Reflection Starter from Caryll Houselander

“We must carry Jesus in our hearts to wherever He wants to go, and there are many places to which He may never go unless we take Him to them. None of us knows when the loveliest hour of our life is striking. It may be when we take Christ for the first time to that grey office in the city where we work, to the wretched lodging of that poor man who is an outcast, to the nursery of that pampered child, to that battleship, airfield, or camp. . . .” – Caryll Houselander

“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”

As our Christmas celebration continues, I offer this version of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” as sung by the Choir of New College Oxford, Oxford, England:

Dives in Misericordia: “Mercy . . . from Generation to Generation” (11, continued)

Chapter 6 of “Dives in Misericordia” (“Rich in Mercy”) is entitled “Mercy . . . from Generation to Generation.” It continues as follows:

“11. . . . Man rightly fears falling victim to an oppression that will deprive him of his interior freedom, of the possibility of expressing the truth of which he is convinced, of the faith that he professes, of the ability to obey the voice of conscience that tells him the right path to follow. The technical means at the disposal of modern society conceal within themselves not only the possibility of self-destruction through military conflict, but also the possibility of a ‘peaceful’ subjugation of individuals, of environments, of entire societies and of nations, that for one reason or another might prove inconvenient for those who possess the necessary means and are ready to use them without scruple. An instance is the continued existence of torture, systematically used by authority as a means of domination and political oppression and practiced by subordinates with impunity.

“Together with awareness of the biological threat, therefore, there is a growing awareness of yet another threat, even more destructive of what is essentially human, what is intimately bound up with the dignity of the person and his or her right to truth and freedom.”

 

To access the complete document, please visit:

Pope John Paul II: “Dives in Misericordia”

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the ways in which You refresh us through the gift of sleep.

Fr. Mullady on Faith as the Perfect Human Science

“On Oct. 11, 2012, Pope Benedict declared a Year of Faith for the Catholic world. This was in response to the growing secularism pervading nations which formerly were overwhelmingly Christian. The world of the late 20th and early 21st century suffers from two basic flaws, a loss of the sense of personal responsibility in morals and a loss of absolute truths.

“Everything is seen as relative. There seems to be nothing to grasp firmly. This situation is a direct result of a Promethean acceptance of reason and progress as though these things alone can guarantee the final solution of the problem of human truth and even more of human evil. Even more, the affirmation that man can rival God through technology and be the captain of his own soul has mesmerized the human race, befogging the mind and deadening the soul to the good for which God has created man: union with him.”

In a recent commentary, Father Brian Mullady, O.P., reflected on Faith as the perfect human science.

To access Fr. Mullady’s complete post, please visit:

National Catholic Register: Commentary: Faith: The Perfect Human Science (31 DEC 12)

Reflection Starter from Evelyn Underhill

“God is always coming to you in the Sacrament of the Present Moment. Meet and receive Him there with gratitude in that sacrament.” – Evelyn Underhill

“The Little Drummer Boy”

As our Christmas celebration continues, I offer this version of the Harry Simeone Chorale singing “The Little Drummer Boy” (also known as “Carol of the Drum”):

Dives in Misericordia: “Mercy . . . from Generation to Generation” (11)

Chapter 6 of “Dives in Misericordia” (“Rich in Mercy”) is entitled “Mercy . . . from Generation to Generation.” It continues as follows:

“11. Thus, in our world the feeling of being under threat is increasing. There is an increase of that existential fear connected especially, as I said in the encyclical Redemptor hominis, with the prospect of a conflict that in view of today's atomic stockpiles could mean the partial self-destruction of humanity. But the threat does not merely concern what human beings can do to human beings through the means provided by military technology; it also concerns many other dangers produced by a materialistic society which-in spite of ‘humanistic’ declarations-accepts the primacy of things over persons. Contemporary man, therefore, fears that by the use of the means invented by this type of society, individuals and the environment, communities, societies and nations can fall victim to the abuse of power by other individuals, environments and societies. The history of our century offers many examples of this. In spite of all the declarations on the rights of man in his integral dimension, that is to say in his bodily and spiritual existence, we cannot say that these examples belong only to the past.”

 

To access the complete document, please visit:

Pope John Paul II: “Dives in Misericordia”

Background information:

John Paul II: Redemptor Hominis, Encyclical Letter, 4 March 1979

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the beautiful tapestry You are developing as You weave together the various threads that permeate our lives.

Brandon Vogt Interview with Tom Peterson

“Tom Peterson was a successful, award-winning advertising executive for almost three decades. But in 1997, he experienced a profound conversion at a parish retreat that set him in a new direction. He applied his advertising skills to spreading the Gospel and the result was two new media apostolates.

“The first is called VirtueMedia.org, which helps promote the sanctity of life through commercials, websites, and more.

“The other is the one Tom is probably best known for,Catholics Come Home. Featuring high-quality television commercials and a beautiful, dynamic website, Catholics Come Home models the New Evangelization. Dioceses and parishes across the world have used their materials to draw thousands of people back to the Church.”

In a recent post, writer Brandon Vogt presented his recent interview with Tom Peterson. In this interview, Mr. Peterson discussed a number of issues, including discuss his conversion, the Catholics Come Home apostolate, and how active Catholics can help inactive Catholics return to the Church.

To access the complete interview, please visit:

Brandon Vogt: Interview with Tom Peterson – On Catholics Come Home (28 DEC 12)

Reflection Starter from Patrick Henry

“Being a Christian . . . is a character which I prize far above all this world has or can boast. . . . The Bible is a book worth more than all the other books that were ever printed. . . . This is all the inheritance I can give to my dear family. The religion of Christ can give them one, which will make them rich indeed.” – attributed to Patrick Henry

“Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”

As our Christmas celebration continues, I offer this version of “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”: