All posts tagged God

Picturing Pentecost.

Today is Pentecost Sunday. I found this beautiful picture of  Pentecost on the Magnificat page on Facebook.

This illustration of the Pentecost is a detail from “The Seven Joys of Mary,” an oil on wood created around 1480 by Hans Memling (c. 1430 – 1494). Copyright by La Collection / Artothek.

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All of the illustrations in Magnificat’s  book “The Seven Joys of Mary” are taken from Hans Memling’s painting. The book features meditations on our Blessed Mother’s seven joys by Magnificat senior editor, Fr. Romanus Cessario, O.P. The foreword was penned by Cardinal Seán O’Malley, archbishop of Boston.

  • A profound and lively reflection on the Seven Joys of Mary: the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Epiphany, the Resurrection, the Ascension, Pentecost, and the Assumption.
  • A contemplation of the mysteries of Christ’s life, the Church, and the Sacraments, through Mary’s joys, superbly accompanied through the lens of sacred art.
  • An ideal gift for Catholics and for those who wish to understand the mystery of our own salvation. Well suited for adult catechetical instruction and RCIA.
Already on my wishlist.
CELPentecost[1]
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by 1catholicsalmon on May 19, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Bending your ear, The story of Salvation, Year of Faith
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Posted by 1catholicsalmon on May 19, 2013

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A moment that matters.

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Tonight my beloved and I returned from our monthly  prayer group, blessed in the knowledge that our dear friends hold  us close when they pray. We felt comforted not only by the Word of God but cosseted and enfolded in His love through the reaching out of  this small group of workers in The Vineyard: our wonderful prayer group. This group has opened wide a new door of discovery and understanding for us, about the light of love that Our Lord holds over us.

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by 1catholicsalmon on May 14, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in New Evangelisation, Prayer, Spiritual warfare
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Posted by 1catholicsalmon on May 14, 2013

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A moment that mattered.

After a tough week, feeling downtrodden and hopeless, as I walked into Mass this morning, my heart slowly grew lighter. The Mass is the same always and everywhere  no matter how you feel. It remains a constant. Unchanged and unchanging. 2011-09_TheMassIt felt comforting to be in that familiar rhythm, waiting expectantly to receive the Lord, and nothing else really matters.

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by 1catholicsalmon on April 27, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Making choices, Message at Mass, New Evangelisation, Not to be missed., Spiritual warfare, Year of Faith
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Posted by 1catholicsalmon on April 27, 2013

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Francisco’s teaching: feeding us food for thought, the heart the mind and soul.

 

(The Pope’s homily is copied from Vatican News. Emphasis mine)

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1. Jesus enters Jerusalem. The crowd of disciples accompanies him in festive mood, their garments are stretched out before him, there is talk of the miracles he has accomplished, and loud praises are heard: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Lk 19:38).

Crowds, celebrating, praise, blessing, peace: joy fills the air. Jesus has awakened great hopes, especially in the hearts of the simple, the humble, the poor, the forgotten, those who do not matter in the eyes of the world. He understands human sufferings, he has shown the face of God’s mercy, he has bent down to heal body and soul. Now he enters the Holy City! This is Jesus.This is the heart that looks on all of us, watching our illnesses, our sins. The love of Jesus is great. He enters Jerusalem with this love and watches all of us. It is a beautiful scene, the light of the love of Jesus, that light of his heart, joy, celebration.

At the beginning of Mass, we repeated all this. We waved our palms, our olive branches, we sang “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord” (Antiphon); we too welcomed Jesus; we too expressed our joy at accompanying him, at knowing him to be close, present in us and among us as a friend, a brother, and also as a King: that is, a shining beacon for our lives. Jesus is God, but he humbled himself to walk with us. He is our friend, our brother. Here, he enlightens us on the journey. And so today we welcome Him And here the first word that comes to mind is “joy!” Do not be men and women of sadness: a Christian can never be sad! Never give way to discouragement! Ours is not a joy that comes from having many possessions, but from having encountered a Person: Jesus, from knowing that with him we are never alone, even at difficult moments, even when our life’s journey comes up against problems and obstacles that seem insurmountable, and there are so many of them! It is at this time that the enemy comes, the devil comes, often disguised as an angel who insidiously tells us his word. Do not listen to him! We follow Jesus! download (3)

We accompany, we follow Jesus, but above all we know that he accompanies us and carries us on his shoulders. This is our joy, this is the hope that we must bring to this world of ours. Let us bring the joy of the faith to everyone! Let us not be robbed of hope! Let us not be robbed of hope! The hope that Jesus gives us!

2. A second word: why does Jesus enter Jerusalem? Or better: how does Jesus enter Jerusalem? The crowds acclaim him as King. And he does not deny it, he does not tell them to be silent (cf. Lk 19:39-40). But what kind of a King is Jesus? Let us take a look at him: he is riding on a donkey, he is not accompanied by a court, he is not surrounded by an army as a symbol of power. He is received by humble people, simple folk, who sense that there is more to Jesus, who have the sense of faith that says, “This is the Savior.” Jesus does not enter the Holy City to receive the honours reserved to earthly kings, to the powerful, to rulers; he enters to be scourged, insulted and abused, as Isaiah foretold in the First Reading (cf. Is 50:6). He enters to receive a crown of thorns, a staff, a purple robe: his kingship becomes an object of derision. He enters to climb Calvary, carrying his burden of wood. And this brings us to the second word: Cross. Jesus enters Jerusalem in order to die on the Cross. And it is here that his kingship shines forth in godly fashion: his royal throne is the wood of the Cross!

I think of what Benedict XVI said to the cardinals: “You are princes but of a Crucified King”that is Christ’s throne. Jesus takes it upon himself..why? Why the Cross? Jesus takes upon himself the evil, the filth, the sin of the world, including our own sin, and he cleanses it, he cleanses it with his blood, with the mercy and the love of God. Let us look around: how many wounds are inflicted upon humanity by evil! Wars, violence, economic conflicts that hit the weakest, greed for money, which no-one can bring with him.

My grandmother would say to us children, no shroud has pockets! Greed for money, power, corruption, divisions, crimes against human life and against creation! And – each of us knows well – our personal sins: our failures in love and respect towards God, towards our neighbour and towards the whole of creation. Jesus on the Cross feels the whole weight of the evil, and with the force of God’s love he conquers it, he defeats it with his resurrection. This is the good that Christ brings to all of us from the Cross, his throne. Christ’s Cross embraced with love does not lead to sadness, but to joy! The joy of being saved and doing a little bit what he did that day of his death.

3. Today in this Square, there are many young people: for 28 years Palm Sunday has been World Youth Day! This is our third word: youth!

Dear young people, I think of you celebrating around Jesus, waving your olive branches. I think of you crying out his name and expressing your joy at being with him! You have an important part in the celebration of faith! You bring us the joy of faith and you tell us that we must live the faith with a young heart, always, even at the age of seventy or eighty.! A young heart! With Christ, the heart never grows old! Yet all of us, all of you know very well that the King whom we follow and who accompanies us is very special: he is a King who loves even to the Cross and who teaches us to serve and to love. And you are not ashamed of his Cross! On the contrary, you embrace it, because you have understood that it is in giving ourselves that we have true joy and that God has conquered evil through love.

You carry the pilgrim Cross through all the Continents, along the highways of the world! You carry it in response to Jesus’ call: “Go, make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19), which is the theme of World Youth Day this year. You carry it so as to tell everyone that on the Cross Jesus knocked down the wall of enmity that divides people and nations, and he brought reconciliation and peace. download (2)

Dear friends, I too am setting out on a journey with you, from today, in the footsteps of Blessed John Paul II and Benedict XVI. We are already close to the next stage of this great pilgrimage of Christ’s Cross. I look forward joyfully to next July in Rio de Janeiro! I will see you in that great city in Brazil! Prepare well – prepare spiritually above all – in your communities, so that our gathering in Rio may be a sign of faith for the whole world. Young people need to tell the world: “It is good to follow Jesus, it is good to go with Jesus, the message of Jesus is good, it is good to come out of ourselves, from the edges of existence of the world and to bring Jesus to others!”

Three words: Joy, Cross and Youth.Let us ask the intercession of the Virgin Mary. She teaches us the joy of meeting Christ, the love with which we must look to the foot of the Cross, the enthusiasm of the young heart with which we must follow him during this Holy Week and throughout our lives.

Amen.

The Catholic Herald comments on the Holy Father’s first Palm Sunday  Mass.

 

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by 1catholicsalmon on March 24, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Message at Mass, New Evangelisation, The story of Salvation, Year of Faith
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Posted by 1catholicsalmon on March 24, 2013

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The real question is what CHOICE do each of us make in meeting our spiritual challenges?

I found this quote here that spoke so clearly to me immediately:

I believe the Catholic Church provides many opportunities to focus on the Gospels. Actually being in the pew is the first step. An active Catholic participates, seeks out information, and is engaged in the many activities, including charitable causes.

