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Camellias in Winter "Flowers bloom in the spring. Then there are the camellias of New Orleans, resplendent in the middle of winter. You might not think that New Orleans even has a winter, but even without regular sleet or snow, the season falls upon the city nonetheless: The thick, wet, heavy cold air descends upon the body like Gideon’s fleece, and seeps through coats and sweaters"... Read more here on Image Journal org.

"The Orthodox Moment" by Ben Greenberg. "The majority of Americans of Jewish descent have embraced cultural diversity and tolerance with more passion than has the population at large". But "What is perhaps most stunning is that 34 percent of Jews within the age bracket of 18–34 identify with Orthodoxy. "... Read more on Orthodox Jews here in First Things here

Ash Wednesday 2010
Teach us to be loving not only in great and exceptional moments
- but above all in the ordinary events of daily life.
May we abstain from what we do not really need
- and help our brothers and sisters in distress.

Excerpts from the Intercessions of the Morning Prayer (Liturgy of the Hours).

The One True God. The first Christians, like the Jews before them, were fiercely monotheistic, willing to die horrible martyrs’ deaths in the Coliseum—being slain by gladiators, devoured by wild animals, crucified, or tied to a stake and turned into human torches—rather than concede the existence of any other gods. Read more on the faith and monotheism, with quotes from the Fathers of the Church here on Catholic Answers. here

The heroism of Google and the fear of China. Internet censorship vs. freedom of information. China is not willing to loosen its grip on censorship, essential in maintaining the dictatorship of the Communist Party. Information, we all know, is power; lack of information supports dictatorship. Read more here on Asia News. As I have already mentioned, freedom of religion and freedom of the press are the two arms of true liberty!

The Prince of This World and the Evangelization of Culture Poetry, art, philosophy and politics, faith and culture: see this very good speech by archbishop Chaput: "So if we are troubled by the spirit of our age, if we really want to change the current course of our culture and challenge its guiding ideas—and this is the theme of our session here today—then we need to start with the author of that culture. That means examining man himself. Culture exists because man exists. Men and women think, imagine, believe and act. The mark they leave on the world is what we call culture"... Read more here.

Why the Beatitudes matter: The gospel blessings: we say a goal is within our grasp when it is close enough for us to have sure hope of attaining it. What brings us close to the blessing of eternal happiness is exercise of the virtues and especially the gifts. So the blessings pronounced by Christ in the gospels and called beatitudes are not disposition distinct from the virtues and gifts but actions exercising them. Certain actions are proposed in these blessings as deserving happiness and disposing us to possess it, either tentatively or perfectly; and what is presented as reward for those actions is either the perfect happiness of the life to come, or some inchoate beginning of it found in perfect men here and now.
Thus the kingdom of heaven can be taken to mean the start of the reign of the Spirit in wise men, the possession of the land to mean the heart's repose in desire of a sure and everlasting inheritance and so on. All of which will be perfectly realize in our heavenly home.
A life devoted to pleasure is a false happiness which hinders the true happiness of the life to come.
But the happiness of a life active in doing good prepares for true happiness and the happiness of a contemplative life is already true happiness beginning.
Blessed are the poor in spirit dissuades us from seeking an abundance of external goods.
Blessed are the meek dissuades from aggressive emotions
Blessed are those who mourn from affective emotions;
the life of doing good is chiefly one of paying dues and spontaneous giving to our fellowmen;
Hence blessed are those who hunger and thirst after justice and blessed are the merciful.
The contemplative life does not so much deserve blessing as constitute it, but those effects of the active life which dispose us to contemplation, both in ourselves and in relation to our fellowmen, are mentioned:
blessed are the clean of heart and blessed are the peacemakers.
(a commentary on the Beatitudes from Saint Thomas Aquinas, in Summa Theologiae, chapter on Virtues).

The Feast of Saint Francis of Sales is coming up (January 24) and he is one of my very favorite Saint! I often turn to him for his intercession and I constantly read again his writings for inspiration Read more about his life, his influence, his work and his spirituality here.

Saints & Christian Heroes. A wonderful page with articles on Miguel Augustín Pro; St. Rose Philippine Duchesne; Mother Cabrini; Saint Isaac Jogues; St. Alberto Hurtado; Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha; Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, Fr. Vincent Capodanno and many more... A real treasure for those who love to read the life of the saints! here on The Word Among Us site.

Thank You, Archbishop Niederauer for rebuking Nancy Pelosi's superficial and incomplete understanding of the relationship between free will and faith! In a recent interview with Eleanor Clift in Newsweek magazine (Dec. 21, 2009), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was asked about her disagreements with the United States Catholic bishops concerning Church teaching ... Read more here on Catholic San Francisco, the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

A terrific sermon on the coming of the Antichrist We continue today our meditation on Antichrist. We have seen last week, with the help of Cardinal Newman, how Antichrist has been preparing the field for his coming throughout the History. We have looked upon the Modernist heresy that dissolves Christ and destroys the Church of Christ from inside as certainly one of his greatest victory, though we know that the final victory will be for Christ. Now let us be prudent when we speak about his coming. Read it all here on the site: De Fide Catholica.

On Christ and Antichrist (Hippolytus, Early Church Father, died around 236) 59. But we who hope for the Son of God are persecuted and trodden down by those unbelievers. For the wings of the vessels are the churches; and the sea is the world, in which the Church is set, like a ship tossed in the deep, but not destroyed; for she has with her the skilled Pilot, Christ. And she bears in her midst also the trophy (which is erected) over death; for she carries with her the cross of the Lord. For her prow is the east, and her stern is the west, and her hold is the south, and her tillers are the two Testaments; and the ropes that stretch around her are the love of Christ, which binds the Church; and the net which she bears with her is the layer of the regeneration which renews the believing, whence too are these glories. As the wind the Spirit from heaven is present, by whom those who believe are sealed: she has also anchors of iron accompanying her, viz., the holy commandments of Christ Himself, which are strong as iron. She has also mariners on the right and on the left, assessors like the holy angels, by whom the Church is always governed and defended. The ladder in her leading up to the sailyard is an emblem of the passion of Christ, which brings the faithful to the ascent of heaven. And the top-sails aloft upon the yard are the company of prophets, martyrs, and apostles, who have entered into their rest in the kingdom of Christ. Read more here on this very good listing of writings of Church Fathers

The Church is under increasing attack and the world is turning a blind eye. Here are the titles on Zenit News today, for events happening within the last few days. And to think it is not even an exhaustive list. How come we don't hear about this in the main stream media? And if it is mentioned on CNN or the NYT, on NPR or ABC News or Fox News, the Huffington Post, it's only a little tidbit here and there...
    Malaysia   Christian Churches Attacked in Malaysia
    Vietnam   Crucifix Destroyed, Catholics Injured in Vietnam
    Tunis   Missionary Priest Dies in Tunisian Explosion
    Egypt   Drive-By Shooting Kills 6 Egyptian Christians
    Iraq   Iraqi Christians Attacked Over Christmas Holidays
    Israel   Jewish Leaders Denounce Harassing And Spitting on Christians
A very good site for the suffering Church is Aid to the Church in Need. Check out their map of the world and their stories of the suffering Church: here

Million expected at Compostela during holy year "Priests should be particularly devoted to “the administration of the Sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist, because the most sought after, valuable and characteristic element of the holy year is forgiveness and the encounter with the living Christ.” Read about it here on the Catholic Culture site.

I wrote a (little) story about Global Warming... Just a few thoughts and a few pictures here

Basil and Gregory, wisdom from the East "Much time had I spent in vanity, and had wasted nearly all my youth acquiring the sort of wisdom made foolish by God. Then once, like a man roused from deep sleep, I turned my eyes to the marvelous light of the truth of the Gospel, and I perceived the uselessness of the ‘wisdom of the princes of this world, that come to naught" here on The Catholic Truth site.

The Stark Truth. What he found in his study of the first Christian centuries was an astonishing growth rate in the number of Christians of 40 percent per decade. From a small band of twelve, the Church had grown to 6 million people by 300 A.D. Stark maintains that the Emperor Constantine did not so much ensure Christianity’s success as acknowledge it. Read more here on The Fathers Of The Church site.

The Sacrifice of the Mass by Fr. William G. Most. It is good to start the new year by re-assessing what is the Mass for each one of us. There is a direct link between what Jesus did in the upper room and between each Mass, anytime and/or anywhere in the whole world and that link is what sustains the world. I love how Fr. Most speaks about the sacrifice of the Mass, read it here

The Consequences of Bad Ideas. A terrific article on the true nature of communism vs. free democracy: an interview with Father Marcel Guarnizois, founder and chairman of the Vienna-based organization Educational Initiative for Central and Eastern Europe (EICEE), which hosted a conference earlier this month to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and to reflect on lessons learned from the rise and fall of communism. So we expanded our mission beyond Russia to include all of the countries of the former Soviet Union, to begin educating them in principles of what we call "strengthening and promoting free, just, and democratic societies." For us that means economic freedom, political freedom, and cultural freedom. The inspiration was that if you do not have a sustainable culture that understands the principles of democracy, you would never be able to build a free and just society. Read Part I and Part II on Zenit news.

For an alpha listing of articles & prayers on this site, see Site Map

On Mermaids and Witches: Fairy Tales and the Gospel, by Karen Anderson.
Properly understood, the fairy tale is an art form combining elements of both parables and poetry. Our most beloved tales are about Truth itself, disguised in metaphor... The Romantics gave voice to a renewed interest in religion and folk culture, which emphasized the mystical, intuitive, and physical aspects of human nature. Read more here on InsideCatholic.com

One of the comments following the article says: "If you haven't already, read Tolkien's essay "On Fairy Stories." Not only does he deliver an excellent argument for how to maintain suspension of disbelief in fantasy literature, he goes on to argue that essentially all great tales of fairy and myth represent an inherent, pre-programmed human yearning for the Gospel. He has a great bit where he explains that the truth of the Gospel is most proven by its being the most desirable and effective narrative ever written--it is the ultimate, alpha-omega fairy tale".

And I happen to have a friend who wrote a very interesting piece a while back on exactly the same topic and C.S. Lewis: Paganism and the Conversion of C.S. Lewis, by Clotilde Morhan:
"Nearly all that I loved I believed to be imaginary;
nearly all that I believed to be real I thought grim and meaningless."
With these words C.S. Lewis, the great Christian apologist who wrote the Chronicles of Narnia, described the early years of his life. The story of his pre-conversion self, however, is much more than the autobiography of one 20th-century Englishman. It depicts the spiritual torpor of modern man, namely post-Christian man... see article

The Nativity Scene , the dramatic representation of the birth of Jesus is "a school of life where we can learn the secret of true joy," which "does not consist in having many things": this was Benedict XVI's message to the thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter's Square. "I see here so many children and teenagers, along with parents, teachers and catechists. Dear friends, I greet you all with great affection and I thank you for coming. It gives me great joy to know that in your family the tradition of the Nativity Scene is still kept. But it is not enough to repeat a traditional gesture, however important. Try to live in the reality of every day what the crib is, the love of Christ, his humility, his poverty. This is what St. Francis did in Greccio: he created a living Nativity scene, to be able to contemplate and adore it, but above all to know how best to put into practice the message of the Son of God who for our sakes was stripped of everything and became a little child".

Is Mary appearing in Warraq, Egypt? For the last 10 days or so, right above the Church of the Virgin Mary and Archangel Michael in Giza, Warraq, sightings have been reported and crowds have gathered and prayed. Videos on YouTube indicate that unusual lights are again appearing on a Coptic Orthodox church in the Cairo metropolitan area, this time in a neighborhood known as Warraq. Read more here on Spirit Daily.

The Re-Birth of Population Control: a disturbing return to the Malthusian position of seeing population control as the solution to the world's problems. A British sociologist harshly attacked the proposals of the Optimum Population Trust for being "a zombie-like Malthusian organization devoted to the cause of human depletion." "Throughout most of history, human life has been valued in and of itself; it has been seen as possessing a special quality that could not be reduced to quantities to be measured by misanthropic accountants," he observed. Read more here on Zenit news.

