28 February 2015
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord, for the many ways You answer prayer and for the little glimpses You allow us to have into the process.
Msgr. Pope on Becoming the Beatitudes
"In the Beatitudes, and indeed in the whole Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-8), the Lord is painting a picture of the transformed human person. The Sermon on the Mount is the Lord's great moral treatise. But it is not to be understood so much as a list of things to do (out of our own fleshly power) but as gifts to receive from God's grace. This is what happens to the human person in whom the Lord lives this life through the Holy Spirit."
In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on how the Beatitudes build on one another and lead us deeper into the spiritual life.
To access Msgr. Pope’s complete post, please visit:
Msgr. Charles Pope: Becoming the Beatitudes – A Lenten Meditation on the Gift of the Life Jesus Died to Give Us (22 FEB 15)
In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on how the Beatitudes build on one another and lead us deeper into the spiritual life.
To access Msgr. Pope’s complete post, please visit:
Msgr. Charles Pope: Becoming the Beatitudes – A Lenten Meditation on the Gift of the Life Jesus Died to Give Us (22 FEB 15)
Reflection Starter from John Wooden
"If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have the time to do it over?" - John Wooden (1910-2010), noted American basketball coach
Background information:
Coach John Wooden
Bill Walton: Wooden Tribute
Wikipedia: John Wooden
Background information:
Coach John Wooden
Bill Walton: Wooden Tribute
Wikipedia: John Wooden
27 February 2015
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord, for the many ways in which You touch our hearts as we pray the Stations of the Cross.
On Praying the Stations of the Cross During Lent
"The Stations of the Cross are an ancient tradition in the Catholic Church going back to the fourth century when Christians went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
"Like many of our Catholic traditions, the Stations of the Cross can be rich, deep, and meaningful, but at the same time we can lose sight of their significance and how to relate them to our everyday lives."
In a recent commentary, Kevin Cotter (an active officer in FOCUS – the Fellowship of Catholic University Students) offered a number of reasons for praying the Stations of the Cross during Lent.
To access Kevin's complete post, please visit:
FOCUS Blog: Why Pray the Stations of the Cross? 8 Reasons from Pope Francis (25 FEB 15)
"Like many of our Catholic traditions, the Stations of the Cross can be rich, deep, and meaningful, but at the same time we can lose sight of their significance and how to relate them to our everyday lives."
In a recent commentary, Kevin Cotter (an active officer in FOCUS – the Fellowship of Catholic University Students) offered a number of reasons for praying the Stations of the Cross during Lent.
To access Kevin's complete post, please visit:
FOCUS Blog: Why Pray the Stations of the Cross? 8 Reasons from Pope Francis (25 FEB 15)
Reflection Starter from William Arthur Ward
"Three gifts we each can give today: a cheerful smile, an encouraging word, and a helping hand." - William Arthur Ward
26 February 2015
On the Color of Medieval Cathedrals
"For being the 'dark ages,' medieval Europeans were sure able to produce some of the world's most beautiful and intricate buildings ever made.
"It turns out they were even more beautiful than we knew."
A recent ChurchPOP post offers a look at how the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Amiens, France, looked before the effects of age bleached its colors.
To access this post, please visit:
ChurchPOP: Wow! Medieval Cathedrals Used to Be Full of Brilliant Colors (23 FEB 15)
"It turns out they were even more beautiful than we knew."
A recent ChurchPOP post offers a look at how the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Amiens, France, looked before the effects of age bleached its colors.
To access this post, please visit:
ChurchPOP: Wow! Medieval Cathedrals Used to Be Full of Brilliant Colors (23 FEB 15)
Reflection Starter from Psalm 138
"On the day I cried out, you answered; you strengthened my spirit." - Psalm 138:3
25 February 2015
Msgr. Pope on Choice and Consequences
"The themes of early Lent are pretty basic. The ashes of Ash Wednesday announce the simple truth that we are going to die and thereafter face judgment. Hence, we need to repent and come to believe the good news that only Jesus can save us.
"Another early reading from Thursday after Ash Wednesday featured Moses laying out the basic reality that all of us have a choice to make. He says to us,
Today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and doom …
I call heaven and earth today to witness against you:
I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse (Dt 30:15, 20).
"So there it is, our choice: life or death, prosperity or doom. An old Latin expression says, Tertium non datur (no third way is given). We often like to think that we can plow some middle path. But in the matter of the last things, there is no middle path, no third way. Either we choose God and His kingdom, reflecting that choice in all of our smaller decisions, or we do not."
In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the important choice we must make as we live our lives and on the consequences of this choice.
To access Msgr. Pope's complete post, please visit:
Msgr. Charles Pope: Choice and Consequences (23 FEB 15)
"Another early reading from Thursday after Ash Wednesday featured Moses laying out the basic reality that all of us have a choice to make. He says to us,
Today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and doom …
I call heaven and earth today to witness against you:
I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse (Dt 30:15, 20).
"So there it is, our choice: life or death, prosperity or doom. An old Latin expression says, Tertium non datur (no third way is given). We often like to think that we can plow some middle path. But in the matter of the last things, there is no middle path, no third way. Either we choose God and His kingdom, reflecting that choice in all of our smaller decisions, or we do not."
In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the important choice we must make as we live our lives and on the consequences of this choice.
To access Msgr. Pope's complete post, please visit:
Msgr. Charles Pope: Choice and Consequences (23 FEB 15)
Reflection Starter from Psalm 51
"A clean heart create for me, God;renew within me a steadfast spirit." - Psalm 51:12
24 February 2015
Pope Francis: Lent, time for spiritual battle against evil
"Lent, the liturgical time that refers to the forty days Jesus spent in the desert after his baptism in the river Jordan, was the subject of the Pope's reflection before this past Sunday's Angelus prayer with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.
On the first Sunday of Lent, Francis explained that during these forty days of solitude in which Jesus prepared himself to announce the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, he "faces Satan 'body to body', he unmasks his temptations and is victorious. And in Him we all win, but it is up to us to protect this victory in our daily life."
"The Church reminds us of this mystery at the beginning of every Lenten period," he continued, "because it gives us the prospect and the meaning of this time, which is a time of combat - during Lent one must fight - a time of spiritual combat against the spirit of evil. And while we cross the Lenten 'desert', we keep our gaze fixed upon Easter, the definitive victory of Jesus against the Evil One, against sin and against death. This, then, is the meaning of this first Sunday of Lent: placing ourselves on the path of Christ, the road that leads to life."
"And this, Jesus' path, passes through the desert, . . . the place where both the voice of God and the voice of the Tempter can be heard. Amid noise and confusion; only superficial voices can be heard. Instead, in the desert we are able to descend to the depths, where our destiny is truly played out, life or death. And how do we hear the voice of God? We hear it in His Word. This is why it is important to know the Scripture, as otherwise we do not know how to respond to the deceptions of the Evil One. . . . Always keep a copy of the Gospel to hand. The Lenten desert helps us to say no to worldliness, to 'idols'; it helps us to make courageous decisions consistent with the Gospel and to strengthen solidarity with our brothers."
"Therefore, let us enter into the desert without fear, because we are not alone; we are with Jesus, with the Father and with the Holy Spirit," added the Holy Father. "Lent is an auspicious time to lead us to be increasingly aware of how much the Holy Spirit, received in baptism, has worked and can work in us. At the end of the Lenten itinerary, on the Easter Vigil, we are able to renew the baptismal alliance and the duties that derive from this with greater awareness."
(from Vatican Information Service)
On the first Sunday of Lent, Francis explained that during these forty days of solitude in which Jesus prepared himself to announce the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, he "faces Satan 'body to body', he unmasks his temptations and is victorious. And in Him we all win, but it is up to us to protect this victory in our daily life."
"The Church reminds us of this mystery at the beginning of every Lenten period," he continued, "because it gives us the prospect and the meaning of this time, which is a time of combat - during Lent one must fight - a time of spiritual combat against the spirit of evil. And while we cross the Lenten 'desert', we keep our gaze fixed upon Easter, the definitive victory of Jesus against the Evil One, against sin and against death. This, then, is the meaning of this first Sunday of Lent: placing ourselves on the path of Christ, the road that leads to life."
"And this, Jesus' path, passes through the desert, . . . the place where both the voice of God and the voice of the Tempter can be heard. Amid noise and confusion; only superficial voices can be heard. Instead, in the desert we are able to descend to the depths, where our destiny is truly played out, life or death. And how do we hear the voice of God? We hear it in His Word. This is why it is important to know the Scripture, as otherwise we do not know how to respond to the deceptions of the Evil One. . . . Always keep a copy of the Gospel to hand. The Lenten desert helps us to say no to worldliness, to 'idols'; it helps us to make courageous decisions consistent with the Gospel and to strengthen solidarity with our brothers."
"Therefore, let us enter into the desert without fear, because we are not alone; we are with Jesus, with the Father and with the Holy Spirit," added the Holy Father. "Lent is an auspicious time to lead us to be increasingly aware of how much the Holy Spirit, received in baptism, has worked and can work in us. At the end of the Lenten itinerary, on the Easter Vigil, we are able to renew the baptismal alliance and the duties that derive from this with greater awareness."
(from Vatican Information Service)
Reflection Starter from St. Francis de Sales
"Certainly nothing can so effectively humble us before God's mercy as the multitude of His benefits, and nothing can so deeply humble us before His justice as the great number of our sins. Let us consider often what He has done for us and what we have done against Him. As we reflect on our sins one by one, let us also consider His graces one by one. There is no need to fear that knowledge of His gifts will make us proud, if only we remember this truth, they are from Him and not from ourselves. A lively consideration of graces received makes us humble, because knowledge of them begets gratitude for them." - Saint Francis de Sales
23 February 2015
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord, for Your kind and loving Providence and for the many ways in which it works in our lives.
Lincoln’s Thoughts of Reconciliation and Hope
He is the man generally recognized as our greatest president, and when he sat down to write out his thoughts for his second inaugural - during the closing days of February, 1865, exactly 150 years ago this month - events would follow with dizzying speed. It was just five weeks later that Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army, ending the country's Civil War, and only a week after that that Abraham Lincoln, the president himself, was assassinated.
Now those anniversaries provide a special time to read in full the address he wrote, for, as we shall see, he felt it was his best. The assignment is an easy one; the speech zips by in a mere 703 words. But those words form an incredible whole, in which Lincoln reviewed the suffering brought on by the War and offered thoughts of reconciliation and hope to all whose lives it had touched.
Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address isn't hard to find; it has been reproduced hundreds of times. I came across my copy recently in Caroline Kennedy's A Patriot’s Handbook, a compendium in which she referred to its rooting "in his religious beliefs" and discussed the way he had woven together the past, present and future.
It's no trick for a reader to zero in on Lincoln's religious beliefs. They permeate the address with an immediacy that helps to define his presidency. For Lincoln, God took a direct role in the affairs of men and women, this nation and its warring sons among them. He wove that role into a general discussion of the war with a plain matter-of-factness that was his trademark.
Four years before, he explained, both sides could think of nothing but the War each sought to avoid. But the subjugation of the slaves that lived in the South - "one-eighth of the whole population," Lincoln pointed out - became the cause of the conflict it was willing to risk. Both sides read the same Bible and both pray to the same God, he said, and each invokes divine aid against the other. While offering no prediction as to the War's outcome, the president said, he held "high hope for the future" and referred to "the providence of God," "a living God," and the will of God.
"The Almighty has his own purposes," Lincoln solemnly intoned, and it is difficult to imagine a contemporary president referring so directly to the presence of God in human affairs.
In the final paragraph of his Second Inaugural, Abraham Lincoln soars to a magnificent cadenza, one that provides a fitting capstone to the speech:
"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."
Lincoln regarded the address simply as the finest one he had ever delivered. "Over time," as Caroline Kennedy writes, "many have come to agree."
(This essay is a recent “Light One Candle” column, written
by Jerry Costello, of The Christophers; it is one of a series of weekly columns
that deal with a variety of topics and current events.)
Background
information:
Reflection Starter from Pope Benedict XVI
"Lent stimulates us to let the Word of God penetrate our life and in this way to know the fundamental truth: who we are, where we come from, where we must go, what path we must take in life." - Pope Benedict XVI
22 February 2015
Happy Birthday, George Washington
Today is George Washington’s birthday. Washington, the first
President of the United States (under the U.S. Constitution), is
considered by many people to be one of the greatest Presidents the U.S.
has had.
This is an excerpt from his official White House brief biography:
“Born in 1732 into a Virginia planter family, he learned the morals, manners, and body of knowledge requisite for an 18th century Virginia gentleman.
“He pursued two intertwined interests: military arts and western expansion. At 16 he helped survey Shenandoah lands for Thomas, Lord Fairfax. Commissioned a lieutenant colonel in 1754, he fought the first skirmishes of what grew into the French and Indian War. The next year, as an aide to Gen. Edward Braddock, he escaped injury although four bullets ripped his coat and two horses were shot from under him.
“From 1759 to the outbreak of the American Revolution, Washington managed his lands around Mount Vernon and served in the Virginia House of Burgesses. Married to a widow, Martha Dandridge Custis, he devoted himself to a busy and happy life. But like his fellow planters, Washington felt himself exploited by British merchants and hampered by British regulations. As the quarrel with the mother country grew acute, he moderately but firmly voiced his resistance to the restrictions.
“When the Second Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia in May 1775, Washington, one of the Virginia delegates, was elected Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. On July 3, 1775, at Cambridge, Massachusetts, he took command of his ill-trained troops and embarked upon a war that was to last six grueling years.
“He realized early that the best strategy was to harass the British. He reported to Congress, ‘we should on all Occasions avoid a general Action, or put anything to the Risque, unless compelled by a necessity, into which we ought never to be drawn.’ Ensuing battles saw him fall back slowly, then strike unexpectedly. Finally in 1781 with the aid of French allies – he forced the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown.
“Washington longed to retire to his fields at Mount Vernon. But he soon realized that the Nation under its Articles of Confederation was not functioning well, so he became a prime mover in the steps leading to the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia in 1787. When the new Constitution was ratified, the Electoral College unanimously elected Washington President.
“He did not infringe upon the policy making powers that he felt the Constitution gave Congress. But the determination of foreign policy became preponderantly a Presidential concern. When the French Revolution led to a major war between France and England, Washington refused to accept entirely the recommendations of either his Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, who was pro-French, or his Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, who was pro-British. Rather, he insisted upon a neutral course until the United States could grow stronger.
“To his disappointment, two parties were developing by the end of his first term. Wearied of politics, feeling old, he retired at the end of his second. In his Farewell Address, he urged his countrymen to forswear excessive party spirit and geographical distinctions. In foreign affairs, he warned against long-term alliances.
“Washington enjoyed less than three years of retirement at Mount Vernon, for he died of a throat infection December 14, 1799. For months the Nation mourned him.”
A selection of quotes from George Washington:
“The ways of Providence being inscrutable, and the justice of it not to be scanned by the shallow eye of humanity, nor to be counteracted by the utmost efforts of human power or wisdom, resignation, and as far as the strength of our reason and religion can carry us, a cheerful acquiescence to the Divine Will, is what we are to aim.” (in a letter to Colonel Bassett, 25 April 1773)
“By the all-powerful dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability and expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet escaped unhurt, altho’ death was levelling my companions on every side.” (in a letter to John A. Washington, 18 July 1755)
“Nothing but harmony, honesty, industry, and frugality are necessary to make us a great and happy people.” (to Marquis de Lafayette, Mount Vernon, 29 January 1789)
“I am sure the mass of citizens in these United States mean well, and I firmly believe they will always act well whenever they can obtain a right understanding of matters; but in some parts of the Union, where the sentiments of their delegates and leaders are adverse to the government, and great pains are taken to inculcate a belief that their rights are assailed and their liberties endangered, it is not easy to accomplish this; especially, as is the case invariably, when the inventors and abettors of pernicious measures use infinite more industry in disseminating the poison than the well disposed part of the community to furnish the antidote.” (in a letter to John Jay, 8 May 1796)
For a chronology of George Washington’s life, please visit:
Smithsonian Institution: George Washington - A National Treasure: Chronology
Other information:
Foundations Magazine: George Washington's Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation
This is an excerpt from his official White House brief biography:
“Born in 1732 into a Virginia planter family, he learned the morals, manners, and body of knowledge requisite for an 18th century Virginia gentleman.
“He pursued two intertwined interests: military arts and western expansion. At 16 he helped survey Shenandoah lands for Thomas, Lord Fairfax. Commissioned a lieutenant colonel in 1754, he fought the first skirmishes of what grew into the French and Indian War. The next year, as an aide to Gen. Edward Braddock, he escaped injury although four bullets ripped his coat and two horses were shot from under him.
“From 1759 to the outbreak of the American Revolution, Washington managed his lands around Mount Vernon and served in the Virginia House of Burgesses. Married to a widow, Martha Dandridge Custis, he devoted himself to a busy and happy life. But like his fellow planters, Washington felt himself exploited by British merchants and hampered by British regulations. As the quarrel with the mother country grew acute, he moderately but firmly voiced his resistance to the restrictions.
“When the Second Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia in May 1775, Washington, one of the Virginia delegates, was elected Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. On July 3, 1775, at Cambridge, Massachusetts, he took command of his ill-trained troops and embarked upon a war that was to last six grueling years.
“He realized early that the best strategy was to harass the British. He reported to Congress, ‘we should on all Occasions avoid a general Action, or put anything to the Risque, unless compelled by a necessity, into which we ought never to be drawn.’ Ensuing battles saw him fall back slowly, then strike unexpectedly. Finally in 1781 with the aid of French allies – he forced the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown.
“Washington longed to retire to his fields at Mount Vernon. But he soon realized that the Nation under its Articles of Confederation was not functioning well, so he became a prime mover in the steps leading to the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia in 1787. When the new Constitution was ratified, the Electoral College unanimously elected Washington President.
“He did not infringe upon the policy making powers that he felt the Constitution gave Congress. But the determination of foreign policy became preponderantly a Presidential concern. When the French Revolution led to a major war between France and England, Washington refused to accept entirely the recommendations of either his Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, who was pro-French, or his Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, who was pro-British. Rather, he insisted upon a neutral course until the United States could grow stronger.
“To his disappointment, two parties were developing by the end of his first term. Wearied of politics, feeling old, he retired at the end of his second. In his Farewell Address, he urged his countrymen to forswear excessive party spirit and geographical distinctions. In foreign affairs, he warned against long-term alliances.
“Washington enjoyed less than three years of retirement at Mount Vernon, for he died of a throat infection December 14, 1799. For months the Nation mourned him.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“The ways of Providence being inscrutable, and the justice of it not to be scanned by the shallow eye of humanity, nor to be counteracted by the utmost efforts of human power or wisdom, resignation, and as far as the strength of our reason and religion can carry us, a cheerful acquiescence to the Divine Will, is what we are to aim.” (in a letter to Colonel Bassett, 25 April 1773)
“By the all-powerful dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability and expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet escaped unhurt, altho’ death was levelling my companions on every side.” (in a letter to John A. Washington, 18 July 1755)
“Nothing but harmony, honesty, industry, and frugality are necessary to make us a great and happy people.” (to Marquis de Lafayette, Mount Vernon, 29 January 1789)
“I am sure the mass of citizens in these United States mean well, and I firmly believe they will always act well whenever they can obtain a right understanding of matters; but in some parts of the Union, where the sentiments of their delegates and leaders are adverse to the government, and great pains are taken to inculcate a belief that their rights are assailed and their liberties endangered, it is not easy to accomplish this; especially, as is the case invariably, when the inventors and abettors of pernicious measures use infinite more industry in disseminating the poison than the well disposed part of the community to furnish the antidote.” (in a letter to John Jay, 8 May 1796)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Smithsonian Institution: George Washington - A National Treasure: Chronology
Other information:
Foundations Magazine: George Washington's Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation
"The Glory of These Forty Days"
As our Sunday celebration continues, I offer this version of "The Glory of These Forty Days":
First Sunday of Lent
Today the Church celebrates the First Sunday of Lent. The assigned readings are Genesis 9:8-15, 1 Peter 3:18-22; and Mark 1:12-15.
The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 25 (Psalm 25:4-9).
For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:
YouTube: Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 25 The Ways of the Lord are Love and Truth
The Gospel reading is as follows:
The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.
After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
Reflections on these readings:
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: First Sunday of Lent (February 22, 2015)
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Salesian Sunday Reflection: First Sunday of Lent (February 22, 2015)
Msgr. Charles Pope: The True Rainbow in the Sky - A Reflection on the Readings of the First Sunday of Lent (21 FEB 15)
Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio: What's Noah's Ark have to Do with Lent?
Word on Fire: The Ark, the Mass, and Re-Ordering the World (February 22, 2015)
Dr. Scott Hahn: The New Creation (February 22nd 2015 - First Sunday of Lent)
CWR Blog: The First Sunday of Lent: Deluges and Deserts, Sin and Salvation (21 FEB 15)
Spirituality of the Readings: What Is Lent (First Sunday of Lent B)
The Word Embodied: Floods and Deserts (First Sunday of Lent B)
Historical Cultural Context: The Test of Honor (First Sunday of Lent B)
Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary by John Justus Landsberg (First Sunday of Lent B)
Word to Life Radio Broadcast: First Sunday of Lent (20 FEB 15)
For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:
YouTube: Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 25 The Ways of the Lord are Love and Truth
The Gospel reading is as follows:
The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.
After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
Reflections on these readings:
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: First Sunday of Lent (February 22, 2015)
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Salesian Sunday Reflection: First Sunday of Lent (February 22, 2015)
Msgr. Charles Pope: The True Rainbow in the Sky - A Reflection on the Readings of the First Sunday of Lent (21 FEB 15)
Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio: What's Noah's Ark have to Do with Lent?
Word on Fire: The Ark, the Mass, and Re-Ordering the World (February 22, 2015)
Dr. Scott Hahn: The New Creation (February 22nd 2015 - First Sunday of Lent)
CWR Blog: The First Sunday of Lent: Deluges and Deserts, Sin and Salvation (21 FEB 15)
Spirituality of the Readings: What Is Lent (First Sunday of Lent B)
The Word Embodied: Floods and Deserts (First Sunday of Lent B)
Historical Cultural Context: The Test of Honor (First Sunday of Lent B)
Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary by John Justus Landsberg (First Sunday of Lent B)
Word to Life Radio Broadcast: First Sunday of Lent (20 FEB 15)
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord, for the many ways in which You call us to repentance during the Lenten season.
Msgr. Pope on Preparing to Die
"At Ash Wednesday Masses we heard the ancient acclamation, as ashes are imposed, Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.
"The beginning of the Lenten season puts before us an urgent plea that we should be sober and watchful of our soul and its condition, for the form of this world is passing away (1 Cor 7:31).
"Simply put, we are going to die and we need to be made ready to meet our God. Recall some of the urgency present in the readings:
"Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart …
"Sound the trumpet in Zion!
"We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God!
"Behold, now is the day of salvation.
"Yes, now, not later. There is an urgency announced that we must hear and heed."
In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the importance of be earnest about our preparations to meet God when we leave our earthly existence, and he reminds us to "Be thoughtful; reflect, considering carefully what your decisions amount to, where you are headed, and what your life means."
To access Msgr. Pope’s complete post, please visit:
Msgr. Charles Pope: You are Going to Die – An After Ash Wednesday Reflection (18 FEB 15)
"The beginning of the Lenten season puts before us an urgent plea that we should be sober and watchful of our soul and its condition, for the form of this world is passing away (1 Cor 7:31).
"Simply put, we are going to die and we need to be made ready to meet our God. Recall some of the urgency present in the readings:
"Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart …
"Sound the trumpet in Zion!
"We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God!
"Behold, now is the day of salvation.
"Yes, now, not later. There is an urgency announced that we must hear and heed."
In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the importance of be earnest about our preparations to meet God when we leave our earthly existence, and he reminds us to "Be thoughtful; reflect, considering carefully what your decisions amount to, where you are headed, and what your life means."
To access Msgr. Pope’s complete post, please visit:
Msgr. Charles Pope: You are Going to Die – An After Ash Wednesday Reflection (18 FEB 15)
Reflection Starter from Pope Francis
"The Sacraments are the manifestation of the Father's tenderness and love towards each of us."- Pope Francis
20 February 2015
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord, for calling us, during this Lenten season, to make our hearts like Yours.
Message of Pope Francis for Lent 2015
"Lent is a time of renewal for the whole Church, for each communities and every believer. Above all it is a 'time of grace' (2 Cor 6:2). God does not ask of us anything that he himself has not first given us. 'We love because he first has loved us' (1 Jn
4:19). He is not aloof from us. Each one of us has a place in his
heart. He knows us by name, he cares for us and he seeks us out whenever
we turn away from him. He is interested in each of us; his love does
not allow him to be indifferent to what happens to us. Usually, when we
are healthy and comfortable, we forget about others (something God the
Father never does): we are unconcerned with their problems, their
sufferings and the injustices they endure… Our heart grows cold. As long
as I am relatively healthy and comfortable, I don't think about those
less well off. Today, this selfish attitude of indifference has taken on
global proportions, to the extent that we can speak of a globalization
of indifference. It is a problem which we, as Christians, need to
confront.
"When the people of God are converted to his love, they find answers to the questions that history continually raises. One of the most urgent challenges which I would like to address in this Message is precisely the globalization of indifference.
"Indifference to our neighbour and to God also represents a real temptation for us Christians. Each year during Lent we need to hear once more the voice of the prophets who cry out and trouble our conscience.
"God is not indifferent to our world; he so loves it that he gave his Son for our salvation. In the Incarnation, in the earthly life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God, the gate between God and man, between heaven and earth, opens once for all. The Church is like the hand holding open this gate, thanks to her proclamation of God's word, her celebration of the sacraments and her witness of the faith which works through love (cf. Gal 5:6). But the world tends to withdraw into itself and shut that door through which God comes into the world and the world comes to him. Hence the hand, which is the Church, must never be surprised if it is rejected, crushed and wounded."
