Newly Canonized Saints

Note: For an updated list of the recent canonizations, please click here.

Józef Bilczewski
Gaetano Catanoso
Zygmunt Gorazdowski
Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga
Felix of Nicosia

These people are, like all other saints, true role models showing us that belief in Christ and following his Church is essential to Heaven. Follow the Church's teachings on all Dogmas and matters of faith including birth control, stem cell research, euthanasia, salvation, grace, the Sacraments, and all other issues.

"Wrong is wrong, even if everyone else is doing it. Right is right, even if no one else is doing it."- St. Augustine

Image Source: Photo believed to be in the Public Domain

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Summary on the Synod Final Update

I haven't followed the Synod too closely, but I wanted to post a summary of some Synod news for readers. This Synod is a three week assembly on the Eucharist and the first synod under Pope Benedict XVI during what better time than during the end of the Year of the Eucharist.

Note: Links below are to the National Catholic Reporter. I do not endorse all - even most - of the content.

1. Priest shortage is first concern (10/3)
2. Topic of Divorced/Remarried Catholics takes center stage (10/5)
3. The environment and social justice emerge as topics (10/6)
4. Outreach to Latin Mass Catholics (10/15)
5. How is Jesus present in the Eucharist? (10/17)
6. Day of Reflection and Adoration (10/17)
7. Draft on 50 propositions presented (10/18) (287 propositions originally submitted)
8. No changes on Church discipline recommended (10/18)
9. 50 Propositions released (10/22)
10. End of the Synod (10/23)

Year of the Eucharist ends (10/23)

This Sunday the Year of the Eucharist formally ended, but I pray that love for Christ truly present (Body, blood, soul, and divinity) in the Holy Eucharist might not end. For continued information on the Eucharist visit the Year of the Eucharist Website. Also, at the closing Mass for the Year of the Eucharist, Pope Benedict XVI officially declared five individuals as saints. Read Our Holy Father's homily

"For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread. And giving thanks, broke, and said: Take ye, and eat: this is my body, which shall be delivered for you: this do for the commemoration of me. In like manner also the chalice, after he had supped, saying: This chalice is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as often as you shall drink, for the commemoration of me. For as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord, until he come. Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord. Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep" (1 Cor. 11:23-30).

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World Catholic Population: 2003

 

With statistics now out for 2003, the Catholic population grew by 15 million and on all continents but Europe where it fell be slightly over 200,000. I pray the Church grows and all Christians become united in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church one day. Only through prayer and example can we make Christ's prayer in the Garden true: "...That they might be one."

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Living Rosary

Today is World Mission Sunday and a day centered on living our lives for God as the Mass readings today illustrate the two greatest commandments.

At Mass this Sunday I was very happy to participate in a Rosary service called the "Living Rosary". I was originally told to lead the Rosary, but another person decided to be the leader a few days ago instead of me. Overall, it went beautifully. The event began as a tribute to Mary and a close to the Year of the Eucharist during the 6th and 7th grade religious education classes' annual Mass. Through the living Rosary a person comes to represent each bead of the Rosary and he/she takes a rose and stands around the Church after each prayer. After the CCD (religious ed.) students each took one rose and gathered around the Church, members of the congregation slowly rose from their pews to join them; at the end I also was in the circle around the church with a rose all praying the Rosary to Our Blessed Mother. At the end both old and young alike stood together making a circle around the Church praying the Rosary.

I admit that I was there nearly 2 hours (this being my second Mass for the day), but it was an amazing spiritual experience.

Image Source: Believed to be in the public domain

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Update on a Lost Rosary

Well, it's been one week since someone took my Rosary from Mass along with a prayer booklet of mine. I thank everyone for their prayers, but I have not found it. After Mass today I talked with several people from Father to the ushers to the cantor. All were very hurt that such a thing happened and I truly appreciate their support. I hope that whoever does have it is using it since I doubt I can ever find it.

After Mass, Father said he wanted me to take a Rosary he found to make up for mine. It is very, very nice and has turquoise beads and a medal of St. Patrick that says, "Pray for us". I thanked him deeply for such a great Rosary, and the cantor also wants to bring me a Rosary - this one from Fatima. Now I'm trying to find the same prayer booklet of St. Padre Pio themed on the Eucharist online because Father has offered to order it for me.

Thanks for all of your prayers. I'll keep everyone posted on my Rosary.

God bless

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Don't Support "Save Lids to Save Lives"

The program "Save Lids to Save lives" on Yoplait Yogurt containers should not be supported. The money donated goes to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and I was going to send some lids away because for every lid $0.10 goes to the foundation. However, I did some research and discovered this Foundation is a supporter of abortion.

