or 'The light of faith.' The document was started by Benedict XVI when he was still Pope and later passed on to Pope Francis. The result is a text combining theology and current affairs that bears the hallmark of both Popes.Pope Francis invites everyone to let faith 'cast light' upon their existence. He also states that 'faith is not arrogant', it 'strengthens the bonds between people' and is 'in the concrete service of justice and peace.”The prefect...
July 5, 2013 (Romereports.com) Pope Francis has cleared John Paul II for sainthood. On Friday morning, he signed a decree that attributes a miracle to the intercession of the late Polish Pope. This gives the green light for the Polish Pope to be declared a saint of the Catholic Church.The Pope also approved the canonization of Blessed John XXIII, who is remembered for calling the Second Vatican Council. A special consistory has been called by the Pope, to set a date for his canonization, even without the required miracle.FR. FEDERICO LOMBARDIVatican...
Today, July 5, the Church remembers Saint Anthony Mary Zaccaria. A renowned preacher and promoter of Eucharistic adoration, he founded the order of priests now known as the Barnabites.Saint Anthony Maria Zaccaria was born at Cremona, Italy, in 1502, of noble parents. His father Lazzaro died when Anthony was two, and Antonietta, his eighteen-year-old mother, never remarried, but devoted herself to performing charitable works for the poor. She...
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Bl. Pier Giorgio FrassatiPrayer for the Courage to be GreatHeavenly Father, Give me the courage to strive for the highest goals, to flee every temptation to be mediocre. Enable me to aspire to greatness, as Pier Giorgio did, and to open my heart with joy to Your call to holiness. Free me from the fear of failure. I want to be, Lord, firmly and forever united to You. Grant me the graces I ask You through Pier Giorgio's intercession, by the...
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Today is the feast of Blessed Pier Giorgo Frassati, a Dominican tertiary, and the patron saint of World Youth Day. Here are some of my favorite Quotes: "The end for which we are created invites us to walk a road that is surely sown with a lot of thorns, but it is not sad; through even the sorrow, it is illuminated by joy."“To live without faith, without a patrimony to defend, without a steady struggle for truth, that is not living, but...
Independence Day is a holiday that unites us as we celebrate our freedom and independence as “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” It also is the final day of a “Fortnight for Freedom,” a two-week period of prayer and action called by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to address many current challenges to religious liberty, including the HHS mandate and attempts to redefine marriage. It’s a time to honor the men and women who have...
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