If a person joins an organization by signing their name, seldom attends the meetings, never volunteers, and is not in sync with the group’s basic principles, would they be considered an active member?

The real question is what CHOICE do each of us make in meeting our spiritual challenges?

Are you one of the ‘Cafe Catholics’ who has not darkened the door of the church for some time or who has little knowledge about Christ at the centre of His Church? Has your knowledge of Faith stagnated and become fuzzy, so you just add little bits into your ‘faith’ because it feels more comfortable to do so, and fits into your understanding of a relationship of Jesus? Are you unsure about the truth of the Faith? Do you cringe and turn away from those who criticise the Church and end up agreeing with others’ statements about Jesus and what He teaches just to end a conversation? Do you have serious grievances against the Church which have never been heard? Do you generally go to church at Christmas and Easter but couldn’t be bothered to go to Confession or to receive Holy Communion? Do you feel uncomfortable about secular issues but can’t put you finger on why you feel this way?  Do you openly criticise the tenets of ‘church and faith’ as a catholic?

There are so many inactive Catholics who have signed up and call themselves catholic! So many who are missing out on an exciting Spiritual Journey of Discovery:- the discovery of our Loving God and who He is, and how He can change our hearts and minds and make us notice things we’ve never recognised about Him before.  Get active in your parish!… search for our Lord. He is to be found there…in our midst. Search for the answers to your Spiritual Challenges. Be prepared for changes that will most certainly come your way.

What better way is there to do this than by getting involved with a group or setting up a new group in your parish? I have had the pleasure of  meeting many interesting people with many interesting talents with so much LOVE for our Lord. So much love to give. His Love oozes from them and in turn we are moved by His actions in them. We meet Him in them. It is in this way that we broaden our continuously growing knowledge of Love and how we understand this Love more in our giving to others . This well of Knowledge is deep and unending. The breadth and scope of what always seems to remain undiscovered spreads out in vast plains before us the more we search and thirst for our loving Father.

The youth of the parish exude a love for life asking urgent, challenging questions. The elderly preserve precious Traditions of the Church and in so doing, help us to understand those Traditions and grow more in love with our Lord. Our contemporaries support us in our Journey with a shoulder to lean on, prayers and understanding.

Parishes are built up  and made stronger by those who volunteer their talents for the sake of others. It is there that we learn to understand the meaning of humility and tolerance for others that little bit more each and every time we’re involved. It is there that we have the opportunity to share our experiences of the Lord and our love of Him with others in a way that only He can do, and in so doing you can move someone into a deeper relationship with Him. It is there that we are accepted and loved for who we are without any prerequisites or judgement. It is there that we build up the Church on earth. We are the Body  of Christ on earth.images (1)Catholic parishes are full to the brim with a cross-section of cultures and life experiences  with the Lord Jesus. Surely these experiences only work to build links and open invitations to getting to know God in yet again in another way through them? It is only there that you are exposed to the love given and received by your parish priest in ways sometimes most unexpected. You become witness to the many roles that you priest takes on a daily basis. The most important being: bringing Christ to those he is in contact with. Yes, you see Him at Mass and listen to him share the Gospels on a Sunday and hopefully, teaching about the Truth of our Faith: Jesus himself. Have you really listened to the Gospels for a message  pointed straight at you? Have you chosen to listen to the Word of God?

I have been privileged to meet some of the most inspirational priests, religious and lay people who are experts in their fields who can go a long way in answering those burning questions about Jesus that may have simmered for so long. The Journey is slow, gentle and welcoming. Just make the CHOICE to be active in your Faith. Active in your parish and in so doing in the wider the community. Make the CHOICE to get to know Jesus.

What better way to make up your mind about coming back into The Fold: Finding out about what’s new in the Church, how God is working in Her midst, finding Peace and restitution in God’s provision of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and then of course, Christ himself in the  Eucharist. Have you thought about making an appointment with your parish priest to ask questions, ask for guidance or ask your challenging Spiritual questions? I think you may be pleasantly surprised.

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Fancy the idea of making a change for the better? Come back to Church!

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by 1catholicsalmon on March 23, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in A fish out of water., Bending your ear, Making choices, Message at Mass, New Evangelisation, Not to be missed., Sacred Tradition, Spiritual warfare, The story of Salvation, Year of Faith
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Posted by 1catholicsalmon on March 23, 2013

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Laetare Sunday – Reconciliation at the heart of the Gospel

Laetare SundayLaetare or Rose Sunday. We are over half the way to Easter, and we get to relax and rejoice a little.

 

MASS READINGS for March 10, 2013 (Fourth Sunday of Lent – Laetare)

I. FIRST READING: Joshua 5:9a.10-12.

While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth of the month.
On the day after the Passover they ate of the produce of the land in the form of unleavened cakes and parched grain. On that same day
after the Passover on which they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. No longer was there manna for the Israelites, who that year ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.
Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB

II. PSALM: Psalms 34(33):2-3.4-5.6-7.

I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
The lowly will hear me and be glad.
Glorify the LORD with me,
Let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
And delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
And your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
And from all his distress he saved him.
Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB

II. SECOND READING: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.

Brothers and sisters: Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.
And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB

III. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 15:1-3.11-32.

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them he addressed this parable.
Then he said, “A man had two sons,
and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them.
After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need.
So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any.
Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”‘
So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began.
Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’
He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.”

The Prodigal Son returns

The Prodigal Son returns

Reconciliation is also at the heart of the story Jesus tells in today’s Gospel. The story of the prodigal son is the story of Israel and of the human race. But it is also the story of every believer.

Scott Hahn

 

 

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by 1catholicsalmon on March 10, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Intercession, Message at Mass, Sacred Tradition, The story of Salvation, Year of Faith
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Posted by 1catholicsalmon on March 10, 2013

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‘…Then, in a rare gesture and sign of respect, the bishops removed their mitres.’

Pope Benedict – still teaching!

At his last public Mass as Pope, Benedict XVI showed both his generous humanity and his commitment to liturgical integrity. From theAssociated Press:

Smiling and clearly moved, Benedict responded, “Grazie. Now let us return to prayer” — his words bringing to an end several minutes of thundering applause. Then, in a rare gesture and sign of respect, the bishops removed their mitres.

The Pope is no fan of applause at Mass, because it reveals a focus on man rather than the God who is to be worshipped at Mass. Nevertheless, he acknowledged the need of the faithful assembled to make a gesture of gratitude and affection, given the short notice leading up to what has become his last public Mass. Still, when he judged the time ripe, he called them all back to God.

Thus the bishops’ gesture is all the more striking: a profound sign of respect that did not disturb the theocentric ambience of worship. Clever bishops.

And then, his teaching…

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Today, Ash Wednesday, we begin the liturgical time of Lent, forty days that prepare us for the celebration of Holy Easter, it is a time of particular commitment in our spiritual journey. The number forty occurs several times in the Bible. In particular, it recalls the forty years that the Israelites wandered in the wilderness: a long period of formation to become the people of God, but also a long period in which the temptation to be unfaithful to the covenant with the Lord was always present. Forty were also the days of the Prophet Elijah’s journey to reach the Mount of God, Horeb; as well as the time that Jesus spent in the desert before beginning his public life and where he was tempted by the devil. In this Catechesis I would like to dwell on this moment of earthly life of the Son of God, which we will read of in the Gospel this Sunday.

First of all, the desert, where Jesus withdrew to, is the place of silence, of poverty, where man is deprived of material support and is placed in front of the fundamental questions of life, where he is pushed to towards the essentials in life and for this very reason it becomes easier for him to find God. But the desert is also a place of death, because where there is no water there is no life, and it is a place of solitude where man feels temptation more intensely. Jesus goes into the desert, and there is tempted to leave the path indicated by God the Father to follow other easier and worldly paths (cf. Lk 4:1-13). So he takes on our temptations and carries our misery, to conquer evil and open up the path to God, the path of conversion.

In reflecting on the temptations Jesus is subjected to in the desert we are invited, each one of us, to respond to one fundamental question: what is truly important in our lives? In the first temptation the devil offers to change a stone into bread to sate Jesus’ hunger. Jesus replies that the man also lives by bread but not by bread alone: ​​without a response to the hunger for truth, hunger for God, man can not be saved (cf. vv. 3-4). In the second, the devil offers Jesus the path of power: he leads him up on high and gives him dominion over the world, but this is not the path of God: Jesus clearly understands that it is not earthly power that saves the world, but the power of the Cross, humility, love (cf. vv. 5-8). In the third, the devil suggests Jesus throw himself down from the pinnacle of the Temple of Jerusalem and be saved by God through his angels, that is, to do something sensational to test God, but the answer is that God is not an object on which to impose our conditions: He is the Lord of all (cf. vv. 9-12). What is the core of the three temptations that Jesus is subjected to? It is the proposal to exploit God, to use Him for his own interests, for his own glory and success. So, in essence, to put himself in the place of God, removing Him from his own existence and making him seem superfluous. Everyone should then ask: what is the role God in my life? Is He the Lord or am I?

Overcoming the temptation to place God in submission to oneself and one’s own interests or to put Him in a corner and converting oneself to the proper order of priorities, giving God the first place, is a journey that every Christian must undergo. “Conversion”, an invitation that we will hear many times in Lent, means following Jesus in so that his Gospel is a real life guide, it means allowing God transform us, no longer thinking that we are the only protagonists of our existence, recognizing that we are creatures who depend on God, His love, and that only by “losing” our life in Him can we truly have it. This means making our choices in the light of the Word of God. Today we can no longer be Christians as a simple consequence of the fact that we live in a society that has Christian roots: even those born to a Christian family and formed in the faith must, each and every day, renew the choice to be a Christian, to give God first place, before the temptations continuously suggested by a secularized culture, before the criticism of many of our contemporaries.

The tests which modern society subjects Christians to, in fact, are many, and affect the personal and social life. It is not easy to be faithful to Christian marriage, practice mercy in everyday life, leave space for prayer and inner silence, it is not easy to publicly oppose choices that many take for granted, such as abortion in the event of an unwanted pregnancy, euthanasia in case of serious illness, or the selection of embryos to prevent hereditary diseases. The temptation to set aside one’s faith is always present and conversion becomes a response to God which must be confirmed several times throughout one’s life.

The major conversions like that of St. Paul on the road to Damascus, or St. Augustine, are an example and stimulus, but also in our time when the sense of the sacred is eclipsed, God’s grace is at work and works wonders in life of many people. The Lord never gets tired of knocking at the door of man in social and cultural contexts that seem engulfed by secularization, as was the case for the Russian Orthodox Pavel Florensky. After acompletely agnostic education, to the point he felt an outright hostility towards religious teachings taught in school, the scientist Florensky came to exclaim: “No, you can not live without God”, and to change his life completely, so much so he became a monk.

I also think the figure of Etty Hillesum, a young Dutch woman of Jewish origin who died in Auschwitz. Initially far from God, she found Him looking deep inside herself and wrote: “There is a well very deep inside of me. And God is in that well. Sometimes I can reach Him, more often He is covered by stone and sand: then God is buried. We must dig Him up again “(Diary, 97). In her scattered and restless life, she finds God in the middle of the great tragedy of the twentieth century, the Shoah. This young fragile and dissatisfied woman, transfigured by faith, becomes a woman full of love and inner peace, able to say: “I live in constant intimacy with God.”

The ability to oppose the ideological blandishments of her time to choose the search for truth and open herself up to the discovery of faith is evidenced by another woman of our time, the American Dorothy Day. In her autobiography, she confesses openly to having given in to the temptation that everything could be solved with politics, adhering to the Marxist proposal: “I wanted to be with the protesters, go to jail, write, influence others and leave my dreams to the world. How much ambition and how much searching for myself in all this!”. The journey towards faith in such a secularized environment was particularly difficult, but Grace acts nonetheless, as she points out: “It is certain that I felt the need to go to church more often, to kneel, to bow my head in prayer. A blind instinct, one might say, because I was not conscious of praying. But I went, I slipped into the atmosphere of prayer … “. God guided her to a conscious adherence to the Church, in a lifetime spent dedicated to the underprivileged.

In our time there are no few conversions understood as the return of those who, after a Christian education, perhaps a superficial one, moved away from the faith for years and then rediscovered Christ and his Gospel. In the Book of Revelation we read: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, [then] I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me”(3, 20). Our inner person must prepare to be visited by God, and for this reason we should allow ourselves be invaded by illusions, by appearances, by material things.

In this time of Lent, in the Year of the faith, we renew our commitment to the process of conversion, to overcoming the tendency to close in on ourselves and instead, to making room for God, looking at our daily reality with His eyes. The alternative between being wrapped up in our egoism and being open to the love of God and others, we could say corresponds to the alternatives to the temptations of Jesus: the alternative, that is, between human power and love of the Cross, between a redemption seen only in material well-being and redemption as the work of God, to whom we give primacy in our lives. Conversion means not closing in on ourselves in the pursuit of success, prestige, position, but making sure that each and every day, in the small things, truth, faith in God and love become most important.

Text via Vatican Radio translation.