As we begin our Lenten journey, Pope Francis offers a message of encouragement for our reflection, with specif focus on three Scripture references: "If one member suffers, all suffer together" (1 Cor 12:26), "Where is your brother?" (Gen 4:9), and "Make your hearts firm!" (James 5:8).
To access the Holy Father's complete message, please visit:
Message of Pope Francis for Lent 2015: Make your hearts firm (James 5:8)
"When the people of God are converted to his love, they find answers to the questions that history continually raises. One of the most urgent challenges which I would like to address in this Message is precisely the globalization of indifference.
"Indifference to our neighbour and to God also represents a real temptation for us Christians. Each year during Lent we need to hear once more the voice of the prophets who cry out and trouble our conscience.
"God is not indifferent to our world; he so loves it that he gave his Son for our salvation. In the Incarnation, in the earthly life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God, the gate between God and man, between heaven and earth, opens once for all. The Church is like the hand holding open this gate, thanks to her proclamation of God's word, her celebration of the sacraments and her witness of the faith which works through love (cf. Gal 5:6). But the world tends to withdraw into itself and shut that door through which God comes into the world and the world comes to him. Hence the hand, which is the Church, must never be surprised if it is rejected, crushed and wounded."
As we begin our Lenten journey, Pope Francis offers a message of encouragement for our reflection, with specif focus on three Scripture references: "If one member suffers, all suffer together" (1 Cor 12:26), "Where is your brother?" (Gen 4:9), and "Make your hearts firm!" (James 5:8).
To access the Holy Father's complete message, please visit:
Message of Pope Francis for Lent 2015: Make your hearts firm (James 5:8)
Reflection Starter from Psalm 51
"A clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit." - Psalm 51:12
19 February 2015
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord, for the many ways in which You call us to return to You when we stray.
Ash Wednesday Outreach in Beverly Hills
"Two deacons, one Episcopal, one Catholic, were standing on a street in Beverly Hills, in front of Tiffany's, across from Louis Vuitton.
"It could have been the set-up for a joke - and some passersby thought it might be. Or maybe somebody was filming something? They stood and stared at the men dressed in purple stoles, white surplices and long black cassocks.
"'Are you real? For real?' one woman in oversized Chanel sunglasses asked Scott Taylor of All Saints Episcopal Church and Eric Stoltz of the Church of the Good Shepherd.
"Others who noticed the sign that said, 'Hey Beverly Hills, Lent Begins Today!' or saw the deacons' blackened right thumbs or heard Taylor cheerily call out 'Ashes for Ash Wednesday' realized that, right there on the sidewalk, church was coming to them."
A recent Los Angeles Times article reported of the collaborative out reach initiative.
To access the complete Los Angeles Times report, please visit:
Los Angeles Times: On Ash Wednesday, two deacons deliver on the streets of Beverly Hills (19 FEB 15)
Background information:
Church of the Good Shepherd, Beverly Hills, CA
Thank you, Deacon Greg Kandra, for the tip!
"It could have been the set-up for a joke - and some passersby thought it might be. Or maybe somebody was filming something? They stood and stared at the men dressed in purple stoles, white surplices and long black cassocks.
"'Are you real? For real?' one woman in oversized Chanel sunglasses asked Scott Taylor of All Saints Episcopal Church and Eric Stoltz of the Church of the Good Shepherd.
"Others who noticed the sign that said, 'Hey Beverly Hills, Lent Begins Today!' or saw the deacons' blackened right thumbs or heard Taylor cheerily call out 'Ashes for Ash Wednesday' realized that, right there on the sidewalk, church was coming to them."
A recent Los Angeles Times article reported of the collaborative out reach initiative.
To access the complete Los Angeles Times report, please visit:
Los Angeles Times: On Ash Wednesday, two deacons deliver on the streets of Beverly Hills (19 FEB 15)
Background information:
Church of the Good Shepherd, Beverly Hills, CA
Thank you, Deacon Greg Kandra, for the tip!
Reflection starter from Joel
"Yet even now - says the LORD - return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and relenting in punishment." - Joel 2:12-13
18 February 2015
Ash Wednesday
Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the holy season of Lent. The assigned readings are Joel 2:12-18; 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2; and Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 51 (Psalm 51: 3-6, 12-14, 17).
The Gospel reading is as follows:
Jesus said to his disciples: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”
Reflection on today's observance:
The Deacon's Bench: Homily for February 18, 2015: Ash Wednesday and the Coptic Martyrs (17 FEB 15)
The Gospel reading is as follows:
Jesus said to his disciples: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”
Reflection on today's observance:
The Deacon's Bench: Homily for February 18, 2015: Ash Wednesday and the Coptic Martyrs (17 FEB 15)
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord, for the many grace-filled opportunities You have prepared for us during our observance of Lent.
Br. Michael Mary Weibley, O.P., on Ash Wednesday and God's Grace
"'You have to carry the fire.'
"'I don't know how to.'
"'Yes you do.'
"'Is it real? The fire?'
"'Yes it is.'
"'Where is it? I don't know where it is.'
"'Yes you do. It's inside you. It was always there. I can see it.'
"This conversation between a father and son in Cormac McCarthy's novel The Road reveals an essential truth about perseverance and survival: there has to be something within us that moves us onward, something beyond sheer willpower and effort. This conversation comes near the end of the story where the father and son have crossed an ash-covered post-apocalyptic world, in search of shelter, food, and security from the perils of darkened nature all around them, both of man and earth. The father's dying words are meant to encourage his son who must continue down the road on his own, carrying only the fire."
In a recent commentary, Brother Michael Mary Weibley, O.P., reflected on God's grace, the roads we are traveling as we live our lives, and the opportunities to turn more fully to God during Lent.
To access Br. Michael Mary's complete post, please visit:
Dominicana: Ash Wednesday: Carry the Fire (18 FEB 15)
"'I don't know how to.'
"'Yes you do.'
"'Is it real? The fire?'
"'Yes it is.'
"'Where is it? I don't know where it is.'
"'Yes you do. It's inside you. It was always there. I can see it.'
"This conversation between a father and son in Cormac McCarthy's novel The Road reveals an essential truth about perseverance and survival: there has to be something within us that moves us onward, something beyond sheer willpower and effort. This conversation comes near the end of the story where the father and son have crossed an ash-covered post-apocalyptic world, in search of shelter, food, and security from the perils of darkened nature all around them, both of man and earth. The father's dying words are meant to encourage his son who must continue down the road on his own, carrying only the fire."
In a recent commentary, Brother Michael Mary Weibley, O.P., reflected on God's grace, the roads we are traveling as we live our lives, and the opportunities to turn more fully to God during Lent.
To access Br. Michael Mary's complete post, please visit:
Dominicana: Ash Wednesday: Carry the Fire (18 FEB 15)
Reflection Starter from Pope Francis
"During Lent, let us find concrete ways to overcome our indifference."- Pope Francis
16 February 2015
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord, for the many ways You call us and encourage us to minister to the homeless.
Simcha Fisher on Hot Showers for the Homeless Offered by the Vatican
"It's been many years since I was in Rome, but I remember my first impression of the city: it's extremely beautiful, and it smells like poop. Part of that smell comes because Italians tend to have dogs, rather than children. And part of the smell comes because, at least when I was there, public bathrooms are few and far between, and they are coin operated. The phrase 'eternal city' takes on a whole new meaning when you are penniless, on foot, and have nowhere to go for hour upon hour.
"For a college sophomore spending a semester abroad, this discomfort had its exotic charm. For the thousands of homeless men and women who live in Rome, having nowhere to relieve themselves -- and nowhere to shower after a day in city of grit and Mediterranean sunshine -- is a daily reality which means nothing but more humiliation.
"According to the Catholic Herald UK, Konrad Krajewski, the archbishop in charge of dispensing charity from the Vatican, told Vatican Insider that he was talking to a homeless man near the Vatican last year and discovered it was the man's 50th birthday. He invited the man to a restaurant for dinner, but the man declined, saying a restaurant would not let him in because of his odour.
"And so began plans whose first phase was completed on February 6th: the public bathrooms just off St. Peter's Square are now equipped with a bank of free hot showers for the homeless, with free haircuts once a week."
In a recent commentary, writer Simcha Fisher reflected on this initiative and some of its ramifications.
To access her complete reflection, please visit:
NC Register: Simcha Fisher Blog: Hot Showers for the Homeless, Courtesy of St. Peter (10 FEB 15)
"For a college sophomore spending a semester abroad, this discomfort had its exotic charm. For the thousands of homeless men and women who live in Rome, having nowhere to relieve themselves -- and nowhere to shower after a day in city of grit and Mediterranean sunshine -- is a daily reality which means nothing but more humiliation.