Ask Sister Mary Martha is a lovely blog, faithful, funny and informative too! Read their latest postings, involving spiritual advice and saint matching here

Living the Joy of the Liturgy. St. Peter Eastern Catholic Mission offers nothing to attract the worldly eye. There's a small parking lot, a field of weeds, and a nondescript white-stucco building that could use a fresh coat of paint. The only outward sign to mark the latter as a church is a small golden rooftop Byzantine cross. And yet, inside this little church, the feeling is always of having stepped into another dimension. Sunlight streams through the east window. Joyful psalmody fills the air. Breathtakingly beautiful liturgy can last three to four hours. Read more here on The National Catholic Register site.

"Mystics of the Church" recent mystics, modern-day mystics. I have already mentioned on this site how much I love conversion stories. But what about mystics? What about the story of their private encounter with the divine? When they have left us a recorded account of what they saw and heard, what went through their heart and mind and soul, then we have a direct insight into the most mysterious levels of human experience, into this most amazing joy, this infinite love that keeps the world turning... It also reveals much about suffering, about this very paradoxical fact that suffering for others, suffering for the Lord and with Him becomes joy and peace and growth and is the door to heaven. This is very hard to discuss with non-beleivers, it is certainly hard enough for myself to grasp it fully but I am open to listen and pray and learn... Here is a wonderful site with modern day mystics. For instance, here is the story of "Sister Mary of the Holy Trinity" (1901-1942) and the account of what Jesus told her "My friends are: truth; sincerity; silence; order, and that respect which discovers Me in all creatures. You should believe what I say; why do you doubt? Have I ever deceived you on even one single occasion? Yes, believe Me, in spite of all appearances; then your soul will be free and happy. Those who love Me a little, have a little confidence in Me. Those who love Me much, have great confidence in Me. Those who place no limit to their love have a confidence in Me without bounds or limit. I cannot disappoint them. You honor Me more by the confidence you show Me than by all that you could give Me. And notice, I respond at once by putting joy into the heart that honors Me with confidence." Read more http://www.mysticsofthechurch.com/2009/11/sister-mary-of-holy-trinity-poor-clare.html"> here

Reading Scripture is not simply information, it is formation - God is shaping our thoughts and feelings through the words, God is re-aligning our own worldview to become closer to his will. We usually resist because of two deeply engrained tendencies: read more here

New Advent has a terrific listing of the Church Fathers writings! It is a great ressource for finding out texts on line and the list is quite exhaustive: Alexander of Alexandria, Ambrose, Augustine of Hippo, Barnabas, Basil the Great, Clement of Alexandria, Cyril of Jerusalem and many, many more... Bookmark this site : http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/

Custodians of beauty in the world. "This world in which we live needs beauty in order not to sink into despair. Beauty, like truth, brings joy to the human heart, and is that precious fruit which resists the erosion of time, which unites generations and enables them to be one in admiration. And all this through the work of your hands... Remember that you are the custodians of beauty in the world." ... "Art is born when the temporary touches the eternal; the shock of beauty is when the irresistible force hits the immovable post." — G. K. Chesterton Read more here on Ignatius Insight

The settlements in East Jerusalem. World Council of Churches against the settlements in East Jerusalem The ecumenical organization, which brings together 349 Christian denominations, appeals for "Israeli government to revoke its decision and its settlements program." Read more here on Asianews.

Medjugorje. The messages, videos, comments and the BBC documentary on Medjugorje, which is titled "Pilgrims" and focuses on a group of Irish pilgrims and their week-long visit to Medjugorje, see more on this blog here

We need to replace our attitude of ownership with an attitude of stewardship. Why is this kind of generosity, this kind of putting others first, so important to Jesus? We see this emphasis in so many of his parables and in his teachings and interactions with people as well. One answer is the example Jesus sets: the Son of God has become man in order to give himself to us and for us. He has put us first, and that has led to the Cross on Calvary. He gives himself to us in this celebration of Mass, feeding us with his Body and Blood. God’s love for us has stopped at nothing in the life of his Son. Gratitude for Christ’s gift of himself is meant to move us to generosity toward one another for love of him. Everything we have that matters to us is, in some way, a gift from God: in his first letter to the Corinthians St. Paul asks the question, “What do you have that you have not received?”

This teaching goes against some of the values we hold so dear in our culture. We prize individualism and ownership. We like to say that everything we have we worked for and earned with our own two hands and our brains. That may be true, but did we create our own hands and our own brains? Are they not a gift to us that we did not earn and for which we cannot pay?

One of our most precious gifts is time. Did we create it? Do we give it to ourselves? Is not every day a gift from God? Consider the things we own: are they really going to be ours forever? No, ownership is only for a time, then all those things will belong to others. We won’t take them with us; as the Irish like to say, “There are no pockets in shrouds.”

We need to replace our attitude of ownership with an attitude of stewardship. What we have God has given us in trust for a while, to use for serving others and seeking our own eternal salvation. The widows in our two readings realized that: what they had they shared with others, and God rewarded them both. Read the full article from Archbishop George H. Niederauer here

To the above quote from the Europe For Christ network on "Christianity is the oldest European Lobby for fairness, solidarity and charity. It has a lot to offer - even for non-believers", I would say that actually it is: especially to non-believers whether they be atheists, agnostics or just plain indifferent; or whether they belong to any non Judeo-Christian religions! If you love art, you should wish to be in a Christian culture where art can flourish; if you love freedom of speech, freedom to write (and argue and debate), you will only know it in a Christian nation; if you love progress and scientific discoveries, you will only be allowed to experience it in a Christian educated society! Pay attention to what truly happened in history, look around what is going on nowadays in other places, pray for discernment, and you will know the truth and understand the various propaganda at work in the world today. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that the Government has to be "Christian" for art, freedom and progress to blossom, there is a very good reason why Jesus said: "give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God", the answer is not in one political party or in imposing Christianity via politics (although the interesting paradox is that we are certainly asked to work and shape the political arena with the light of Christ). Believers are asked to transform the world, that is what spreading the Good News is about. There is a concerned effort nowadays (and a global one for that matter, it is not just a European issue) to snuff out any reference to Christ, to relegate the Church to the back burner of the world… The truth is that this type of effort has come up regularly at various times in the world and there is usually a "tipping point" where the attempts to extinguish any Christian light is the beginning of the death of that society.
Well, that is my two-cents.
And that is why it is a great time to be Christian!
It is the most amazing challenge, the best possible adventure ever!

Buy my books of photos! I have published two books of photos of nature, one in color and one in black and white, and you can buy them on line. In advance, I thank you very much, I greatly appreciate it. THANK YOU! Un grand merci... Here is the information and the links:

Fr Ashley Beck says the Church teaches clearly that Freemasonry and Catholicism are incompatible. Read this very sound - and fair and coherent - article on this issue. The reasons for our teaching, expounded in teaching from many popes since the 18th century, are theological. In the first place, Freemasonry is a naturalistic religion. Its rituals and constitutions present the member as a man who is able to advance towards enlightenment through his own efforts - a good parable of this is the depictions of the trials of Tamino in Mozart's opera The Magic Flute. The Mason can earn his salvation through rites of initiation and the activities of the lodge (including charitable giving); it is thus, in a way, the perfect religion for the "self-made", middle-class professional man. It is totally at odds with the Christian vision, in which we need God's grace, through the death and resurrection of Our Lord, to grow in holiness. I would add that the temptation to rely exclusively on this "self-made" approach, combined with the secretive and elitist atmosphere of a private club, will re-enforce and promote adherence to relativism and to a certain corner of liberalism, the one that is prone to a demagogue, "laissez-faire" moral attitude. Go ahead and check Fr. Beck's article here on the Catholic OnLine site.

An extremely moving video: hear the voice of a Martyr in Iraq, singing a Hymn to the Blessed Mother, and watch shots of his funeral. Father Ragheed Ganni, a Chaldean Catholic Priest, was killed in 2007 with three of his deacons right after celebrating mass in Mosul, Iraq. Their car was stopped by Islamic terrorists, they were forced to get down from the car and asked to declare their conversion to Islam. When the four refused they were brutally gunned down with machine guns here .

For an alpha listing of articles & prayers on this site, see Site Map

The Pope "Rethinks" Clerical Celibacy in Order to Reinforce It. It is the sign, he says, that God exists and that one allows himself to be seized by passion for him. This makes it a great scandal, and the desire is to eliminate it. The complete transcript of Benedict XVI's latest statement on this issue. And of a surprising preview of it, from 2006, by Sandro Magister.
Pope Benedict XVI said: "The true foundation of celibacy can be contained in the phrase: 'Dominus pars' - You are my land. It can only be theocentric. It cannot mean being deprived of love, but must mean letting oneself be consumed by passion for God and subsequently, thanks to a more intimate way of being with him, to serve men and women, too. "Celibacy must be a witness to faith: faith in God materializes in that form of life which only has meaning if it is based on God. Basing one's life on him, renouncing marriage and the family, means that I accept and experience God as a reality and that I can therefore bring him to men and women.
Read more here on Chiesa Expresso.

Zig-Zag Journey Home - my conversion story The very moving and honest story of Mary Ellen's life coming full circle. The story starts on the June 7th post. (Or click on the labels menu on the right). I find it amazing to witness the work of the Holy Spirit on all of us! Read more here

Abortion and health care. "The current proposals embrace the fallacy that abortion is health care. In reality, abortion is the opposite of health care - it destroys the life of a unique and unrepeatable human being, and it endangers the physical, psychological and spiritual health of women who have paid the price for this exploitive practice for far too long." Read more here on the Legatus magazine site. (A "unique and unrepeatable human being". I like that! And it is the truth. To think that every one of us is unique and unrepeatable is just amazing... )

Saint Ephrem the Syrian, pray for us! A Deacon in the 2nd century, an Ermit and an Apologist, a Defender of the Faith against the heretics, a Composer of great religious Hymns, a Doctor of the Church, who wrote in Syriac, Greek, Latin and Armenian. One of my favorite Saint! See the Prayer of Saint Ephrem here and what he has taught me about the Transfiguration.

My favorite Two Locations on the planet! A few recent photos of various subjects, in Samoens and in San Francisco, and I tried to view them as a pair, with a common theme: here .
     

Pope Arrives to Cyprus as Pilgrim of Peace, during his three days on the island, he will meet with both government and Church leaders. In his address, the Pontiff called attention to the "historical role" of the nation that stands "between Europe, Asia and Africa." "Cyprus stands at the crossroads of cultures and religions..." Read more here on the site of Zenit News.

Making Peace in Guinea: Peace and reconciliation in Guinea pass from Sant'Egidio. Signing of the Sant'Egidio Declaration and of the General Political Agreement. To this extent the Community of Sant'Egidio hosted a number of representatives, namely: the National Transition Committee (interim Parliament), the Council of the Opposition parties, the National Council for Democracy and Development, the National Alliance for Progress and the "Bloc des Forces Patriotiques de Guinée". They signed up the Sant'Egidio Declaration for the Future of Guinea and the General Political Agreement, whose text is as follow: Read more here on the site of Sant Egidio.

Hoy Spirit, come to our aid! To me, this is a typical example of public servants following their own personal agendas and voting against the wishes of the people they are supposed to serve! San Francisco already has 29 pot clubs so it's not a question of access… "SF Planning Commission approves pot club for Sunset; neighbors to appeal" By Valerie Schmalz. The San Francisco Planning Commission voted 5-1 to approve a medical marijuana dispensary in the Sunset District, despite opposition by thousands in the neighborhood... Read more here on our local paper: Catholic San Francisco.