 

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by 1catholicsalmon on February 13, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Badge of Honour, Sacred Tradition, Year of Faith
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Posted by 1catholicsalmon on February 13, 2013

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Prophetic Witness.

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…We need prophetic witnesses. We need people who in their way of life challenge the prevailing false ideologies bearing upon the production, distribution, and use of material goods. We need lived prophecy.

…The basic presuppositions of the population must change first. Ideological structures undergird and support laws and other structures. (my emphasis)

We therefore need pilgrim witnesses. We need joyous, loving men and women to show in their lives that one can live a sparing-sharing lifestyle and still be happy and fulfilled. We need to induce conversion into the masses first by example, then by word—really, by both simultaneously. 

—Fr. Thomas Dubay

From his book “Happy Are You Poor”. Find this book on our site here: http://goo.gl/FjB1k

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by 1catholicsalmon on February 2, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by 1catholicsalmon on February 2, 2013

http://1catholicsalmon.com/2013/02/02/prophetic-witness/

Quotes from the great St. Paul

“For I am already on the paint of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”
― Saint Paul

Theophanes_the_Cretan_-_St_Paul_-_WGA22199“Where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty.”
― Saint Paul

“For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. – Ephesians 6:12”
― Saint Paul, The Epistles of Paul and Acts of the Apostles

 

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by 1catholicsalmon on January 25, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by 1catholicsalmon on January 25, 2013

http://1catholicsalmon.com/2013/01/25/quotes-from-the-great-st-paul/

Week of prayer for Christian unity: What does God require of us?

Week of prayer for Christian unity 2013

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2013 comes to us from an ecumenical group in South India. They have reflected upon their own context and offer to us a theme that calls us to respond to the obligations to act justly in the world. The text is taken from Micah 6.6-8.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally observed from the 18th to the 25th January – the octave of St. Peter and St. Paul. However, some areas observe it at Pentecost or some other time. To allow for local decision making, the material has only the year on it and the days are denoted by the numbers one to eight, so you can use it at any time of year.

An interesting document I found on the website for Churches together in Britain and Ireland. I’ve highlighted the themes decided upon for the Week of Prayer for Christian unity. I love the fact that decisions  about the themes and prayers etc, are made in so many different countries from all sides of the globe. This years resources have been collated in India.

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
www.ctbi.org.uk/weekofprayer 1

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

THEMES 1968-2012: I find these inspirational to say the least, AND KEY DATES IN THE HISTORY OF THE WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY 

In 1968, materials jointly prepared by the WCC Faith and Order Commission and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity were first used.

1968 To the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1: 14)  Pour la louange de sa gloire

1969 Called to freedom (Galatians 5: 13)  Appelés à la liberté  (Preparatory meeting held in Rome, Italy)

1970 We are fellow workers for God (1 Corinthians 3: 9)  Nous sommes les coopérateurs de Dieu (Preparatory meeting held at the Monastery of Niederaltaich, Federal Republic of Germany)

1971 …and the communion of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13: 13)  et la communion du Saint-Esprit

1972  I give you a new commandment (John 13: 34)    (Preparatory meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland)

1973  Lord, teach us to pray (Luke 11: 1) (Preparatory meeting held at the Abbey of Montserrat, Spain)

1974 That every tongue confess: Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2: 1-13) (Preparatory meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland)

1975  God’s purpose: all things in Christ (Ephesians 1: 3-10)  (Material from an Australian group. Preparatory meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland)

1976  We shall be like him (1 John 3: 2) or, Called to become what we are Appelés a devenir ce que nous sommes (Material from Caribbean Conference of Churches. Preparatory meeting held in Rome, Italy)

1977 Enduring together in hope (Romans 5: 1-5)  (Material from Lebanon, in the midst of a civil war. Preparatory meeting held in Geneva)

1978  No longer strangers (Ephesians 2: 13-22) Vous n’êtes plus des étrangers  (Material from an ecumenical team in Manchester, England)  1979 Serve one another to the glory of God (l Peter 4: 7-11)  Soyez au service les uns des autres pour la gloire de Dieu  (Material from Argentina – preparatory meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland) Churches Together in Britain and Ireland Week of Prayer for Christian Unity  www.ctbi.org.uk/weekofprayer 2

1980 Your kingdom come (Matthew 6: 10) Que ton règne vienne! (Material from an ecumenical group in Berlin,

German Democratic Republic -preparatory meeting held in Milan)