"According to the Catholic Herald UK, Konrad Krajewski, the archbishop in charge of dispensing charity from the Vatican, told Vatican Insider that he was talking to a homeless man near the Vatican last year and discovered it was the man's 50th birthday. He invited the man to a restaurant for dinner, but the man declined, saying a restaurant would not let him in because of his odour.
"And so began plans whose first phase was completed on February 6th: the public bathrooms just off St. Peter's Square are now equipped with a bank of free hot showers for the homeless, with free haircuts once a week."
In a recent commentary, writer Simcha Fisher reflected on this initiative and some of its ramifications.
To access her complete reflection, please visit:
NC Register: Simcha Fisher Blog: Hot Showers for the Homeless, Courtesy of St. Peter (10 FEB 15)
Reflection Starter from 1 Corinthians
"Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God." - 1 Corinthians 10:31
15 February 2015
"Take My Life and Let It Be"
As our Sunday celebration continues, I offer this version of "Take My Life and Let It Be":
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates the Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time. The assigned readings are Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46; 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1; and Mark 1:40-45.
The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 32 (Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 11).
For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:
YouTube: Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 32 Prayer of Contrition and Confession for Sin
The Gospel reading is as follows:
A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.”
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.”
The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning the him sternly, he dismissed him at once. He said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”
The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.
Reflections on these readings:
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (February 15, 2015)
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Salesian Sunday Reflection: Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (February 15, 2015)
Msgr. Charles Pope: How to Lose Your Leprosy (In Four Easy Steps) – A Homily for the 6th Sunday of the Year (14 FEB 15)
Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio: Lessons from the Leper
Word on Fire: Evangelizing Out of the Encounter (Cycle B * Ordinary Time * Week 6)
Dr. Scott Hahn: Made Clean (February 15th 2015 - Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time)
CWR Blog: Christianity: "Pie in the sky" religion, or "island of mercy and security"? (14 FEB 15)
Spirituality of the Readings: Be Made Clean (6th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
The Word Embodied: Living by Appearances (6th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
Historical Cultural Context: Restored to Community (6th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary by Paschasius Radbertus (6th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
Word to Life Radio Broadcast: Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (13 FEB 15)
For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:
YouTube: Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 32 Prayer of Contrition and Confession for Sin
The Gospel reading is as follows:
A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.”
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.”
The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning the him sternly, he dismissed him at once. He said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”
The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.
Reflections on these readings:
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (February 15, 2015)
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Salesian Sunday Reflection: Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (February 15, 2015)
Msgr. Charles Pope: How to Lose Your Leprosy (In Four Easy Steps) – A Homily for the 6th Sunday of the Year (14 FEB 15)
Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio: Lessons from the Leper
Word on Fire: Evangelizing Out of the Encounter (Cycle B * Ordinary Time * Week 6)
Dr. Scott Hahn: Made Clean (February 15th 2015 - Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time)
CWR Blog: Christianity: "Pie in the sky" religion, or "island of mercy and security"? (14 FEB 15)
Spirituality of the Readings: Be Made Clean (6th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
The Word Embodied: Living by Appearances (6th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
Historical Cultural Context: Restored to Community (6th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary by Paschasius Radbertus (6th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
Word to Life Radio Broadcast: Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (13 FEB 15)
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord, for the many gifts You have given each of us and for the many ways You encourage us to use them to accomplish Your work.
Msgr. Pope on Buzz Lightyear and Humility
"There was movie some years ago that most of you have probably seen called Toy Story. It had a deep impact on me, for it came out at a critical moment in my life.
"It was my 33rd year of life and the 6th year of my priesthood. As I have related elsewhere, I had suffered a nervous breakdown that required a week in the hospital and a month off to recuperate. What drove me to that point was being asked to take an assignment I really wasn't ready for. . . . The stress nearly finished me.
"Invincible? I was a young priest at the time, still emerging from my 'invincible' stage when I thought I could do anything. I guess it's pretty common for men in their twenties to think they can handle anything. During those years, opinions are strong, dreams are still vivid, and hard experience has not always taught its tough lessons yet.
"So the young priest had said 'yes' to the assignment, even though I had reservations. Soon enough, the panic attacks came, followed by waves of depression, and days when I could barely come out of my room. A week in the hospital for evaluation, a month off to recuperate, and years of good spiritual direction, psychotherapy, and the Sacraments have been God's way of restoring me to health.
"Somewhere in the early stages of all this, I saw the movie Toy Story. And right away, I knew I was Buzz Lightyear. Buzz begins the movie as a brash, would-be hero and savior of the planet. Buzz Lightyear’s tagline is, 'To infinity … and beyond!' The only problem is that he seems to have no idea that he is just a toy. He actually thinks he has come from a distant planet to save Earth. He often radios to the mother ship and, hearing nothing, concludes she must be just out of range.
"At a critical point in the movie, it begins to dawn on Buzz that he is just a toy and may not be able to save the day. He struggles with this realization and resists it. . . . He then sinks into a major depression, his sense of himself destroyed."
In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on how "our greatness does not come from our own self-inflated notions, but from God. And God does not need us to pretend to be something we are not. What He needs is for us to be exactly what He made us to be. And it is often in our weakness that He is able to do His greatest work."
To access Msgr. Pope's complete post, please visit:
Msgr. Charles Pope: What Buzz Lightyear Taught Me About Humility (10 FEB 15)
"It was my 33rd year of life and the 6th year of my priesthood. As I have related elsewhere, I had suffered a nervous breakdown that required a week in the hospital and a month off to recuperate. What drove me to that point was being asked to take an assignment I really wasn't ready for. . . . The stress nearly finished me.
"Invincible? I was a young priest at the time, still emerging from my 'invincible' stage when I thought I could do anything. I guess it's pretty common for men in their twenties to think they can handle anything. During those years, opinions are strong, dreams are still vivid, and hard experience has not always taught its tough lessons yet.
"So the young priest had said 'yes' to the assignment, even though I had reservations. Soon enough, the panic attacks came, followed by waves of depression, and days when I could barely come out of my room. A week in the hospital for evaluation, a month off to recuperate, and years of good spiritual direction, psychotherapy, and the Sacraments have been God's way of restoring me to health.
"Somewhere in the early stages of all this, I saw the movie Toy Story. And right away, I knew I was Buzz Lightyear. Buzz begins the movie as a brash, would-be hero and savior of the planet. Buzz Lightyear’s tagline is, 'To infinity … and beyond!' The only problem is that he seems to have no idea that he is just a toy. He actually thinks he has come from a distant planet to save Earth. He often radios to the mother ship and, hearing nothing, concludes she must be just out of range.
"At a critical point in the movie, it begins to dawn on Buzz that he is just a toy and may not be able to save the day. He struggles with this realization and resists it. . . . He then sinks into a major depression, his sense of himself destroyed."
In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on how "our greatness does not come from our own self-inflated notions, but from God. And God does not need us to pretend to be something we are not. What He needs is for us to be exactly what He made us to be. And it is often in our weakness that He is able to do His greatest work."
To access Msgr. Pope's complete post, please visit:
Msgr. Charles Pope: What Buzz Lightyear Taught Me About Humility (10 FEB 15)
Reflection Starter from Pope Francis
"Jesus is not a figure from the past: he continues now and always to light the way for us."- Pope Francis
13 February 2015
Pope Francis on Children as a Gift for the Family, the Church, and Society
"Continuing his catechesis on the family [recently] Pope Francis spoke about the joy of children in family life and how the choice to have children is not irresponsible but vital for a healthy, happy society."
Vatican Radio recently reported on this catechesis by the Holy Father, in which he reflected on the gift that children are.
To access this Vatican Radio report, please visit:
Vatican Radio: Audience: Children, a gift for the family, the Church and society (11 FEB 15)
Vatican Radio recently reported on this catechesis by the Holy Father, in which he reflected on the gift that children are.
To access this Vatican Radio report, please visit:
Vatican Radio: Audience: Children, a gift for the family, the Church and society (11 FEB 15)
Reflection Starter from Henri Nouwen
"The spiritual life does not remove us from the world but leads us deeper into it." - Father Henri J.M. Nouwen
12 February 2015
Abraham Lincoln
Today is Abraham Lincoln's
birthday. Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States, is
considered by many people to be one of the greatest Presidents the U.S.
has had.
This is an excerpt from his official White House brief biography:
“The son of a Kentucky frontiersman, Lincoln had to struggle for a living and for learning. Five months before receiving his party's nomination for President, he sketched his life:
“‘I was born Feb. 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky. My parents were both born in Virginia, of undistinguished families - second families, perhaps I should say. My mother, who died in my tenth year, was of a family of the name of Hanks . . . . My father . . . removed from Kentucky to . . . Indiana, in my eighth year. . . . It was a wild region, with many bears and other wild animals still in the woods. There I grew up. . . . Of course when I came of age I did not know much. Still somehow, I could read, write, and cipher . . . but that was all.’