The Sacraments and the History of Salvation. By Fr. Jean Danielou, S.J. The liturgy is at once word and action; and the Bible is at once a book and a history. It is this second aspect that we are now going to consider — the relationship of the actions that make up sacred history in the Old and New Testaments to the actions that are the sacraments of the Church. We should, first of all, recall the fact that liturgical tradition continually establishes analogies between sacramental actions and the works of God in the Old and New Testaments. Let us take some examples from baptism and the Eucharist, sacraments which the Fathers continually relate to the essential events of the Bible. Read more here found on CatholicCulture.org
Here is one more excerpt:
What is essential, then, is the fact that Christ is proclaimed to us as being the end of time. This is the meaning of John's gesture: Ecce Agnus Dei. Not: There is a Lamb of God. But: The Lamb of God is here. We should remember here that the phrase, "the end of time," is to be taken in its full meaning: not only the end in the sense of the conclusion of time, but also in the sense of the goal of time, the definite and decisive event, that beyond which there is nothing more because there can be nothing beyond it. The paradoxical Christian affirmation is, as Cullmann has well shown, that the decisive event is already accomplished. No discovery, no revolution can ever bring about anything as important to mankind as is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And, in fact, in the resurrection of Christ two things were accomplished beyond which nothing further is possible: God is perfectly glorified; man is perfectly united to God. We can never go beyond Jesus Christ. He is the final goal of God's design.

Looking at the canonical law of the Church as a spiritual work of mercy. I think that canonical law is often misundertood (more than ignored). There is a very interesting discussion on the intricate details and the consequences of any canonical "excommunication" on this blog: here . (Although I don't think the title of the piece is appropriate: Bishop Olmsted An Evil Monster? My own title - above - is better, it is not misleading and I got it from within the piece itself).

A lovely bunch of California poppies.

Peter Lombard, Theologian: A Complete Vision of Christian Doctrine. There is a great article on Peter Lombard (but I think you might have to log-in to see it in whole). In it, Pope Benedict XVI speaks of his ability to teach the whole of the faith, based on the Fathers of the Church, and presented in a very systematic method: here and here are a couple of excerpts:
"Peter Lombard stated clearly that the sacraments alone objectively transmit God's grace and that there are seven: baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, penance, the anointing of the sick, holy orders and matrimony. Dear brothers and sisters, it is important to recognize how precious and how indispensable this sacramental life is for each Christian, in which the Lord, by means of these material realities, in the community of the Church, touches and transforms us. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, the sacraments are "powers that come forth from the body of Christ, which is ever living and life-giving actions of the Holy Spirit".
And here is a wonderful introduction to why the Mass matters:
"The celebration of the sacraments should be marked by dignity and decorum, promote personal prayer and community participation and a sense of God's presence and a missionary zeal. The sacraments are the great treasure of the Church, and it is up to each one of us to celebrate them so that they may bring forth spiritual fruit. In them, an ever new and surprising event touches our lives: Christ, through visible signs, comes to meet us. He purifies us, transforms us and allows us to participate in his divine friendship".

I think the whole world is Catholic!
Some of us just don't know it yet...

Teresa Benedicta = Inner Life and Outer Form and Action. All authentic prayer is prayer of the church. Through every sincere prayer something happens in the church, and it is the church itself that is praying therein, for it is the Holy Spirit living in the church that intercedes for every individual soul “with sighs too deep for words.” This is exactly what “authentic” prayer is, for “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.” What could the prayer of the church be, if not great lovers giving themselves to God who is love! Read more here found on the site: "Meditations from Carmel Podcast"

I am back in Northern California!

Pope Benedict XVI: we need truly Christian politicians. "The times we live in place us in front of large and complex problems, and the social question has become, at the same time, an anthropological question. Ideological paradigms which claimed, in the recent past, to be a 'scientific' answer to this question, have collapsed. The spread of a confused cultural relativism and a utilitarian and hedonistic individualism weakens democracy and favours the predominance of strong powers. We must recover and revive genuine political wisdom, be demanding in our own particular fields of competence, apply critical thought to research in the human sciences; face reality in all its aspects, going beyond ideological reductionism or utopian assertions; show ourselves open to all true dialogue and cooperation, bearing in mind that politics is a complex art of balance between ideals and interests, but never forgetting that the contribution of Christians is decisive only if the intelligence of intelligent faith becomes reality, key to wise judgment and transformation." Read more here on AsiaNews.

"To the Spirit all creatures turn in their need for sanctification; all living things seek him according to their ability. His breath empowers each to achieve its own natural end. The Spirit is the source of holiness, a spiritual light, and he offers his own light to every mind to help it in its search for truth. By nature the Spirit is beyond the reach of our mind, but we can know him by his goodness. The power of the Spirit fills the whole universe, but he gives himself only to those who are worthy, acting in each according to the measure of his faith. Like the sunshine, which permeates all the atmosphere, spreading over land and sea, and yet is enjoyed by each person as though it were for him alone, so the Spirit pours forth his grace in full measure, sufficient for all, and yet is present as though exclusively to everyone who can receive him. To all creatures that share in him he gives a delight limited only by their own nature, not by his ability to give. The Spirit raises our hearts to heaven, guides the steps of the weak, and brings to perfection those who are making progress. He enlightens those who have been cleansed from every stain of sin and makes them spiritual by communion with himself. As clear, transparent substances become very bright when sunlight falls on them and shine with a new radiance, so also souls in whom the Spirit, become spiritual themselves and a source of grace for others. From the Spirit comes foreknowledge of the future, understanding of the mysteries of faith, insight into the hidden meaning of Scripture, and other special gifts. Through the Spirit we become citizens of heaven, we enter into eternal happiness, and abide in God." (from Treatise on the Holy Spirit by Saint Basil The Great)

The diocesan pilgrimage to Ars on Saturday May 8, 2010! It was a beautiful day, it was a great pilgrimage! I am so thankful that I was able to participate. I met terrific people, I heard great speakers, I learned a lot of things on the life and work of Saint Jean-Marie Vianney. And all through-out the day and the pilgrimage, I am extremely grateful for the reflections on the priesthood. There is nothing like having the correct understanding of the role of the priest in the economy of salvation; this is what Christ left us, this is his gift to us! So much is hanging on this and, in Ars, on Saturday, it was a great moment for all of us, a real opportunity for growth. See a few photos here .

Saturday May 8, I'm going on a pilgrimage to Ars! I am participating in the diocesan pilgrimage to Ars "Praying for Priests: Ask and you will receive". And I've never been to Ars yet! And Saint Jean Vianney is one of my very favorite Saint. Humility and devotion, a whole life dedicated to prayers and service to the Lord. It's a one day pilgrimage and I'm greatly looking forward to it. See the ad here .

Tomorrow is May 1st, the Feast of Saint Joseph The Worker, the Guardian of the Redeemer!
All fatherhood in heaven and earth has its origin in God.
Let us turn to him and pray,
and may Saint Joseph inspire us to walk always in your way of holiness.
See my page and prayer dedicated to Saint Joseph here .

There is a very good summary of Catholic social doctrines on the SF Social Justice and Life site: Themes of Catholic Social Teaching:
1.Life and Dignity of the Human Person
2.Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
3.Call to Family, Community,and Participation
4.Rights and Responsibilities
5.Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers
6.Solidarity
7.Care for GOD's Creation
8.Interfaith
Check it out: here.

For This Pope, All Is Grace, Even "The World's Attacks on Our Sins". Resisting the "dictatorship of conformism." But also "doing penance, recognizing our wrongs, opening ourselves to forgiveness, allowing ourselves to be transformed."

Let's take a second passage from the first reading: Saint Peter says that God has raised Christ to his right hand as leader and savior. "Leader" is a translation of the Greek term "archegos," which implies a much more dynamic vision: the archegos is the one who shows the way, who goes before, it is a movement, a movement upward. God has raised him to his right hand - therefore speaking of Christ as archegos means that Christ walks before us, precedes us, shows us the way.

Let's look at another verse: Christ, the Savior, has given Israel conversion and forgiveness of sins - in the Greek text the term is metanoia - he has given penance and forgiveness of sins. This for me is a very important observation: penance is a grace. There is a tendency in exegesis that says: Jesus in Galilee had announced a grace without condition, absolutely unconditional, therefore also without penance, grace as such, without human preconditions. But this is a false interpretation of grace. Penance is grace; it is a grace that we recognize our sin, it is a grace that we know we need renewal, change, a transformation of our being. Penance, being able to do penance, is the gift of grace. And I must say that we Christians, even in recent times, have often avoided the word penance, it has seemed too harsh to us. Now, under the attacks of the world that speak to us of our sins, we see that being able to do penance is grace. And we see that it is necessary to do penance, that is, to recognize what is wrong in our life, open ourselves to forgiveness, prepare ourselves for forgiveness, allow ourselves to be transformed. The suffering of penance, of purification, of transformation, this suffering is grace, because it is renewal, it is the work of divine mercy.
Read the full text here on Chiesa on line.

Saint Francis of Sales' advice on how to handle temptations. His advice is always so practical and caring, so humble and efficient that it is a delight! As far as temptations go, he uses the example of little bees to illustrate his point: "Recently, I was near a bee hive and some bees came to my face. I wanted to use my hand to brush them off. No, said the farmer, don't be afraid and don't touch them, they will not sting you; but if you do touch them, they will. I believed him and none hurt me. Believe me: don't be afraid of temptations, don't touch them and they will not hurt you, turn your back on them and don't entertain them". Isn't this wonderful advice? So simple and true. For all those things that aim to make us turn away from God, for all those things that entertain us away from the love of God and the love of neighbor, here is a very sound advice: don't fear them but don't dwell on them exceedingly either, just move on past them. This is an extremely valuable advice based on common sense and faith. And to think that the biggest addictions all started from a trail of little temptations… The temptation to self-indulge (whether it's cigarettes or snacks or sex) to the more complex temptations of exerting power and control over others (which ends up in relentless partisan politicians herding us down the wrong paths or businessmen without ethics ruining other people's lives)… God have mercy on us all!

see a slide-show on the ocean, the sunset and God... here

Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” Found on Stephanie's blog: "I wanted to share something that I heard related to yesterday's gospel. I was listening to our local Catholic radio station yesterday and was struck by one priest's explanation of the gospel, the story of Jesus meeting the men on the road to Emmaus, as including a kind of description of the mass. "The mass?" I thought, "How so?" Read more here.

Fatherless. Former Madison Avenue advertising executive Brian J. Gail has published his first novel, Fatherless. The impact of easy access to porn with the implied "banalization" of sex. The novel speaks of a "hollowing out" that's occurred: "We've lost our moral energy to bridge the gap between what our technology permits us to do and what our heart tells us we ought to do. We bit into a very seductive apple with a two-headed worm in it. One of the heads brought images into the family sanctuary, the living room, that suggested … sex on demand … is an entitlement. The other head snaked its way into the medicine cabinet as though to protect a woman from some disease or illness. One marital embrace at a time, over the course of a generation, we hollowed out a nation. This is how empires fall. That brings up the key point of the novel. It's only by saying "yes" to God that man has the power to say "no" to himself. Without that "no" there is no self mastery. And without self mastery there can be no self-donation. And without self-donation, there can be no authentic sense of self-identity. The problems of the present moment are very much rooted in an identity crisis here in the West. In a burst of euphoria over his technological achievements, postmodern man replaced God at the center of the universe with himself. Read more here

Meditations Before Mass: Hour and Eternity by Msgr. Romano Guardini. We are not going to try to understand now the relation between God's eternal life and events in time. The attempt would only result in a confusion of both concepts. One day we shall be able to understand-when we have been endowed with "the new," with that comprehension of the resurrected life which is the gift of grace. Now we can but sense the mystery of redeemed existence, feeling our way toward it with lowered eyes. In this world, God's decree is fulfilled in the succession of temporal events; but God Himself is eternal-He always was and always will be. God realizes Himself both in universal space and in specific space or locality; He exists, however, in the pure here-and-now. He manifests Himself in the differentiation of forms, relationships, characteristics; yet He Himself is of an undivided Oneness. Hence every hour with its content brushes God's eternity; every place with its content touches divine omnipresence; every form and every characteristic finds itself again in His all-inclusive simplicity. And what is true of God is true also of Him who sits on the Father's right, Christ. Read more here

Asking for the grace to know the true life and to know the difference between "The Two Standards": Reflection: St. Ignatius—the former soldier—was particularly sensitive to the constant battle being waged within the world between the God who created us with dignity and the forces of evil which look to pervert that dignity to selfish ends. Human beings either praise, reverence, and serve God—thus becoming who they were created to be—or they follow a lie and begin to break themselves down in the core of their being Read more here on a Jesuit blog.