1981 One Spirit – many gifts – one body (1 Corinthians 12: 3b-13)  Un seul esprit – des dons divers – un seul corps

(Material from Graymoor Fathers, USA – preparatory  meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland)

1982  May all find their home in you, O Lord (Psalm 84)  Que tous trouvent leur demeure en Toi, Seigneur  (Material from Kenya – preparatory meeting held in Milan, Italy)

1983  Jesus Christ – the Life of the World (1 John 1: 1-4)  Jesus Christ – La Vie du Monde  (Material from an ecumenical group in Ireland – preparatory meeting

held in Céligny (Bossey), Switzerland)

1984  Called to be one through the cross of our Lord (1 Cor 2: 2 and Col 1: 20)  Appelés à l’unité par la croix de notre Seigneur (Preparatory meeting held in Venice, Italy)

1985  From death to life with Christ (Ephesians 2: 4-7)
De la mort à la vie avec le Christ (Material from Jamaica – preparatory meeting held in Grandchamp, Switzerland)

1986  You shall be my witnesses (Acts 1: 6-8)  Vous serez mes témoins (Material from Yugoslavia (Slovenia), preparatory meeting held in Yugoslavia)

1987  United in Christ – a New Creation (2 Corinthians 5: 17-6: 4a)  Unis dans le Christ – une nouvelle création  (Material from England, preparatory meeting held in Taizé, France)

1988  The love of God casts out fear (1 John 4: 18)  L’Amour de Dieu bannit la Crainte  (Material from Italy – preparatory meeting held in Pinerolo, Italy)

1989 Building community: one body in Christ (Romans 12: 5-6a)  Bâtir la communauté: Un seul corps en Christ

(Material from Canada – preparatory meeting held in Whaley Bridge, England)

1990 That they all may be one…That the world may believe (John 17)  Que tous soient un…Afin que le monde croie (Material from Spain – preparatory meeting held in Madrid, Spain)

1991  Praise the Lord, all you nations! (Psalm 117 and Romans 15: 5-13) Nations, louez toutes le Seigneur (Material from Germany – preparatory meeting held in Rotenburg  an der Fulda, Federal Republic of Germany)

1992 I am with you always … Go, therefore (Matthew 28: 16-20) Je suis avec vous…allez donc  (Material from Belgium – preparatory meeting held in Bruges, Belgium)

1993 Bearing the fruit of the Spirit for Christian unity (Galatians 5: 22-23)  Pour l’unité: laisser mûrir en nous les fruits de l’Esprit Churches Together in Britain and Ireland Week of Prayer for Christian Unity  www.ctbi.org.uk/weekofprayer 3 (Material from Zaire – preparatory meeting held near Zurich, Switzerland)

1994 The household of God: called to be one in heart and mind (Acts 4: 23-37)  La maison de Dieu: Appelés à être un dans le coeur et dans l’esprit  (Material from Ireland – preparatory meeting held in Dublin, Republic of Ireland)

1995 Koinonia: communion in God and with one another (John 15: 1-17)  La koinonia: communion en Dieu et les uns avec les autres  (Material from Faith and Order, preparatory meeting held in Bristol, England)

1996 Behold, I stand at the door and knock (Revelation 3: 14-22) Je me tiens à la porte et je frappe  (Preparatory material from Portugal, meeting held in Lisbon, Portugal)

1997 We entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5: 20)  Au nom du Christ, laissez-vous réconcilier avec Dieu  (Material from Nordic Ecumenical Council, preparatory meeting held in Stockholm, Sweden)

1998 The Spirit helps us in our weakness (Romans 8: 14-27)  L’Esprit aussi vient en aide à notre faiblesse  (Preparatory material from France, meeting held in Paris, France)

1999  He will dwell with them as their God, they will be his peoples  (Revelation 21: 1-7)  Dieu demeurera avec eux. Ils seront ses peuples  et lui sera le Dieu qui est avec eux  (Preparatory material from Malaysia, meeting held in Monastery of Bose, Italy)

2000  Blessed be God who has blessed us in Christ (Ephesians 1: 3-14)  Béni soit Dieu, qui nous a bénis en Christ (Preparatory material from the Middle East Council of Churches, meeting  held La Verna, Italy)

2001 I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life (John 14: 1-6) Je suis le chemin, et la vérité et la vie  (Preparatory material from Romania and meeting held at Vulcan, Romania)

2002 For with you is the fountain of life (Psalm 36: 5-9)  Car chez toi est la fontaine de la vie (Psalm 35, 6-10)

(Preparatory material CEEC and CEC, meeting near Augsburg, Germany)