“Lincoln made extraordinary efforts to attain knowledge while working on a farm, splitting rails for fences, and keeping store at New Salem, Illinois. He was a captain in the Black Hawk War, spent eight years in the Illinois legislature, and rode the circuit of courts for many years. His law partner said of him, ‘His ambition was a little engine that knew no rest.’
“He married Mary Todd, and they had four boys, only one of whom lived to maturity. In 1858 Lincoln ran against Stephen A. Douglas for Senator. He lost the election, but in debating with Douglas he gained a national reputation that won him the Republican nomination for President in 1860.
“As President, he built the Republican Party into a strong national organization. Further, he rallied most of the northern Democrats to the Union cause. On January 1, 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation that declared forever free those slaves within the Confederacy.
“Lincoln never let the world forget that the Civil War involved an even larger issue. This he stated most movingly in dedicating the military cemetery at Gettysburg: ‘that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.’
“Lincoln won re-election in 1864, as Union military triumphs heralded an end to the war. In his planning for peace, the President was flexible and generous, encouraging Southerners to lay down their arms and join speedily in reunion.
“The spirit that guided him was clearly that of his Second Inaugural Address, now inscribed on one wall of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. C.: ‘With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds. . . ‘
“On Good Friday, April 14, 1865, Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre in Washington by John Wilkes Booth, an actor, who somehow thought he was helping the South. The opposite was the result, for with Lincoln’s death, the possibility of peace with magnanimity died.”
A selection of quotes from Abraham Lincoln:
“A capacity, and taste, for reading, gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others. It is the key, or one of the keys, to the already solved problems. And not only so. It gives a relish, and facility, for successfully pursuing the [yet] unsolved ones.” (from an address before the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, 30 September 1859)
“The old general rule was that educated people did not perform manual labor. They managed to eat their bread, leaving the toil of producing it to the uneducated. This was not an insupportable evil to the working bees, so long as the class of drones remained very small. But now, especially in these free States, nearly all are educated - quite too nearly all, to leave the labor of the uneducated, in any wise adequate to the support of the whole. It follows from this that henceforth educated people must labor. Otherwise, education itself would become a positive and intolerable evil. No country can sustain, in idleness, more than a small percentage of its numbers. The great majority must labor at something productive.” (from an address before the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, 30 September 1859)
“Every man is proud of what he does well; and no man is proud of what he does not do well. With the former, his heart is in his work; and he will do twice as much of it with less fatigue. The latter performs a little imperfectly, looks at it in disgust, turns from it, and imagines himself exceedingly tired. The little he has done, comes to nothing, for want of finishing.” (from an address before the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, 30 September 1859)
“When the conduct of men is designed to be influenced, persuasion, kind, unassuming persuasion, should ever be adopted. It is an old and a true maxim, that a ‘drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall.’” (from an address given to the Springfield Washington Temperance Society. 22 February 1842)
“Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces; but let us judge not that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered; that of neither has been answered fully.” (from his Second Inaugural Address, 4 March 1865)
“Adhere to your purpose and you will soon feel as well as you ever did. On the contrary, if you falter, and give up, you will lose the power of keeping any resolution, and will regret it all your life.” (in a letter to Quintin Campbell, 28 June 1862)
For a chronology of Abraham Lincoln’s life, please visit:
Northern Illinois University Libraries: Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project: Abraham Lincoln Chronology
This is an excerpt from his official White House brief biography:
“The son of a Kentucky frontiersman, Lincoln had to struggle for a living and for learning. Five months before receiving his party's nomination for President, he sketched his life:
“‘I was born Feb. 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky. My parents were both born in Virginia, of undistinguished families - second families, perhaps I should say. My mother, who died in my tenth year, was of a family of the name of Hanks . . . . My father . . . removed from Kentucky to . . . Indiana, in my eighth year. . . . It was a wild region, with many bears and other wild animals still in the woods. There I grew up. . . . Of course when I came of age I did not know much. Still somehow, I could read, write, and cipher . . . but that was all.’
“Lincoln made extraordinary efforts to attain knowledge while working on a farm, splitting rails for fences, and keeping store at New Salem, Illinois. He was a captain in the Black Hawk War, spent eight years in the Illinois legislature, and rode the circuit of courts for many years. His law partner said of him, ‘His ambition was a little engine that knew no rest.’
“He married Mary Todd, and they had four boys, only one of whom lived to maturity. In 1858 Lincoln ran against Stephen A. Douglas for Senator. He lost the election, but in debating with Douglas he gained a national reputation that won him the Republican nomination for President in 1860.
“As President, he built the Republican Party into a strong national organization. Further, he rallied most of the northern Democrats to the Union cause. On January 1, 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation that declared forever free those slaves within the Confederacy.
“Lincoln never let the world forget that the Civil War involved an even larger issue. This he stated most movingly in dedicating the military cemetery at Gettysburg: ‘that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.’
“Lincoln won re-election in 1864, as Union military triumphs heralded an end to the war. In his planning for peace, the President was flexible and generous, encouraging Southerners to lay down their arms and join speedily in reunion.
“The spirit that guided him was clearly that of his Second Inaugural Address, now inscribed on one wall of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. C.: ‘With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds. . . ‘
“On Good Friday, April 14, 1865, Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre in Washington by John Wilkes Booth, an actor, who somehow thought he was helping the South. The opposite was the result, for with Lincoln’s death, the possibility of peace with magnanimity died.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A selection of quotes from Abraham Lincoln:
“A capacity, and taste, for reading, gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others. It is the key, or one of the keys, to the already solved problems. And not only so. It gives a relish, and facility, for successfully pursuing the [yet] unsolved ones.” (from an address before the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, 30 September 1859)
“The old general rule was that educated people did not perform manual labor. They managed to eat their bread, leaving the toil of producing it to the uneducated. This was not an insupportable evil to the working bees, so long as the class of drones remained very small. But now, especially in these free States, nearly all are educated - quite too nearly all, to leave the labor of the uneducated, in any wise adequate to the support of the whole. It follows from this that henceforth educated people must labor. Otherwise, education itself would become a positive and intolerable evil. No country can sustain, in idleness, more than a small percentage of its numbers. The great majority must labor at something productive.” (from an address before the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, 30 September 1859)
“Every man is proud of what he does well; and no man is proud of what he does not do well. With the former, his heart is in his work; and he will do twice as much of it with less fatigue. The latter performs a little imperfectly, looks at it in disgust, turns from it, and imagines himself exceedingly tired. The little he has done, comes to nothing, for want of finishing.” (from an address before the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, 30 September 1859)
“When the conduct of men is designed to be influenced, persuasion, kind, unassuming persuasion, should ever be adopted. It is an old and a true maxim, that a ‘drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall.’” (from an address given to the Springfield Washington Temperance Society. 22 February 1842)
“Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces; but let us judge not that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered; that of neither has been answered fully.” (from his Second Inaugural Address, 4 March 1865)
“Adhere to your purpose and you will soon feel as well as you ever did. On the contrary, if you falter, and give up, you will lose the power of keeping any resolution, and will regret it all your life.” (in a letter to Quintin Campbell, 28 June 1862)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For a chronology of Abraham Lincoln’s life, please visit:
Northern Illinois University Libraries: Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project: Abraham Lincoln Chronology
Fr. Richard DeLillio, OSFS, on the Importance of Taking Time Out
"Our days seem to get busier and busier, don't they? In fact we wish for more time just to do what needs to be done. Yet, what we need isn't more time, but less time. We need a time-out where we simply stop, and just 'be.'
"During this pause, we breath deeply, ridding ourselves of distractions and getting reacquainted with who we are. As Pascal writes: 'By means of diversion we can avoid our own company twenty-four hours a day.'
"When we allow our mind and heart to catch-up to our activity, we can see clearly the spiritual that lies beyond our busyness. Not simply 'duty or obligation,' but more importantly Jesus who accompanies us in all we do. And Jesus knows it's quiet-time that brings to mind this forgotten fact."
In a recent commentary, Father Richard R. DeLillio, OSFS, reflected on the importance of taking a time-out - especially when we are very busy - to "allow our soul to catch-up with our body."
To access Fr. DeLillio's complete reflection, please visit:
Living Today Well: A Moment With De Sales: In Life We Need a Time-Out! (23 JAN 15)
"During this pause, we breath deeply, ridding ourselves of distractions and getting reacquainted with who we are. As Pascal writes: 'By means of diversion we can avoid our own company twenty-four hours a day.'
"When we allow our mind and heart to catch-up to our activity, we can see clearly the spiritual that lies beyond our busyness. Not simply 'duty or obligation,' but more importantly Jesus who accompanies us in all we do. And Jesus knows it's quiet-time that brings to mind this forgotten fact."
In a recent commentary, Father Richard R. DeLillio, OSFS, reflected on the importance of taking a time-out - especially when we are very busy - to "allow our soul to catch-up with our body."