The "invisible monastery". Comprising women religious, as well as priests, men religious and seminarians, the initiative this year opened its doors to the laity, the director of the UMSI center, Sister Maria Rosa Lo Proto, told Vatican Radio. "The 'invisible monastery' is made up of persons who are dedicated to Eucharistic adoration at fixed times during the day," she said. "Each person chooses an hour to pray for priestly and religious vocations. We have succeeded in covering the whole day and night." See full article on Zenit here. This is also a wonderful way to participate in the unity of Christians, to pray for - and with - our Orthodox and Protestant brothers and sisters. See more here.

Medjugorje: "a theater of holiness." Here is a wonderful article on the fruits of Medjugorje and on the support that JPII gave it: " Pope John Paul II once powerfully observed, "Today's world has lost its sense of the supernatural, but many are searching for it - and find it in Medjugorje, through prayer, penance, and fasting. See here.

St. Joseph in Art A wonderful page with dozens and dozens of art pieces with St. Joseph or about him and the Holy Family, with pictures, with information of where they are and their authors. See here on the Oblates of St. Joseph site.

Retraite at the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur A week ago, I went to Paris and participated in a one-day retreat at the Basilica. It was wonderful! We had a conference on the theme of "The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" and it was very well anchored in Scriptures (Rev 12 and 17 and more; Jn 1:29, 19:31, Ex 12:43, Is 53:4-7, Is 43:11,12 and 22-24) and afterwards, we had a time of Lectio Divina. The conference and the (silent) lunch were held in the Maison D'Ephrem and then we would go up in the Basilica for the services. The Mass at 3pm was absolutely packed, the Benedictine Sisters have the most beautiful voices; and the Stations of the Cross, after the Mass, down in the Crypt, were very moving and attended by hundreds and hundreds of people. Do you know that Adoration has been going on at the Sacré-Cœur for 150 years? Someone is always praying the Lord, someone is always adoring the Lamb of God! I want to go back and sign up for Adoration in the middle of the night, like 3 to 4 am... Well, who knows when I'll be able to go back, it is not often that I go to Paris so I was extremely grateful to be able to participate in a one-day Retreat for a Friday of Lent. See more here on the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur web site.

For the love of the Liturgy "The centering of all history in Christ is both the liturgical transmission of that history and the expression of a new experience of time, in which past, present, and future make contact." Read these beautiful, profound and most inspiring words on the Liturgy by then-Cardinal Ratzinger here

Sin or Insanity? Salvation through Retaliation in Flannery O'Connor's "The Partridge Festival". Devoutly Catholic, Flannery O'Connor was deeply distrustful of modern psychiatric practice and in her short story "The Comforts of Home", her character Sarah Ham admits that she habitually lied because she was insecure. O'Connor's omniscient narrator then informs us that Sarah "had passed through the hands of several psychiatrists who had put the finishing touches to her education." Read more here by Stephen Sparrow.

Monday March 1st, Second Week of Lent
Help us to work with you in making all things new in Christ
- and in spreading justice and peace throughout the world.
Teach us the meaning and value of creation
- so that we may join its voice to ours as we sing your praise.
Excerpts from the Intercessions of the Morning Prayer (Liturgy of the Hours).

A beautiful place filled with prayers: The Apostle's Creed, the Sign of the Cross, the Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary, Glory Be to the Father, An Act of Faith, An Act of Hope, An Act of Contrition, the Angelus, "Come, Holy Spirit" and many more, and a very good page of LINKS here on Saint Fancis net

Psalm 1 and one photo of a very strong "tree planted near streams of water" which can be any one of us, when we seek and feast on the word of God and turn away from sin and scoffers... See Psalm 1 here

The Lord's Prayer, the "Pater Noster" in over 1600 languages! The Convent of the Pater Noster was built over the site where Jesus taught His disciples the Lord's Prayer. The walls are decorated with 140 ceramic tiles, each one inscribed with the Lord's Prayer in a different language... here .

Praise with elation, praise every morning,
God's recreation of the new day.

An excerpt from "Swimming with scapulars":
I had talked about studying marine biology at the University of Miami. I had talked about applying to NYU to study acting. Then my mother said, "We'd really like it if you went to a Catholic college, one with single-sex dorms." Boom, that was that. I didn't even squawk. Up to that point, Catholic affiliation hadn't been a determining factor. Neither had the the attempt to preserve chastity by making sure men and women slept apart. Now they became essential. I visited several schools, and ended up applying to only one - Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California.
When I had children of my own, I asked my mother how she had achieved such authority over me. "Sacrifice," was her immediate reply. "You knew we would do anything for you."

From "Swimming with scapulars" by Matthew Lickona (from the chapter: begging the sun to dance). I'm reading this book right now and I am greatly enjoying it. You can get it here on Loyola Press.com

Today - and only for today - there was a first-class relic of Saint John Vianney in the Cathedral of Christ The Light in Oakland, California. This was a terrific opportunity to offer prayers and petitions and receive blessings in the presence of the heart of a most wonderful Saint!
See more info on the global tour of the relic here
and see excerpts from his writings and meditations here on Cross Roads Initiative:
"My little children, your hearts are small, but prayer stretches them and makes them capable of loving God. Through prayer we receive a foretaste of heaven and something of paradise comes down upon us. Prayer never leaves us without sweetness. It is honey that flows into the soul and makes all things sweet. When we pray properly, sorrows disappear like snow before the sun."

Islam, Marxism and Christians; a commentary on two recent articles from Zenit news One article is about Islam & Christianity in the Middle East and asks the provocative question: Is Islam part of God's plan? and the other one is about marxism and socialism & Christianity in South America and addresses political challenges heads-on; each one of them is taking a very courageous stand and is offering the Good News in a reasonable and profound manner... Read my own commentary on these two striking articles by one Priest and one Cardinal here

Veni Sancte Spiritus! I just added a page with this very beautiful and traditional prayer to the Holy Spirit: Come Holy Spirit! in Latin, in French and in English. I even added my own translations... here

Since human beings die only once, after which comes judgement,
so Christ too, having offered himself only once to bear the sin of many,
will manifest himself a second time, sin being no more,
to those who are waiting for him, to bring them salvation.
Heb 9:27-28

Is Divorce Contagious? Scientific research coming out of Brown University studied the marriages of 12,000 people and discovered “divorce clusters” and have concluded that if a friend of yours divorces the chances of you getting a divorce increase by 75 percent. Read more here on one of the National Catholic Register blogs.

Faith doing Justice: FOUR KEY PRINCIPLES OF CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING. They are: Human dignity, The common good, Subsidiarity and Solidarity. Read them here summarized into a couple of pages here

"The Meaning Is in You" by J. P. Baumgaertner. An article on Flannery O’Connor, her faith, her writings, her life. I am a very big fan of Flannery, especially since I read her letters, which greatly helped me grasp her as a person of faith, understanding her life, her struggles, as a writer and a teacher. I have been a devoted friend ever since. This article by Professor Baumgaertner is a little gem! Read it here

The Central Value on the "Ignatian Spiritual Exercises". The Exercises presuppose a faithful Catholic. They begin with a rather sober philosophical consideration of this truth of faith: God is my beginning and end; therefore the service of God is my task, and all that is found besides God, namely, creatures, can only be a means to reach the last end; creatures are to be used only so far as they serve this end; otherwise, they must be left unused. By this consideration, which may be developed further according to the mental capacity of the exercitant, the final aim, and thus the final value and final motive are given at once: one's own bliss in the possession of God, and accordingly the objectively highest value should be transformed into subjective value and become the end of human endeavor. In fact this value was not introduced as something new, but was presupposed as existing in the living spiritual life of that time. That is why the introduction to the "Exercises" is brief. Ignatius supposes that the teaching of the home and of the Church have deeply instilled this value into the heart of the exercitant. At most, it might be somewhat hidden; therefore a brief reminder should be sufficient to lift it into complete consciousness. The training of the will, by Johann Lindworksy, SJ. (p 182)

Excerpt from "A modest proposal" by Fr. Michael Sweeney, O.P. :
Third (and this is very much an element of the Dominican tradition of debate) we must treat others respectfully. We do this by assuming that the other --even and especially if he or she is a political opponent-- is good willed. To refuse to listen attentively to another and to weigh closely what he or she has to say is an act of bigotry that precludes all possibility of political discourse. Freedom of speech is not the "right" to betray the democratic process by ridiculing or caricaturing one's opponents. Rather, it is the right to propose one's own ideas for serious consideration and to respond, respectfully, to the ideas that others propose. Much of the yellow journalism propagated in the media under the banner of free speech is, in truth, an assault against it.
Fourth, we critique ideas, not persons, and we do this with the hope (the confident expectation) that by this means both ourselves and our opponents will see farther than we did in the beginning. St. Thomas Aquinas (one of the very few true democrats in history) insisted both that we must consult with others to determine what is the best policy and that there ought to be some disagreement concerning the means of achieving what we seek. This, he maintained, was due to the fact that no one person, no matter how intelligent or wise, will be able to grasp all of the possible ramifications of a particular action. Moreover, if we disagree with someone's conclusions, then it is all the more important that we have taken his or her argument seriously. Otherwise, we will have no means of responding. Nor will we have availed ourselves of the opportunity to clarify and advance our own thought on the matter.
Read it all here here on Fr. Michael's new blog: re-visioning society - and welcome him to the blogging world, he is a terrific speaker, a very strong preacher, clever and funny too!

Excerpts from the Victory of Reason by Rodney Stark. The rise of the West was based on four primary victories of reason. The first was the development of faith in progress within Christian theology. The second victory was the way that faith in progress translated into technical and organizational innovations, many of them fostered by monastic estates. The third was that, thanks to Christian theology, reason informed both political philosophy and practice to the extend that responsive states, sustaining a substantial degree of personal freedom, appeared in medieval Europe. The final victory involved the application of reason to commerce, resulting in the development of capitalism, within the safe havens provide by responsive states. These were the victories by which the West won. Pxiii

The Christian image of God is that of a rational being who believes in human progress, more fully revealing himself as humans gain the capacity to better understand. Moreover, because God is a rational being and the universe is his personal creation, it necessarily has a rational, lawful, stable structure, awaiting increased human comprehension. This was the key to many intellectual undertakings, among them the rise of science. Science is a method utilized in organized efforts to formulate explanations of nature, always subject to modifications and corrections through systematic observations: theory and research. P 12

Moral Innovations. The blessings of a theology of reason were not confined to the sciences. From its earliest days, Christianity was equally inventive in its conceptions of human nature and in confronting issues of morality. Chief among these were propositions concerning fundamental human rights such as liberty and freedom. P 23

The Christian faith in progress. But if modernization still requires capitalism and freedom, what about Christianity? If it is now irrelevant, why is it still spreading so rapidly? The fact is that Christianity is becoming globalized far more rapidly than is democracy, capitalism, or modernity. P 234
It is a fascinating book! Swimming against the currents, against the constant voices barking at the Church. This book will make you ponder and reflect. I highly recommend it.

How the Infancy Narratives Relate to Immigrants' Stories. people would not treat the Holy Family better than most immigrants today. I think that immigrants are important to our life because we are all immigrants. That is one of the best things about America. We are not of the same origin. This is why I find it hard to believe how some people act toward immigrants... Story found here on the Houston Catholic Worker site.

Today is the Birth of John the Baptist. Was he the last Prophet or the first Saint? Was he a forerunner or a follower, or both? How can you be both? I must admit that I had never really thought before of the paradox involved in applying these various titles to John the Baptist. Even if I had heard them mentioned, I had never probed the depth of their meanings and I certainly never grasped the theological implications of these titles but, within the first few pages of Prof. Burke's book, I was intrigued, I was fascinated and I was hooked! See my review of Prof. Burke's book on "John the Baptist" here .
See a Greek Icon and prayer for the "Nativity of the Forerunner John the Baptist" here on the "Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America" site.
And a Novena of Gospel Meditations on St. John the Baptist here on "Scriptural Rosary blogspot".