2003 We have this treasure in clay jars (2 Corinthians 4: 4-18)  Car nous avons ce trésor dans des vases d’argile

(Preparatory material churches in Argentina, meeting at Los Rubios, Spain)

2004 My peace I give to you (John 14: 23-31; John 14: 27)  Je vous donne ma paix

(Preparatory material from Aleppo, Syria – meeting in Palermo, Sicily)

2005 Christ, the one foundation of the church (1 Corinthians 3 1-23)  Le Christ, unique fondement de l’Eglise

(Preparatory material from Slovakia – meeting in Piestaňy, Slovakia)

2006  Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them  (Matthew 18: 18-20)  Là où deux ou trois se trouvent réunis en mon nom, je suis au milieu d’eux. (Preparatory material from Ireland – meeting held in Prosperous, Co. Kildare, Ireland) Churches Together in Britain and Ireland Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

http://www.ctbi.org.uk/weekofprayer 4

2007  He even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak (Mark 7: 31-37) Il fait entendre les sourds et parler les muets  (Preparatory material from South Africa – meeting held in Faverges, France)

2008 Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5: (12a) 13b-18) Priez sans cesse  (Preparatory material from USA – meeting held in Graymoor, Garrison, USA) 

2009 That they may become one in your hand (Ezekiel 37: 15-28)  Ils seront unis dans ta main  (Preparatory material from Korea – meeting held in Marseilles, France)  

2010 You are witnesses of these things (Luke 24: 48)  de tout cela, c’est vous qui êtes les témoins  (Preparatory material from Scotland – meeting held in Glasgow, Scotland) 

2011 One in the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer (cf. Acts 2:42) Unis dans l’enseignement des apôtres, la communion fraternelle, la fraction du pain et la prière  (Preparatory material from Jerusalem – meeting held in Saydnaya, Syria) 

2012 We will all be Changed by the Victory of our Lord Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Cor 15: 51-58) « Tous, nous serons transformés par la victoire de notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ  TITRE FRANÇAIS EN ATTENTE DE CONFIRMATION  (Preparatory material from Poland – meeting held in Warsaw, Poland)
KEY DATES IN THE HISTORY OF THE WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
c.1740 In Scotland a Pentecostal movement arose, with North American links, whose
revivalist message included prayers for and with all churches.

1820 The Rev. James Haldane Stewart publishes “Hints for the General Union of Christians for the Outpouring of the Spirit”.

1840 The Rev. Ignatius Spencer, a convert to Roman Catholicism, suggests a ‘Union of Prayer for Unity’.

1867 The First Lambeth Conference of Anglican Bishops emphasizes prayer for unity in the Preamble to its Resolutions. 

1894 Pope Leo XIII encourages the practice of a Prayer Octave for Unity in the context of Pentecost.

1908 First observance of the ‘Church Unity Octave’ initiated by the Rev. Paul Wattson.

1926 The Faith and Order movement begins publishing “Suggestions for an Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity”.

1935 Abbé Paul Couturier of France advocates the ‘Universal Week of Prayer for Christian Unity’ on the inclusive basis of prayer for “the unity Christ wills by the means he wills”.

1958 Unité Chrétienne (Lyons, France) and the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches begin co-operative preparation of materials for the Week of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland Week of Prayer for Christian Unity http://www.ctbi.org.uk/weekofprayer 5

1964 In Jerusalem, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras I prayed together Jesus’ prayer “that they all may be one” (John 17).

1964 The Decree on Ecumenism of Vatican II emphasizes that prayer is the soul of the ecumenical movement and encourages observance of the Week of Prayer.

1966 The Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches and the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity [now known as the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity] begin official joint preparation of the Week of Prayer material.

1968 First official use of Week of Prayer material prepared jointly by Faith and Order and the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity [now known as the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity]

1975 First use of Week of Prayer material based on a draft text prepared by a local ecumenical group. An Australian group was the first to take up this plan in preparing the 1975 initial draft.

1988 Week of Prayer materials were used in the inaugural worship for The Christian Federation of Malaysia, which links the major Christian groupings in that country.

1994 International group preparing text for 1996 included representatives from YMCA and YWCA.

2004 Agreement reached that resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity be
jointly published and produced in the same format by Faith and Order (WCC) and
the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (Catholic Church).

2008 Commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. (Its predecessor, the Church Unity Octave, was first observed in 1908)

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by 1catholicsalmon on January 20, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by 1catholicsalmon on January 20, 2013

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