To access Fr. DeLillio's complete reflection, please visit:
Living Today Well: A Moment With De Sales: In Life We Need a Time-Out! (23 JAN 15)
11 February 2015
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 8 in F major
It’s time for some classical music. This is a presentation of Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 8 in F major” (Op. 93):
World Day of the Sick
Today, the Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes,
the Church observes the 23rd World Day of the Sick. The theme for this
year is “I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame” (Job 29:15). World Day of the Sick is a time, in the words of Pope
Benedict XVI, to “to reflect upon the mystery of suffering and above all
to make our communities and civil society more sensitive to our sick
brothers and sisters.”
To access Pope Francis’ message for this year’s observance of World Day of the Sick, please visit:
Message of Pope Francis for the 23rd World Day of the Sick 2015
To access Pope Francis’ message for this year’s observance of World Day of the Sick, please visit:
Message of Pope Francis for the 23rd World Day of the Sick 2015
Reflection Starter from St. Gregory the Great
"Whatsoever one would understand what he hears must hasten to put into practice what he has heard." - Saint Gregory the Great
09 February 2015
BBC Profiles Vatican Observatory
"The desert landscape in America's South West is literally awe-inspiring - the scale, the beauty and the sheer emptiness has always made humans question their place in the Universe.
"That is particularly true at night when the sky, unpolluted by man-made light sources, is filled with stars.
"It is no surprise, then, that the mountains in Arizona are home to many observatories where scientists from all over the world come to study the cosmos. What is less well known, is that the Vatican has long had its own observatory here too.
"BBC Pop Up's Matt Danzico met two of the Jesuit priests who are also astrophysicists to find out more about this unexpected convergence of religion and science."
To access this BBC presentation, please visit:
BBC News Magazine: Vatican observatory where priests are also astrophysicists (3 FEB 15)
Background information:
Vatican Observatory
"That is particularly true at night when the sky, unpolluted by man-made light sources, is filled with stars.
"It is no surprise, then, that the mountains in Arizona are home to many observatories where scientists from all over the world come to study the cosmos. What is less well known, is that the Vatican has long had its own observatory here too.
"BBC Pop Up's Matt Danzico met two of the Jesuit priests who are also astrophysicists to find out more about this unexpected convergence of religion and science."
To access this BBC presentation, please visit:
BBC News Magazine: Vatican observatory where priests are also astrophysicists (3 FEB 15)
Background information:
Vatican Observatory
Reflection Starter from St. Josephine Bakhita
"Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know Him. What a great grace it is to know God!" - Saint Josephine Bakhita, whose memory the Church celebrates on 8 February
08 February 2015
"O Praise Ye the Lord"
As our Sunday celebration continues. I offer this version of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square presenting "O Praise Ye the Lord":
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates the Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time. The assigned readings are Job 7:1-4, 6-7; 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23; and Mark 1:29-39.
The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 147 (Psalm 147:1-6).
For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:
YouTube: Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 147 Praise the Lord that heals the brokenhearted
The Gospel reading is as follows:
On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them.
When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him.
Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.
Reflections on these readings:
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (February 8, 2015)
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Salesian Sunday Reflection: Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (February 8, 2015)
Msgr. Charles Pope: Directions for Disciples When Dealing With Difficulties - A Homily for the 5th Sunday of the Year (7 FEB 15)
Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio: We're on a Mission from God
Word on Fire: The Spirituality of Pain (Cycle B * Ordinary Time * Week 5)
Dr. Scott Hahn: Raised to Serve (February 8th 2015 - Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time)
CWR Blog: Christ's healings "announced a more radical healing" (7 FEB 15)
Spirituality of the Readings: Eat Up (5th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
The Word Embodied: The Ways of Jesus (5th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
Historical Cultural Context: Social Healing (5th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary by Peter Chrysologus (5th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
Word to Life Radio Broadcast: Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time (6 FEB 15)
For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:
YouTube: Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 147 Praise the Lord that heals the brokenhearted
The Gospel reading is as follows:
On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them.
When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him.
Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.
Reflections on these readings:
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (February 8, 2015)
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Salesian Sunday Reflection: Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (February 8, 2015)
Msgr. Charles Pope: Directions for Disciples When Dealing With Difficulties - A Homily for the 5th Sunday of the Year (7 FEB 15)
Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio: We're on a Mission from God
Word on Fire: The Spirituality of Pain (Cycle B * Ordinary Time * Week 5)
Dr. Scott Hahn: Raised to Serve (February 8th 2015 - Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time)
CWR Blog: Christ's healings "announced a more radical healing" (7 FEB 15)
Spirituality of the Readings: Eat Up (5th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
The Word Embodied: The Ways of Jesus (5th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
Historical Cultural Context: Social Healing (5th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary by Peter Chrysologus (5th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
Word to Life Radio Broadcast: Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time (6 FEB 15)
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord, for the many ways in which You work in this world to build up Your Kingdom.
Msgr. Pope on Mysteries and Paradoxes of Evangelization
"In the Church throughout the world today, we are rightly more focused on evangelization. It is 'job one,' and Jesus could not have been clearer: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matt 28:18-20).
"However, even as we become more serious and practical about effective ways of evangelization, we must also remember the paradox and the mysteries that underlie the growth of the Kingdom. We can and should strive to learn 'best practices' and what makes for dynamic parishes and outreach. But even when many of these things are in place (e.g., dynamic preaching, good liturgy, a welcoming parish, eucharistic adoration), growth does not always come; numbers may even continue to decrease. Conversely, even in parishes where preaching is weak, liturgy perfunctory, and devotions hurried, there may be significant growth and pews that are rather full. I know parishes that should be growing, but are not. I also know parishes that are growing almost in spite of themselves.
"There ARE mysterious aspects to the growth or decline of the Church. . . ."
In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the the seed must be sown (Mark 4:26-29) and that watering and cultivating must also be done. However, "in the end, God alone will decide what will be fruitful and grow, and what will not."
To access Msgr. Pope’s complete post, please visit:
Msgr. Charles Pope: Mysteries and Paradoxes of Evangelization – A Meditation on a Passage from the Gospel of Mark (3 FEB 15)
"However, even as we become more serious and practical about effective ways of evangelization, we must also remember the paradox and the mysteries that underlie the growth of the Kingdom. We can and should strive to learn 'best practices' and what makes for dynamic parishes and outreach. But even when many of these things are in place (e.g., dynamic preaching, good liturgy, a welcoming parish, eucharistic adoration), growth does not always come; numbers may even continue to decrease. Conversely, even in parishes where preaching is weak, liturgy perfunctory, and devotions hurried, there may be significant growth and pews that are rather full. I know parishes that should be growing, but are not. I also know parishes that are growing almost in spite of themselves.
"There ARE mysterious aspects to the growth or decline of the Church. . . ."
In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the the seed must be sown (Mark 4:26-29) and that watering and cultivating must also be done. However, "in the end, God alone will decide what will be fruitful and grow, and what will not."
To access Msgr. Pope’s complete post, please visit:
Msgr. Charles Pope: Mysteries and Paradoxes of Evangelization – A Meditation on a Passage from the Gospel of Mark (3 FEB 15)
Reflection Starter from Pope Francis
"Jesus is not a figure from the past: he continues now and always to light the way for us."- Pope Francis
07 February 2015
Tennessee Ernie Ford: "Shenandoah"
As this blessed week draws to a close, I offer this version of Tennessee Ernie Ford singing "Shenandoah":
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord, for the special abilities You instill and/or guide the development of within each of Your people.
Pope's Google Hangout with Special Needs Youth
"Pope Francis virtually joined seven young people with disabilities and special needs in his second Google Hangout as pontiff, sharing jokes, advice and encouragement.
"'Each one of us has a treasure inside,' the Pope told the young people during his Feb. 5 Google Hangout.
"He said that when 'we share our own treasure with others, it multiples along with the treasures that come from the others we meet.'
"'What I want to say is don't hide the treasure that each one of you has. Sometimes we find it right away. Sometimes you have to do a little game of treasure hunt. But once you find it, share it, because when you share it you receive from others and it multiplies.'"
A recent Catholic News Agency article reported on Pope Francis' hangout session.
To access this Catholic News Agency report, please visit:
Catholic News Agency: Tech-savvy Pope shares laughter, advice with special needs kids (5 FEB 15)
"'Each one of us has a treasure inside,' the Pope told the young people during his Feb. 5 Google Hangout.
"He said that when 'we share our own treasure with others, it multiples along with the treasures that come from the others we meet.'
"'What I want to say is don't hide the treasure that each one of you has. Sometimes we find it right away. Sometimes you have to do a little game of treasure hunt. But once you find it, share it, because when you share it you receive from others and it multiplies.'"
A recent Catholic News Agency article reported on Pope Francis' hangout session.