But the angel said to him, "Zechariah, do not be afraid, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth is to bear you a son and you shall name him John. 14 He will be your joy and delight and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he must drink no wine, no strong drink; even from his mother's womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit". (Luke 1:13-15)

A Glimpse Into the Soul of Newman. "For him the outer world, whether in its beauty or its grandeur, was the manifold but transient garb of the one eternal Being, the voice of Him Who "worketh hitherto" [106] and had called him as well . This belief led him to the prayer "Even so, O Lord" and made him ask for the great gift of perfect obedience to God's will. We often come across passages in his works where he expresses this idea, the so-called sacramental principle. Thus meals and feasts, wine and bread, not only rejoice the heart of man and strengthen him, he said, but they mean much more: they create social feelings; they are tokens of good will and kindness; they are, he says, "of a sacramental nature". They are not an end in themselves. We do not enjoy them in solitude. They are intended to open our hearts toward each other in love"... Read more here; found on the Ignatius Insight site

John Henry Newman said: "Men, not Angels, the Priests of the Gospel". Here is one excerpt of his terrific discourse on the Priesthood. And it is very appropriate to post this today as we come to a close of the Year For Priests. "Ponder this truth well, my brethren, and let it be your comfort. Among the Preachers, among the Priests of the Gospel, there have been Apostles, there have been Martyrs, there have been Doctors;—Saints in plenty among them; yet out of them all, high as has been their sanctity, varied their graces, awful their gifts, there has not been one who did not begin with the old Adam; not one of them who was not hewn out of the same rock as the most obdurate of reprobates; not one of them who was not fashioned unto {49} honour out of the same clay which has been the material of the most polluted and vile of sinners; not one who was not by nature brother of those poor souls who have now commenced an eternal fellowship with the devil, and are lost in hell. Grace has vanquished nature; that is the whole history of the Saints. Salutary thought for those who are tempted to pride themselves in what they do, and what they are; wonderful news for those who sorrowfully recognise in their hearts the vast difference that exists between them and the Saints; and joyful news, when men hate sin, and wish to escape from its miserable yoke, yet are tempted to think it impossible!" Read more here.

Fr. Dubai has passed away: May his soul rest in peace with the Lord!
See a very good video of Fr. Dubai on The Call.
And read a moving tribute to this great priest of the Society of Mary here on Ignatius Insight.

I just finished this video of my corner of the world, the Sunset district in San Francisco.
Animoto is such a great way to make quick and fun videos.

Les deux mystères de lumière et le mystère de nuit et Saint Paul: Et ainsi, nous nous demandons à nouveau : que dit la foi, témoignée par saint Paul ? Comme premier point, elle confirme le fait de la compétition entre les deux natures, le fait de ce mal dont l’ombre pèse sur toute la création. Nous avons entendu le chapitre 7 de la Lettre aux Romains, nous pourrions ajouter le chapitre 8. Le mal existe, simplement... il existe deux mystères de lumière et un mystère de nuit, qui est toutefois enveloppé par les mystères de lumière. Le premier mystère de lumière est celui-ci : la foi nous dit qu’il n’y a pas deux principes, un bon et un mauvais, mais il y a un seul principe, le Dieu créateur, et ce principe est bon, seulement bon, sans ombre de mal. Et ainsi, l’être également n’est pas un mélange de bien et de mal ; l’être comme tel est bon et c’est pourquoi il est bon d’être, il est bon de vivre. Telle est la joyeuse annonce de la foi : il n’y a qu’une source bonne, le Créateur. Et par conséquent, vivre est un bien, c’est une bonne chose d’être un homme, une femme, la vie est bonne. S’ensuit un mystère d’obscurité, de nuit. Le mal ne vient pas de la source de l’être lui-même, il n’est pas également originel. Le mal vient d’une liberté créée, d’une liberté dont on a abusé... En lire plus ici

Je te rends grâces, O Père très Saint, pour ton Saint Nom,
Que tu as fait habiter dans mon cœur,
Et pour la connaissance, la foi et l'immortalité,
Que tu m'as révélées par Jésus ton serviteur.

Pour vivre au rythme de l'Eglise universelle. FlashPress - Infocatho ici

Le monde a été créé pour le Fils et par le Fils et c'est le Verbe Incarné qui soutient le monde… Moi, ces versets me font rêver ! Je les prend á la lettre, ils illuminent tout, ils expliquent tout, ils ouvrent toutes les portes et m'apportent l'espoir et la connaissance et la seule paix possible, une paix interieure plus douce que le sourire d'un enfant mais plus solide que la terre sous mes pieds.
J'ai rassemblé 2 ou 3 commentaires sur Saint Paul ici

Chine: La trompette de Zen et la cloche de Bertone. Deux points de vue s’opposent en ce qui concerne l'avenir de l'Eglise catholique chinoise, celui du cardinal de Hong-Kong et celui de la diplomatie vaticane. En lire plus ici sur le site Chiesa. esppresso. on line. it

Andrea Riccardi. Le patriarche de Moscou et de toutes les Russies, Sa Sainteté Kirill, a décoré Andrea Riccardi de l'Ordre de Saint Serge. En lire plus ici sur le site de La Communauté de Sant'Egidio.

Ma recette de Petits Gateaux de Savoie à la confiture de Myrtilles! Tres facile à faire et absolument delicieuse, c'est une recette du coin que j'ai un peu arrangé à ma manière
en faisant des petits gateaux ronds et en ajoutant la confiture ici.

On approche du 24 janvier: le jour de la Fête de Saint François de Sales! Un de mes saints préférés. Je me tourne vers lui bien souvent pour son intercession et je le relis toujours pour me ressourcer. Saint François de Sales : sa vie et sa spiritualité - Documentation: Une vie dédiée à l’apostolat; Un charisme de directeur spirituel; Son rayonnement spirituel; Un homme de coeur; Une spiritualité évangélique à la portée de tous; Prophète de l’Amour. Sur le site de la Société Saint François de Sales : en lire plus ici sur la spiritualité de St François de Sales

"Donner à Dieu des âmes d'oraison et si intérieures qu'elles puissent le servir en esprit et en vérité". La Visitation Sainte-Marie "Des Foyers rayonnant de la Charité du Christ: Fidèles à leur Fondateur, qui, passionné pour les âmes, les engage, dès les premières lignes du Directoire spirituel, à offrir "toute leur vie pour l'Eglise et le salut du prochain", les Visitandines s'ouvrent, dans la spécificité de leur mission, et selon les nécessités des divers pays et milieux humains, au besoin de vérité et à la soif de Dieu du monde contemporain. Depuis Vatican II, elles ont intensifié l'accueil des retraitantes individuelles (pas plus de 5 en même temps), et aiment également partager leur prière liturgique, moment privilégié de leur rayonnement apostolique." En lire plus ici sur la spiritualité de St François de Sales

Le secret de la louange, sa grâce et ses fruits. Une tres bonne reflexion sur la louange sur le site de la Communauté de l'Emmanuel: "La louange, une nécessité personnelle. On dit de certaines personnes qu'elles forcent l'admiration. À plus forte raison de Dieu ! Le connaître, c'est l'aimer. L'aimer, c'est le louer..." En lire plus ici

Marche Pour La Vie 2010: dimanche 17 janvier a Paris! J'ai des amies de San Francisco qui seront à Paris ce jour-la specialement pour participer à la Marche car nos deux villes, Paris et San Francisco, ont commencées leur Marche Pour La Vie en même temps, il y a 6 ans... Voir les details et les informations sur la Marche ici sur le site En Marche Pour La Vie.

Exercices spirituels d'Ignace de Loyola. L'origine du livre des Exercices spirituels est l'expérience de Dieu qu'Ignace de Loyola fait à l'âge de 31 ans à Manrèse, une petite bourgade proche de Barcelone. Depuis ce séjour, Ignace note régulièrement, dans un cahier, certaines choses qui peuvent être utiles à d'autres par la suite. Pendant une vingtaine d'années, Il ne cesse de reprendre et de compléter ses notes... Lire la suite ici sur le site http://www.jesuites.com/ignace/exercices1.htm

Extrait de "Poésies de A.O. Barnabooth", Valery Larbaud:
Un jour, à Kharkov, dans un quartier populaire,
(O cette Russie méridionale, où toutes les femmes
Avec leur châle blanc sur la tête, ont des airs de Madone !)
Je vis une jeune femme revenir de la fontaine...
lire la suite ici sur le site "LES CONFERENCES DU ROSEAU D'OR"

Compostelle : une Année sainte pour qui a la foi et pour qui ne l’a pas « Ouvert à la surprise et à la transcendance, le pèlerin se laisse instruire par la Parole de Dieu » Le pape encourage les prêtres de ce diocèse et des autres diocèses qui les rejoignent pour ce jubilé, ou les prêtres des diocèses du Chemin de Saint-Jacques, à se « prodiguer pour administrer les sacrements de la pénitence et de l'eucharistie puisque ce qui est le plus recherché, le plus apprécié et le plus caractéristique de l'Année sainte, c'est le pardon et la rencontre avec le Christ vivant ». En lire plus ici sur le site Zenit.

Climat : que tous les pays du monde se lient en un même combat, sous une même bannière. "inviter les habitants des pays riches à une vie plus sobre pour rétablir une justice dans la répartition des biens avec les habitants des pays pauvres. Quel chrétien peut rester insensible à ça ? Mais peut-être cherchons-nous de fausses et opportunes raisons pour justifier notre paresse et notre égoïsme..." Lire plus ici sur le blog de Patrice de Plunkett

Si tu veux construire la paix, protège la création. Quelques extraits du Message de Benoît XVI pour la Journée Mondiale de la Paix, le 1er janvier 2010. "C'est pour cette raison qu'il est indispensable que l'humanité renouvelle et renforce l'alliance entre l'être humain et l'environnement, qui doit être le miroir de l'amour créateur de Dieu, de qui nous venons et vers qui nous allons... ici

L'EPIPHANIE DE NOTRE-SEIGNEUR . La Fête de l'Epiphanie est la suite du mystère de Noël ; mais elle se présente, sur le Cycle chrétien, avec une grandeur qui lui est propre. Son nom. qui signifie Manifestation, indique assez qu'elle est destinée à honorer l'apparition d'un Dieu au milieu des hommes. Lire la suite ici

Cruel Hérode, que crains-tu de l'arrivée
d'un Dieu qui vient régner?
I1 ne ravit pas les sceptres mortels,
lui qui donne les royaumes célestes.

Les Mages s'avançaient, suivant l'étoile
qu'ils avaient vue et qui marchait devant eux :
la lumière les conduit à la Lumière ;
leurs présents proclament un Dieu.

Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger : Qu’est-ce qu’un pèlerinage ? La Parole de Dieu est notre nourriture quotidienne, pour ceux d’entre nous qui croient et prient, sans exclure pour autant ceux qui n’ont pas la foi. En disant ce que nous vivons, nous ne faisons qu’un avec eux : ils prendront durant ce pèlerinage ce que Dieu leur donnera le goût de prendre. Cette Parole, nous la méditons. lire plus ici

"la paix est le seul combat qui vaille d'être mené..." Editorial non signé, écrit par Albert Camus, publié dans Combat, 8 août 1945: Déjà, on ne respirait pas facilement dans un monde torturé. Voici qu'une angoisse nouvelle nous est proposée, qui a toutes les chances d'être définitive. On offre sans doute à l'humanité sa dernière chance. Et ce peut-être après tout le prétexte d'une édition spéciale. Mais ce devrait être plus sûrement le sujet de quelques réflexions et de beaucoup de silence. Lire plus ici

Je viens de découvrir, par l'un de leurs prêtres, Points Coeur, une ONG internationale, née en France en 1990 à l’initiative du Père Thierry de Roucy. Points-Cœur a pour mission : de former et d’envoyer de jeunes volontaires pour vivre 1 an ou 2 au cœur de quartiers particulièrement défavorisés au service des plus délaisés, tout spécialement les enfants; de répandre une « culture de compassion », qui remette l’homme au centre de toute préoccupation, non seulement dans les bidonvilles mais aussi dans le domaine des sciences, de l’économie, de l’art, de la politique... ici

Ne prenons pas la terre pour une dinde ! Comment vivre la solidarité de Noël, autrement ? Le collectif chrétien oecuménique qui anime les campagnes « vivre autrement » propose de réchauffer nos cœurs en luttant contre le réchauffement climatique. Lire la suite ici

Fugit Irreparabile Tempus Un blog de photos qui me plait beaucoup. Avec une grande finesse dans le regard, une recherche de la simplicité et une certaine bonté. Allez-y faire un tour ici

La Vérité vous libèrera. Le site Salve Regina a un grand choix de catéchismes, pour adultes et pour enfants, des textes plus anciens ou plus récents : Le Catéchisme du Concile de Trente; Le grand catéchisme de St Pie X; Compendium du Catéchisme de l'Eglise Catholique: Le catéchisme nous fait étudier en détails la doctrine catholique. On distingue habituellement trois grandes parties, le credo (ce que nous croyons), les commandements (ce que nous faisons) et les sacrements (les moyens pour y parvenir). Notre époque souffre cruellement d'un manque de formation catéchétique : ne connaissant plus les richesses de Dieu et de Sa Révélation, beaucoup de catholiques ne l'aiment plus (ils ne pratiquent plus leur religion). Alors, le remède est de se former, et de découvrir "le Christ en sa riche diversité": http://www.salve-regina.com/Catechisme/Catechisme.html

François de Sales en quelques images A l’occasion du 4ème centenaire de la fondation de l’ordre de la Visitation créé par François de Sales et Jeanne de Chantal (6 juin 1610 - 6 juin 2010), le diocèse propose aujourd’hui une série de fiches salésiennes ici sur le diocèse d'Annecy.

Combattre la torture, Abolir les exécutions capitales et Protéger les victimes, Dans le monde entier. Pour qui que ce soit. Sans distinction idéologique, ethnique ou religieuse. En toute indépendance. Voila le mandat de ACAT-France = Action des Chrétiens pour l'Abolition de la Torture ici et leur spécificité chrétienne: l’œcuménisme et la prière.

" Au risque de l'Esprit " par Pierre-Marie Soubeyrand, Prêtre a la Communauté des Béatitudes. Des amis m'ont offert ce livre ( ici ) récemment et je viens de le lire avec grand plaisir. Ce livre raconte son parcours, d'abord chez les Missionnaires d'Afrique, les Peres Blancs, ses années en mission au Liban, en Egypte, en Algérie, en Afrique du Nord, en Afrique de l'Ouest ; sa participation au mouvement du Renouveau Charismatique et son entrée dans la Communauté des Béatitudes. C'est donc un livre témoignage, avec de belles intuitions sur l'Esprit et le travail de l'Esprit Saint en nous, mais c'est aussi le récit des 30 ou même 40 dernieres années, une sorte de récapitulation du chemin parcourut après Vatican II et l'émergence des nouvelles Communautés.
" Alors que le courant ambiant portait plus vers l'immersion dans le monde, un livre lumineux allait, lui, émerger de cette confusion, apporter comme une bouffée d'oxygène et me redonner de l'altitude alors que tant de baudruches se dégonflaient et que le prêtre semblait avoir perdu non seulement ses repères mais égaré, dans ce charivari, sa propre identité….Ce livre (" Prêtres a la manière des Apôtres " du Père Manaranche, jésuite) me redonnait avec l'espérance le gout de simples choses et surtout le sens de nos choix, de nos vies. Dans la joie, un nouvel élan me fut donné, avec les encouragements du Père Manaranche que je remerciais de son livre. Non seulement l'appel au sacerdoce était alors bousculé mais celui de la mission et l'ordonnance et l'ordre des choses comme en liturgie et vie communautaire devenaient fantaisistes. Fort de ces certitudes rappellées par le jésuite, j'entrai en résistance. "…

L'Italie, sans crucifix? Impensable! Il est impossible d’évoquer la culture italienne (les deux tiers du patrimoine artistique mondial) sans l’immense fécondité artistique de l’Evangile et de la vie des saints. Impensable, l’Italie, sans saint François d’Assise et le crucifix de saint Damien (chrétien, bouddhiste, musulman ou non croyant, on vient du monde entier vénérer François, artisan de paix !) ou sans Notre-Dame de Lorette, les mosaïques de Montréal et la Pietà de Michel-Ange. Lire plus ici sur le site: Eucharistie miséricordieuse.

Pour une liste alphabétique des articles & prières sur ce site: Site Map

Lettre pour l'Europe. Un chrétien africain enregistre avec horreur le climat anti-chrétien en Europe et s’étonne de la passivité avec laquelle les chrétiens européens l’acceptent. "Les chrétiens réagissent à une vague anti-chrétienne avec une passivité totale. A cause des medias, journaux, magazines, TV et radio, les gens sont confrontés chaque jour à des idéologies que seuls un discernement clair et une foi profonde peuvent contenir". Lire plus ici sur le site L'Europe Pour Le Christ: europe4christ.net.

"L'Icône de Marie" Un tres beau site! Avec l'hymne acathiste sur leur page d'accueil, un chant merveilleux à Marie: "Rejouis-toi".

Le monde se meurt de na pas connaître l'amour de Dieu. Le monde ne sait pas que Dieu est devenu homme dans le cours de l'histoire, qu'il est devenu petit enfant, "...afin que nous puissions le trouver et que, ainsi, sa bonté nous touche aussi, qu'elle se communique à nous et continue à agir par notre intermédiaire" dit le Pape Benoît. ici avec beaucoup d'images, d'icones et une longue liste de prières.

"Si ton cœur te condamne, Dieu est plus grand que ton cœur". Je viens de lire avec grand plaisir le " Petit éloge du catholicisme " de Patrick Kéchichian. " J'écris, non par gout de l'introspection ou pour me connaître moi-même a travers le moyen que seraient la religion et la foi, mais pour rendre, si Dieu le veut, un infime part de la lumière reçue. " Patrick parle avec beaucoup de justesse de "l'unité" de l'Eglise et avec beaucoup de tendresse et de generosité de sa propre conversion et du travail accomplit en lui-même.

Hymne acathiste à la Mère de Dieu: "Réjouis-toi!" ici Finalement, j'ai créé ma propre page avec le (début) du texte de l'hymne acathiste et un éxemple de chant plus de nombreuses références et liens

Quelle belle nouvelle, pleine de courage et de charité: Une structure pour le retour à la communion plénière des Anglicans. Le document explique que Benoît XVI « a introduit une structure canonique » prévoyant « l'institution des Ordinariats personnels, qui permettra aux fidèles auparavant anglicans d'entrer dans une communion plénière avec l'Eglise catholique, tout en conservant, en même temps, des éléments de leur patrimoine spirituel et liturgique anglican ». La Constitution apostolique qui sera publiée veut ainsi apporter « une réponse raisonnable et même nécessaire à un phénomène global, en offrant un seul modèle canonique pour l'Eglise universelle, adaptable à différentes situations locales, et, dans son application universelle, équitable pour les Anglicans ». En lire plus ici sur Zenit.

Grande manifestation anti-avortement à Madrid Plus d'un million de personnes ont participé à cette mobilisation selon les organisateurs. Ils protestaient contre le projet de libéralisation de l'avortement qui permettrait d'avorter librement dans un délai de 14 semaines; ici sur le site du Figaro

Sainte Terese d'Avila, priez pour nous! Dans le Christ, l’être humain créé par Dieu à son image, est racheté ; par lui, chaque personne est appelée et attendue ; avec lui, nous sommes conduits au salut ; à son exemple, la personne se réalise moyennant l’obéissance au dessein du Père. En lire plus ici sur le site officiel: Le Carmel en France

La prière, "une ligne directe avec Dieu" MINI VIDEOS DE SAINT JOSEMARIA: Prier, c'est parler avec Dieu, comme on parle avec un ami ou un frère. Et le Seigneur ne nous fait jamais attendre : dès que nous lui parlons, il nous écoute: here

Joseph Maïla, le «M. Religion» du Quai d'Orsay Article tres interressant, tres encourageant. "Comme l'économie ou la politique, le facteur religieux entre désormais de plain-pied dans l'analyse des évolutions du monde. «Le fait religieux, commente le ministère, joue un rôle important dans les rapports entre les nations.» "Natif du Liban, Joseph Maïla, à côté d'une brillante carrière de professeur, en France où il vit depuis quarante ans, en Allemagne, au Canada, en Belgique, en Espagne et aux États-Unis, a souvent été appelé comme expert, en Afrique et au Moyen-Orient, pour débloquer des situations." En lire plus ici

LES MYSTERES DE LA JOIE Le ROSAIRE : PRESENTATION DES MYSTERES sur "Oraweb". Nous vous proposons d'alterner la lecture d'une phrase du texte et la récitation d'un " Je vous salue Marie ". Vous verrez, vous rentrerez ainsi dans la grâce profonde de chaque mystère et de chaque moment de la vie de Dieu sur terre. LES MYSTERES DE LA JOIE, LES MYSTERES DE LA DOULEUR, LES MYSTERES DE LA GLOIRE, LES MYSTERES DE LA LUMIERE: here

Saint François de Sales Je suis en train de lire: François de Sales, un Sage et un Saint" de André Ravier. C'est un livre que je recommende chaudement. Et François de Sales est un de mes saints préférés ! " Mgr Boivineau, évêque du diocèse d'Annecy a dit en 2002 : " Conseiller des Papes et des Princes, doté de grandes qualités spirituelles, pastorales et diplomatiques, François de Sales fut un homme d'unité dans une époque ou les divisions constituaient une plaie au flanc de l'Eglise. Il eut en particulier le souci de rétablir l'unité de son diocèse et de maintenir la communion dans la foi, fondant sa marche sur la confiance en Dieu, sur la charité qui peut tout, sur l'ascèse et sur la prière, car c'est ainsi, disait-il, que l'on doit vivre la règle chrétienne et que l'on se comporte vraiment en enfants de Dieu ".

Dans Les Mystères Lumineux du Rosaire : #3 La proclamation du royaume. Lecture des Ecritures Saintes: Après que Jean eut été livré, Jésus vint en Galilée, proclamant l'Évangile de Dieu et il disait: "Le temps est accompli, et le Royaume de Dieu est proche. Repentez-vous, et croyez à la bonne nouvelle." (Marc 1:14-15) Meditation: L'appel à la conversion, une conversion chaque jour renouvellèe. Que nos âmes soient toujours tendues vers le royaume, même si chaque jour nous amène bien des tournants, comme une boussole tend toujours vers le vrai nord, même si on la tourne et la retourne en tout sens.

Le pape "repense" le célibat du clergé pour le renforcer. C'est, dit-il, le signe que Dieu existe et qu'il y a des gens qui se laissent gagner par la passion pour lui. C'est pour cette raison que ce célibat constitue un grand scandale et que l'on veut le faire disparaître. La transcription intégrale de la dernière intervention de Benoît XVI à ce sujet. Et d'un étonnant discours antérieur, qu'il avait prononcé en 2006; par Sandro Magister
Le pape Benoit XVI a dit: "Le véritable fondement du célibat ne peut être contenu que dans la phrase : 'Dominus pars' - Tu es ma terre. Il ne peut être que théocentrique. Il ne peut signifier être privés d'amour, mais il doit signifier se laisser gagner par la passion pour Dieu et apprendre ensuite, grâce à une présence plus intime à ses côtés, à servir également les hommes. "Le célibat doit être un témoignage de foi : la foi en Dieu devient concrète dans cette forme de vie qui n'a de sens qu'à partir de Dieu. Placer ma vie en Lui, en renonçant au mariage et à la famille, signifie que j'accueille et que je fais l'expérience de Dieu comme réalité et que je peux donc l'apporter aux hommes.
Lire la suite ici sur le site Chiesa Expresso.