"The Komen Foundation took in $153 million in 2003, and much of it probably went to finance good causes. But in 2003 the foundation also donated $475,000 to Planned Parenthood, America’s largest abortion provider" (Source: Toronoto Free Press).

Update: According to LifeNews in December 2006, the Susan G. Komen foundation gave more donations to Planned Parenthood.

As Catholics and Christians or even people of other faiths that value life from God, we must not support abortion in any way. Abortion, no matter what way you look at it, ends with death - death not in accordance with God's time but with our own. Abortion should be considered murder, and I can not send away anything to any foundation financing, even in part, such a horrible cause.

January 2012 Update: The National Office (not affiliates) have at least temporarily suspended donations to Planned Parenthood.

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Are Saints Alive?

God is the God of the living. As Matthew 22:32 says: " 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.'" Our souls never die or "sleep" but after death, we are judged. Those that enter Heaven live in joy forever. These are saints. Also, when Moses and Elijah appeared at Jesus' transfiguration, were they not alive in God or were those simply manifestations that Jesus called forth? It's clear they were alive.

After a whole chapter describing the ancient people of faith in Hebrews 11, Hebrews 12:1 goes on to say, "Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses..." What possible interpretation can anyone give but that those who have died are aware of us and are watching us?

We worship Christ as God's Son; we love the martyrs as the Lord's disciples and imitators, and rightly so because of their matchless devotion towards their king and master. May we also be their companions and fellow disciples! (Martyrium Polycarpi, 17: Apostolic Fathers II/3,396.)

The Dying St. Dominic to his brethren: "Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life."

Some also claim that praying the presence of statues of saints is wrong, but God commanded the people in the Old Testament to create icons when he told them to make gold statues of angels in Exodus 25. We just pray in their presence to remind us of them as we would look at a photograph of someone. Believe me, I do not and will never pray to a statue! Look to Numbers 21:8 and 1 Kings 6:18

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Saintly Discussion Topic: St. Teresa of Jesus

The winner in our poll for the next saintly topic was St. Teresa of Jesus (also called St. Teresa of Avila) who is a Doctor of the Church and a Carmelite. We recently celebrated her feast day on Oct. 15th. She was the first woman to be declared a Doctor of the Church in 1970 and in 1660 she was canonized a saint by Pope Gregory XV.

One part of her life:

Much of St. Teresa's life was plagued by illness. In 1538 it appears she suffered from malaria when her father took her from the convent and placed her under doctors care. Despite of this she remained ill and undertook experimental cures by a woman in the town of Becedas. These methods left her in a coma for three days and not able to walk for three years. It was during this time of illness and convalescence that she took to daily mental prayer, which led to her experiences with mystical prayer. She credited her recovery to St. Joseph. (SOURCE)

I think she shows us what many saints do is that it is not what happens to us in the beginning that makes us a saint but what we do about it. We are all called to be saints and the only way we do is if we trust in the Cross and pray that our actions show that God's will, not our own will, may be done.

She is the patron saint of bodily ills, headaches, lacemakers, laceworkers, loss of parents, opposition of Church authorities, people in need of grace, people in religious orders, people ridiculed for their piety, sick people, sickness, Spain

"My Lord, if you did not cover Your Greatness, who would dare to come to You so often to join a soul so full of misery with Your ineffable Majesty? May you always be blessed, O my God! The Angels, all creatures praise you for having adjusted Your mysteries to our weaknesses, so that we may enjoy Your riches without terrifying us with Your great power. Poor and fragile creatures that we are, we would never have dared approach you."(St. Teresa of Jesus)

Let's try and follow her advice: "You ought to make every effort to free yourselves even from venial sin, and to do what is most perfect," because as Christ, Our Lord and God, taught, all sin is wrong and we should rather take away our hand than have be sent eternally away from His love. Even if you believe so or not, it is His love that consumes us and makes us whole.

Image Source: Believed to be in the public domain, title unknown

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It's Friday, the Day of Our Lord's Passion

With today being Friday I plan to pray the Stations of the Cross. But, since today is also a day of remembering Mary's sorrows it is an appropriate day to pray Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary. Remember, today is a day of penance.

Image Source: Believed to be in the public domain, title unknown

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John Henry Cardinal Newman

John Henry Cardinal Newman may become England's first canonized saint after the Reformation. A miracle attributed to him was revealed by a 60 year-old deacon whose spine was healed after prayers for Cardinal Newman's intercession.

"We can believe what we choose. We are answerable for what we choose to believe." -- Cardinal Newman

Source: Catholic World News, 'Beatification soon for Cardinal Newman?' (October 20, 2005)

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