To access this Catholic News Agency report, please visit:
Catholic News Agency: Tech-savvy Pope shares laughter, advice with special needs kids (5 FEB 15)
Reflection Starter from Mother Teresa
"To keep a lamp burning we have to keep putting oil in it." - Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (Mother Teresa)
06 February 2015
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord, for the many ways in which You touch our hearts through Your gift of music.
Bryan Kozlowski on the "Shire Theme"
"For the past three years, one Hobbit film after another has returned us to the magical sights and sounds of Middle-earth. And speaking of sounds, composer Howard Shore, following in his own Oscar-winning footsteps for the score of The Lord of the Rings, has given Bilbo Baggins and company a bold new opus to match their many adventures. But anyone who has now seen (and heard) all six films in the franchise knows there is one familiar melody that keeps on repeating throughout the series.
"Officially known as the 'Shire Theme,' it is a simple and peaceful tune that starts up whenever any hobbit begins to feel nostalgic for his homeland, the Shire. Evocative of rolling green hills and snug little houses, the 'Shire Theme' has become the musical embodiment for all that is good and pleasant in J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional world. By resounding just a few of its notes, heroic hobbits and movie-goers alike are instantly transported to another world, a safe and well-ordered one, far from the disorderly battles of reality."
In a recent commentary, writer Bryan Kozlowski reflected on the connection between the "Shire Theme" and "This is My Father's World".
To access his complete post, please visit:
Catholic Pulse: A Hobbit's Hymn: The Spiritual Journey Behind the Song of the Shire (30 JAN 15)
"Officially known as the 'Shire Theme,' it is a simple and peaceful tune that starts up whenever any hobbit begins to feel nostalgic for his homeland, the Shire. Evocative of rolling green hills and snug little houses, the 'Shire Theme' has become the musical embodiment for all that is good and pleasant in J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional world. By resounding just a few of its notes, heroic hobbits and movie-goers alike are instantly transported to another world, a safe and well-ordered one, far from the disorderly battles of reality."
In a recent commentary, writer Bryan Kozlowski reflected on the connection between the "Shire Theme" and "This is My Father's World".
To access his complete post, please visit:
Catholic Pulse: A Hobbit's Hymn: The Spiritual Journey Behind the Song of the Shire (30 JAN 15)
Reflection Starter from the Letter to the Hebrews
"Do not neglect hospitality,for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels." - Hebrews 13:2
04 February 2015
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord for the many ways in which You encourage us to proclaim the Gospel message.
Pope Francis' Homily on World Day for Consecrated Life
"Pope Francis warned consecrated men and women against reducing their religious lives to a 'caricature,' calling them to instead embrace a life of obedience, which in turn leads to wisdom.
"This was the central theme of the Pope's homily for the feast of the Presentation of the Lord on Feb. 2, which coincides with the World Day for Consecrated Life.
"Addressing the congregation gathered in St. Peter's Basilica on Monday evening, the Holy Father reflected on the Gospel account of Mary and Joseph presenting the Child Jesus in the Temple.
"Pope Francis described Mary's arms as the 'ladder of God's condescension,' upon which the Son of God 'descended,' becoming like us, 'in order to ascend with us to the Father, making us like himself,' according to Vatican Radio's translation."
A recent National Catholic Register article reported on the Pope's homily. To access the complete report, please visit:
National Catholic Register: Pope to Consecrated Men and Women: Follow Jesus With Joy (3 FEB 15)
"This was the central theme of the Pope's homily for the feast of the Presentation of the Lord on Feb. 2, which coincides with the World Day for Consecrated Life.
"Addressing the congregation gathered in St. Peter's Basilica on Monday evening, the Holy Father reflected on the Gospel account of Mary and Joseph presenting the Child Jesus in the Temple.
"Pope Francis described Mary's arms as the 'ladder of God's condescension,' upon which the Son of God 'descended,' becoming like us, 'in order to ascend with us to the Father, making us like himself,' according to Vatican Radio's translation."
A recent National Catholic Register article reported on the Pope's homily. To access the complete report, please visit:
National Catholic Register: Pope to Consecrated Men and Women: Follow Jesus With Joy (3 FEB 15)
Reflection Starter from St. Joseph of Leonissa
"Every Christian must be a living book wherein one can read the teaching of the gospel." - Saint Joseph of Leonissa, whose memory the Church celebrates today
01 February 2015
"Your Words Are Spirit and Life"
As our Sunday celebration continues, I offer this version of Bernadette Farrell's "Your Words Are Spirit and Life":
Holy Father’s Prayer Intentions for February
The Holy Father’s prayer intentions for February are:
Universal Intention (Prisoners): “That prisoners, especially the young, may be able to rebuild lives of dignity.”
Evangelization Intention (Separated Spouses): “That married people who are separated may find welcome and support in the Christian community.”
Universal Intention (Prisoners): “That prisoners, especially the young, may be able to rebuild lives of dignity.”
Evangelization Intention (Separated Spouses): “That married people who are separated may find welcome and support in the Christian community.”
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates the Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time. The assigned readings are Deuteronomy 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 7:32-35, and Mark 1:21-28.
The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 95 (Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9).
For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:
YouTube: Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 95 "If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts"
The Gospel reading is as follows:
Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.
Reflections on these readings:
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (February 1, 2015)
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Salesian Sunday Reflection: Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (February 1, 2015)
Msgr. Charles Pope: A Portrait of Powerful Preaching - A Homily for the 4th Sunday of the Year (31 JAN 15)
The Deacon's Bench: Homily for February 1, 2015: 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (1 FEB 15)
Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio: Authority over Demons
Word on Fire: Greater than the Greatest Prophet (Cycle B * Ordinary Time * Week 4)
Dr. Scott Hahn: The King's Authority (February 1st 2015 - Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time)
CWR Blog: Prophets and Demons (31 JAN 15)
Spirituality of the Readings: Hard Heart (4th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
The Word Embodied: Expressions of the Call (4th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
Historical Cultural Context: Authority and Honor (4th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary by John Henry Newman (4th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:
YouTube: Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 95 "If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts"
The Gospel reading is as follows:
Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.
Reflections on these readings:
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (February 1, 2015)
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Salesian Sunday Reflection: Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (February 1, 2015)
Msgr. Charles Pope: A Portrait of Powerful Preaching - A Homily for the 4th Sunday of the Year (31 JAN 15)
The Deacon's Bench: Homily for February 1, 2015: 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (1 FEB 15)
Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio: Authority over Demons
Word on Fire: Greater than the Greatest Prophet (Cycle B * Ordinary Time * Week 4)
Dr. Scott Hahn: The King's Authority (February 1st 2015 - Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time)
CWR Blog: Prophets and Demons (31 JAN 15)
Spirituality of the Readings: Hard Heart (4th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
The Word Embodied: Expressions of the Call (4th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
Historical Cultural Context: Authority and Honor (4th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary by John Henry Newman (4th Sunday of Ordinary Time B)
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord, for the many ways in which You encourage us to focus on maters pertaining to You and Your Kingdom.
Msgr. Pope on Living Simpler and Slower
"We have more than ever. Not just more things, but more options, more capacity, and more ability. Several hundred years ago a young peasant living in Europe seldom ventured more than a few miles from where he was born; longer journeys were rare and for serious reasons only. Much of a person's life was 'decided' by the place he was born. Even the person whom he married was decided by others, or at least limited to a very few candidates in his little village or section of town. The life of the average peasant was very circumscribed and he had limited knowledge of what was even a hundred miles away, let alone across the ocean.
"Today, most people, even those of moderate means, can get on a plane and by the end of the day be thousands of miles from where they woke up that morning. Most do not live where they were born and most have virtual access to the entire world via the Internet. It is quite reasonable to know people from all over the world, or at least to know those who have been all over the world. Most people travel frequently to distant cities and sometimes to other countries and continents. Our options, though not limitless, are practically so, since most of us could never exhaust all the possibilities that modernity offers.
"Are we happier? Probably not. I would argue that we are less happy. . . ."
In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the need for adherence to the scientific method and on the appropriate roles of tradition and science.
To access Msgr. Pope’s complete post, please visit:
Msgr. Charles Pope: Less is More - As Seen in a Cartoon (30 JAN 15)
"Today, most people, even those of moderate means, can get on a plane and by the end of the day be thousands of miles from where they woke up that morning. Most do not live where they were born and most have virtual access to the entire world via the Internet. It is quite reasonable to know people from all over the world, or at least to know those who have been all over the world. Most people travel frequently to distant cities and sometimes to other countries and continents. Our options, though not limitless, are practically so, since most of us could never exhaust all the possibilities that modernity offers.
"Are we happier? Probably not. I would argue that we are less happy. . . ."
In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the need for adherence to the scientific method and on the appropriate roles of tradition and science.
To access Msgr. Pope’s complete post, please visit:
Msgr. Charles Pope: Less is More - As Seen in a Cartoon (30 JAN 15)
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