« Que rien ne te trouble
Que rien ne t’épouvante
Tout passe
Dieu ne change pas.
La patience triomphe de tout
Celui qui possède Dieu
Ne manque de rien
Dieu seul suffit ! »
Thérèse d’Avila

Benoit XVI : il est urgent de résoudre les tensions au Moyen Orient, avant de plus grandes tragédies. "Le Moyen-Orient occupe une place particulière dans le cœur de tous les Chrétiens, puisque c'est là que Dieu s'est fait connaître pour la première fois à nos pères dans la foi". Depuis Chypre Benoit XVI a lancé un vibrant appel à la paix, en s'addressant aux Chrétiens: "Vous contribuez d'innombrables manières au bien commun, par exemple par l'éducation, le soin des malades et l'assistance sociale, et vous travaillez à la construction de la société. Vous désirez vivre en paix et en harmonie avec vos voisins juifs et musulmans. Souvent, vous agissez en artisans de paix dans le difficile processus de conciliation. Vous méritez la reconnaissance pour le rôle inestimable que vous remplissez. C'est mon sérieux espoir que tous vos droits soient de plus en plus respectés, y compris le droit à la liberté de culte et à la liberté religieuse, et que vous ne souffriez plus jamais de discrimination d'aucune sorte". Lire l'article sur le site de L'Evangile de la Vie.

Saint Ephrem. Un diacre du IIième siecle, un docteur de l'Eglise, un defendeur de la foi contre les hérétiques, un saint homme, humble et courageux et devoué, un musicien qui a composé beaucoup de chants, qui a écrit inlassablement pour nous aider à comprendre la Bonne Nouvelle. La prière de Saint Ephrem, en français et en anglais ici

Une crise de l’engagement en général... "je puis assurer que les partis mais aussi les clubs sportifs ou autres rencontrent les mêmes difficultés quant au recrutement des militants, des bénévoles, des sympathisants actifs. Nous avons à faire face, tous, à la montée de l’individualisme et du « chacun pour soi » qui règnent en maître". Lire la suite ici sur le blog: "Vies de prêtres " de La Croix.
Moi, je trouve qu'il a bien raison, que c'est un phénomène courant à notre époque, dans les pays riches occidentaux, et que cette difficulté à s'engager est aussi constatée en face du mariage (l'engagement à l'autre) ou bien envers le patriotisme (l'engagement envers son pays). Mais, plutôt que de blâmer seulement l'individualisme, je crois, moi, que c'est aussi le résultat d'un monde avec une surabondance de "choix", une sorte de saturation de libertés et de possibilités qui engendrent, par réaction, l'ennui ou la confusion, ou bien une certaine timidité et même la peur. C'est pourquoi l'engagement d'un prêtre finit par apparaître, de nos jours, comme de l'héroïsme ! Ce qui est très bien car ils font preuve effectivement de beaucoup de courage et de détermination, de sacrifice et d'endurance pour marcher ainsi à contre-courant.

GAZA Des organisations chrétiennes plaident pour " une solution politique durable " Le besoin de sécurité du peuple israélien est légitime mais il est impossible de penser pouvoir régler un problème politique et assurer une sécurité en prenant en otage tout un peuple... En lire plus ici sur le site de La Croix.

Faire la paix : un important accord pour la paix et la réconciliation en Guinée Conakry a été obtenu aujourd'hui avec la signature à Sant'Egidio de " L'Appel de Rome pou l'avenir de la Guinée ". Avec ces élections, la Guinée a la possibilité de clore une longue période d'instalibité politique et de s'ouvrir à un avenir démocratique et pacifique. C'est pour cela que, accueillis par la Communauté de Sant'Egidio, les représentants du Conseil national de la transition de Guinée Conakry, du Conseil des forces vives, du Conseil économique et social, de l'Alliance nationale pour le renouveau et du Bloc des forces patriotiques de Guinée, se sont réunis et ont signé l'accord… En lire plus ici sur le site de Sant Egidio.

L'apocalypse:
Ap 21:5- Alors, Celui qui siège sur le trône déclara : "Voici, je fais l'univers nouveau." Puis il ajouta: "Écris : Ces paroles sont certaines et vraies."
Ap 21:6- " C'en est fait, me dit-il encore, je suis l'Alpha et l'Oméga, le Principe et la Fin ; celui qui a soif, moi, je lui donnerai de la source de vie, gratuitement".
Lisez le chapitre en entier ici

Comment lire l'Apocalypse de Saint Jean? Comme un message d'espérance pour nos temps troublés, un message de confiance dans le Christ victorieux. Chacun de nous doit s'éprouver soi-même avant d'aborder la parole de l'Apocalypse. S'il y discerne la parole nourrissante de l'amour de Dieu, il en recevra une grand bénédiction. S'il n'y voit que malédiction, il sera frustré et restera sur sa faim ! Comment jugerait-on quelqu'un qui, prenant une lettre d'amour ne lui étant pas destinée, en ferait un commentaire? Mieux que la missa solemnis de Beethoven, l'apocalypse " vient du cœur pour aller au cœur ". Elle ne peut être l'objet d'une étude intellectuelle que dans la mesure ou l'intelligence devient chemin conduisant au cœur. Il faut, pour la recevoir, être à l'intérieur de la foi, adhérer à cette parole d'amour de Dieu. Le livre de Saint Jean nous décrit un séisme qui dépasse toute imagination. Il ne s'agit ni de tremblement de terre, ni de tremblement cosmique, mais bien d'un tremblement affectant la création toute entière. Tremblement d'amplitude maximale sur l'échelle du non-amour (rupture d'alliance), sur l'échelle de l'amour (alliance renouée). Mystère de la Rédemption. Déstructuration mystérieuse de la création d'un coté, restructuration aussi mystérieuse de la même création de l'autre. De ces deux épicentres se propagent des cercles concentriques qui se heurtent, s'entrechoquent ou se mêlent, nous disant l'histoire du monde et l'issue de ce combat primordiale. On y entre par la victoire du Christ, on parcourt toutes les luttes de l'histoire et l'on en sort par la victoire de l'humanité unie au Christ comme les membres à la tète. Il nous crie l'espérance et nous décrit la victoire éternelle de l'homme-Dieu : Jésus-Christ, et la victoire finale de la création dans son unité avec Lui. Il a fait de l'humanité son " corps ". Le combat, commencé au ciel par la rébellion se termine au ciel, par la communion d'alliance. (Extrait de L'Apocalypse : espérance pour l'an deux mille du Père Maurice Rambourg).

Une tres jolie diaporama sur la Haute-Savoie: decouvrir une terre
ou il fait bon prendre son temps et s'emerveiller,
trouvée sur le site du diocèse d'Annecy ici

De l'esprit de silence... En parlant par charité pour les autres ou par nécessité et non pour sa satisfaction personnelle. Ils/elles parleront de ce qui intéressent leur interlocuteur, ce qui suppose de faire l'effort de le découvrir bien sûr. Et cela entraîne bien sûr une conséquence: dans ce cas cela nous force à dire la vérité de coeur comme de bouche et une vie claire et transparente à tous les yeux (y compris ceux du coeur). Ne faut-il pas en effet s'efforcer de faire régner l'ordre à l'intérieur de nous même pour pouvoir ouvrir les portes et les fenêtres et faire enfin éclater la vérité ? Lire la suite ici
sur "Sancta Regula" La Règle de Saint Benoît, un trésor à découvrir et à vivre.

Bioéthique: la dimension sociale, morale et politique de la contraception. L'« indice de destruction embryonnaire »... pour 4 millions d'utilisatrices en France, par exemple (1990) cela représenterait un nombre d'environ 300.000 embryons éliminés par an. On est pratiquement passé directement d'une élaboration pharmacologique de la future pilule combinée à une utilisation clinique, et c'est a posteriori que l'on s'est aperçu des complications les plus graves de la pilule — en particulier thrombo-emboliques. La gravité et la fréquence de ces complications auraient fait retirer du marché tout autre produit. Si l'on a tu le lien pourtant clair entre cancer du sein et contraception orale, si l'on a passé sous silence les morts par accidents thromboemboliques liés à la contraception, si l'on a oublié de mentionner la gravité des infections pelviennes liées au dispositif intra-utérin, il n'est pas surprenant que l'on ne se soit guère préoccupé, aussi, de la possibilité de l'élimination des embryons, dans le cours des contraceptions. .... Lire la suite ici sur "Décryptage".

Si Jésus Christ est "le chemin" qui conduit au Père, l'Esprit Saint, disaient les Pères de l'Eglise, est "le guide sur le chemin".
Père Cantalamessa: Tous ceux qu'anime l'esprit de dieu sont fils de Dieu.
1. Une ère de l'Esprit Saint?
2. L'Esprit comme guide dans l'Ecriture.
3. L'Esprit guide à travers la conscience.
4. L'Esprit guide à travers le magistère de l'Eglise.
5. Le discernement dans la vie personnelle.
Lire la suite de ce tres beau sermon sur l'Esprit ici sur le blog: http://gabriellaroma.unblog.fr/

Un beau coquelicot en Ardèche.

L'articulation chrétienne du divin sur l'humain n'est pas étrangère à la naissance de la théologie car la révélation du christianisme ne porte pas d'abord sur un texte ou sur une loi (Moise ou Mahomet) ; elle est centrée sur un homme, Jésus, reconnu comme fils de Dieu, un homme que le prologue de Jean présente comme le Logos fait chair … Par cette affinité avec le Logos et par cette distance entre un texte et un Dieu fait homme, qui libérait les croyants d'une fascination exclusive pour la lettre des Ecritures, le christianisme non seulement reconnut la consistance propre du monde humain, puisque Dieu pouvait y habiter, mais ouvrit aussi l'espace pour une interrogation rationnelle sur le sens d'une Parole annoncée par les Ecritures. (Avant-propos, La Théologie, par Thierry Bedouelle)

Le pèlerinage diocésain vers Ars était merveilleux! Je suis tres reconnaissante d'avoir pu y participer. Le voyage en car, les rencontres et les discussions, les enseignements, la marche elle-même de Savigneux à Ars, le grand rassemblement à Ars, la visite du village, et finalement la messe de deux heures en plein air avec des centaines de prêtres, une dizaine d'évèques et des milliers de pèlerins. C'etait vraiment un moment special de grâce et de reflexions et j'ai mis quelques photos ici .

Je vais a Ars samedi 8 mai! Je participe au pèlerinage diocésain vers Ars. "Demandez et vous recevrez: des Prêtres!" Je ne suis encore jamais allée a Ars et il se trouve que le curé d'Ars est un de mes Saints préférés. Je suis enchantée a l'idée de ce pèlerinage. Voir plus de détails pour la journée ici trouvée sur le site du diocèse d'Annecy. ou bien voir la bande annonce ici sur dailymotion.
Seigneur dans ton amour pour ton peuple,
tu as voulu le guider par des pasteurs ;
Que ton Esprit suscite aujourd’hui dans ton Eglise les prêtres dont le monde a besoin,
pour servir à la prière et à l’Eucharistie, et pour annoncer l’Evangile du Christ.
Lui qui règne avec toi et le Saint Esprit, maintenant et pour les siècles des siècles. Amen.

Rencontre avec François CASSINGENA-TREVEDY. "Vous êtes l'un de nos meilleurs connaisseurs d'Ephrem le Syrien dont vous assurez l'édition et la traduction des œuvres pour les Sources Chrétiennes. Vous avez été aussi en 2006 la cheville ouvrière du colloque qui s'est tenu à l'abbaye de Ligugé à l'occasion du XVIIe centenaire de la naissance du Maître syrien..." En lire plus ici sur le site Caritas Patrum.

Vois, je fais un monde nouveau! C'est toi, Seigneur, qui aux origines fondas la terre, et les cieux sont l'ouvrage de tes mains. Eux périront, mais toi tu demeures, et tous ils vieilliront comme un vêtement. Comme un manteau tu les rouleras, comme un vêtement, et ils seront changés. Mais toi, tu es le même et tes années ne s'achèveront point. Le debut du Chapitre 21 de l'Apocalypse et quelques photos ici .

Ta voix, ô Seigneur,
a détruit la mort.
Ta puissance guérit les malades,
ta parole ramène les morts à la vie
et Lazare est la prémisse de notre salut.
Béni sois-tu, Seigneur, ami des hommes, aie pitié de nous.

Voir la priere en entier sur le site de Comunità di Sant'Egidio ici

"Tout pour la gloire de Dieu"

Russie, un spectaculaire retour du religieux: la défaite de l'athéisme communiste est définitivement consommée. L'article est intéressant mais je ne sais pas si l'auteur est lui-même croyant? Toujours est-il qu'il démontre une certaine "tiédeur" envers son sujet... Pourtant, c'est un sujet fascinant: trois générations subissent une avalanche constante de propagande athée et de matraquage communiste et, une fois le mur tombé, le religieux, la foi et la dévotion reviennent au galop ? Quelle douce ironie ! Lire l'article ici sur Largeur.com.

Un livre sur l'amitié et "le lien profond unissant quelques grandes figures du christianisme". Jacqueline Kelen : « Toute amitié est le fruit de la grâce ». Écrivain et essayiste, spécialiste des mythes de la tradition occidentale, elle vient de publier "Les amitiés célestes". Cet interview trouvé sur le site de Pelerin me donne envie de lire le livre de Jacqueline ici .

Pour ce pape tout est grâce, même "les attaques du monde contre nos péchés" Résister à la "dictature du conformisme". Mais aussi "faire pénitence, reconnaître ce qui est erroné, s'ouvrir au pardon, se laisser transformer".

Choisissons une seconde phrase de la première lecture : saint Pierre dit que Dieu a exalté le Christ à sa droite comme chef et sauveur. Chef est la traduction du mot grec archegos, qui implique une vision beaucoup dynamique : l’archegos est celui qui montre le chemin, qui précède, c’est un mouvement, un mouvement vers le haut. Dieu l’a exalté à sa droite - donc parler du Christ comme d’un archegos signifie que le Christ marche devant nous, qu’il nous précède, qu’il nous montre le chemin. Et être en communion avec le Christ, c’est être en chemin, monter avec le Christ, à sa suite, c’est aller vers le haut, c’est suivre l'archegos, celui qui est déjà passé, qui nous précède et qui nous montre le chemin.

Arrêtons-nous encore sur un verset : le Christ, le Sauveur, a accordé à Israël la conversion et le pardon des péchés - dans le texte grec le mot est metanoia – il a accordé la pénitence et le pardon des péchés. C’est pour moi un point très important : la pénitence est une grâce. Il y a dans l’exégèse une tendance consistant à dire que Jésus, en Galilée, aurait annoncé une grâce sans condition, absolument inconditionnée, et donc sans pénitence, une grâce en tant que telle, sans présupposés humains. Mais c’est une interprétation fausse de la grâce. La pénitence est grâce ; le fait que nous reconnaissions notre péché est une grâce, le fait que nous sachions que nous avons besoin d’un renouvellement, d’un changement, d’une transformation de notre être est une grâce. La pénitence, le pouvoir de faire pénitence, est le don de la grâce. Je dois dire que nous chrétiens, même ces derniers temps, nous avons souvent évité le mot pénitence, qui nous paraissait trop dur. Maintenant, sous les attaques du monde qui nous parlent de nos péchés, nous voyons que pouvoir faire pénitence est une grâce. Nous voyons qu’il est nécessaire de faire pénitence, c’est-à-dire de reconnaître ce qui est erroné dans notre vie, de nous ouvrir au pardon, de nous préparer au pardon, de nous laisser transformer. La souffrance de la pénitence, c’est-à-dire de la purification et de la transformation, cette souffrance est une grâce, parce qu’elle est renouvellement, parce qu’elle est œuvre de la miséricorde divine.
Lire le texte en entier ici sur Chiesa on line.

Fidélité au Pape Il est bon de relire ces textes, surtout en pleine tempête... Qu'ils nous inspirent les mots justes pour defendre notre chef. Cette exhortation à l'unité jaillit constamment des lèvres de Jésus-Christ, parce que tout royaume divisé contre lui–même court à la ruine. En lire plus ici .

Je suis une fan du Père Cantalamesa et de René Girard et ce vendredi Saint dernier, j'étais comblée! Lire le sermon sur la religion et la violence au coeur de l'homme et sur le sacrifice du fils de Dieu et ses conséquences pour nous: La mort du Christ est la source de deux réalisations du sacerdoce : ministérielle, celle des évêques et des prêtres, et universelle, celle de l'ensemble des fidèles. En effet, cette dernière aussi se fonde sur le sacrifice du Christ qui, dit l'Apocalypse, " nous aime et nous a lavés de nos péchés par son sang, et a fait de nous une Royauté de Prêtres, pour son Dieu et Père " (Ap 1, 5-6). C'est pourquoi, il est vital de comprendre la nature du sacrifice et du sacerdoce du Christ... ici

Joyeuses Paques a tous! O God, through your only-begotten Son who defeated death, you have opened for us today a path to eternal life. Grant that as we celebrate the solemnity of the Lord’s resurrection, we may be renewed by your Spirit and rise again in the light of a new life.
A blessed Easter to all!

L'Abbaye de Sainte-Anne de Kergonan Nous sommes des moines bénédictins et nous vivons selon la Règle de saint Benoît (480-547). Notre devise : « Ora et labora ; prie et travaille », nous invite à louer le Seigneur et à travailler au cœur d'une vie fraternelle. L'accueil est également une part importante de notre ministère. En lire plus ici sur leur site.

La rencontre de Gladys et Carolina "Elle poireaute devant la Coop, tendant la main aux passants. Elle a l’air frigorifiée et désespérée. Il fait si froid en ce lundi d'hiver! Je fouille dans ma poche ..." Lisez le reste ici. C'est un bel exemple des voies mysterieuses du Seigneur.

Le Monastère Invisible Pour que la pastorale des vocations soit féconde, elle doit absolument être soutenue par la prière : c’est le rôle du Monastère invisible. Une grande communauté "virtuelle" qui offre quotidiennement sa prière pour les vocations. Lisez le reste ici sur "cette grande communauté formée de membres du peuple de Dieu, enfants, jeunes, adultes, aînés, et tout spécialement les handicapés, les isolés, les malades, les souffrants. unie dans la prière quotidienne et l’offrande de sa vie soutenue par la louange ininterrompue des moines et des moniales".

La Bible, une "référence" pour un tiers des jeunes "La Bible est vendue à près de 300.000 exemplaires chaque année en France..." Lire le reste de cet article ici sur le site du Figaro

Un tres bon article du guide Paul Bonhomme sur l'alpinisme et l'ethique et la pratique en montagne : "En privilégiant depuis de nombreuses années déjà le fait de faire de la montagne, de faire un temps, un exploit, un "8000", un "4000", nous avons oublié le simple fait d'être en montagne, de la vivre et non de la consommer... En lire plus ici " L'hérésie majeure de la morale occidentale et la source de beaucoup de nos tracas et névroses me semble être cette manie de privilégier le Faire sur l'Etre." Nicolas Bouvier

La liturgie des heures : une école de prière. "Par la louange des Heures offerte à Dieu, l’Église s’associe au divin chant de louange chanté de toute éternité dans les cieux ; en même temps, elle perçoit un avant-goût de la louange céleste". Quelle étonnante et magnifique attitude que celle du chrétien, priant avec la Prière de l’Église, qui rend à Dieu ce qu’il a reçu de lui ! La Prière de l’Église est assurément la prière de tous les chrétiens ; et l’Église, en bonne mère, nous y initie. En lire plus ici sur le Portail de la Liturgie Catholique.

Chaque mois, le Pape propose aux fidèles catholiques des intentions de prière pour l'Eglise universelle FÉVRIER 2010 Intentions Générales : Les hommes de science. Pour tous les hommes de science et les hommes de culture, pour qu’à travers la recherche sincère de la vérité, ils puissent parvenir à la connaissance de l’unique vrai Dieu.

Passer à l'offensive Si l’on avait le loisir d’expliquer aux Français la réalité de l’avortement et ses conséquences, nul doute qu’une large majorité basculerait dans l’opposition à ce que le concile Vatican II a qualifié de « crime abominable » . Car s’il est un sujet totalement tabou dans les médias, c’est bien la remise en cause de l’avortement. Lire l'article de Christophe Geffroy, Directeur de La Nef ici

PRIER LA NUIT. Que nos moments d'éveil la nuit soient causés par la maladie, ou une insomnie passagère, ou bien les soucis quotidiens ou le rétrécissement de notre temps de sommeil en vieillissant, on peut tres bien utiliser ces moments pour la prière. Moi, j'avoue que je fais souvent des chapelets vers 2 h. du matin et que je les offre pour les autres, pour la famille, les amis, les voisins, le monde entier! En lire plus ici sur ORAWEB avec de belles prières et des images.

Un site sur l'art roman avec beaucoup de ressources, d'information et de liens. A ne pas manquer: ici

Chemin de croix contemporain de l'Eglise de Beauraing (Belgique) Le Carême va bientot commencer! Et voici un site qui va nous aider a prier: "Prier à partir d'une oeuvre d'art" grace a Notre Dame du Web - Centre spirituel ignatien sur internet ici

Présentation du projet de 4 Scouts de France pour aider un orphelinat en Inde il y a quelques années Leur voyage, leur bonne volonté, les photos, l'aide apportée, le chantier etc... C'est quand même merveilleux ce qu'ils ont fait. lire l'article ici.

La philosophie, la loi, la foi, la théologie. Clément d'Alexandrie put écrire: "Avant la venue du Seigneur, la philosophie était indispensable aux Grecs pour les conduire à la justice. Elle faisait leur éducation, comme la Loi celle des Juifs, pour aller au Christ. La philosophie est un travail préparatoire, elle ouvre la route à celui que le Christ rend ensuite parfait ". (La Théologie, de Thierry Bedouelle )

PRIER LA NUIT Une tres belle page d'inspiration, de méditations et d'images sur Oraweb. "faire défiler les textes que nous avons préparés pour vous et que nous actualisons régulièrement; vous verrez, petit à petit une paix viendra dans votre coeur" ici

Le Penalty - Foot Education: un lieu de formation et de réinsertion pour des jeunes. Bertrand Cherrier, éducateur sportif diplômé et prêtre de la Congrégation des Sacrés-Cœurs de Jésus et de Marie (dite de Picpus), est depuis trois ans directeur du "Penalty". Cette structure propose à des jeunes une réinsertion dans le monde professionnel par le biais du football. L'intuition de départ vient d'un constat: la pratique du football est un lieu de reconnaissance et de socialisation pour des jeunes en difficultés. ici

Le 24 juin: Nativité de Saint Jean-Baptiste. Maintenant encore l’Eglise célèbre cette naissance ; elle ne célèbre que trois naissances, celle du Fils de Dieu, celle de sa mère et celle-ci ; elle sait « que pour l’homme le jour de la mort est meilleur que celui de sa naissance », et que toute naissance humaine est accompagnée de tristesse. C’est pourquoi elle célèbre la mort des martyrs qu’elle appelle leur naissance, car ils naissent vraiment à la vie quand ils se dépouillent de la vie pour le Christ. Mais cette naissance de Jean, l’Eglise la célèbre avec assurance sur la parole si expresse de l’Ange (saint Pierre Damien : sermon XXIII, sur la nativité de saint Jean-Baptiste. En lire plus ici sur le site du Calendrier Liturgique
Voir une Icône grecque traditionnelle ici

John Henry Newman (1801-1890) est l’un des grands penseurs chrétiens et l’un des grands maîtres et guides spirituels des temps modernes. Passionné par la découverte des Pères de l’Église, il s’interroge sur les fondements de l’Église. Il devient le chef de file d’un mouvement de renouveau théologique, liturgique et spirituel de l’anglicanisme, connu sous le nom de « Mouvement d’Oxford ». Sa conviction grandissante que l’Église catholique romaine est le véritable successeur de l’« Église des Pères » le conduit, au prix d’énormes sacrifices personnels mais sans rupture sur le plan intellectuel, à quitter l’Église anglicane en 1845 pour rallier l’Église catholique. En 1848, il fonde l’Oratoire de saint Philippe Neri en Angleterre. En lire plus ici sur le site de l'Association Française des Amis de Newman.

"L'apprenti sorcier". Une remarque pertinente sur les dangers et les tentations constantes.... ici sur le blog de Ren'...

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