Wednesday, November 9, 2005
Pope Pius XII: His Role in The Holocaust

There are lies out in the world. This is the honest truth - some people hate others and live a life devoted to violence; they are living lies as we are all children of the same God. We are called to holiness. All are called to enter God's House in Heaven.

Of these lies, some people deny God's existence and His love, which is poured out into each of us when we receive Him in Holy Communion. Christ's love for us is incomparable; on His sacred shoulder rested the wait of the world. I was carrying a heavy bag today and thought of how horrible it would be to carry the world on your shoulder; and Christ did it for love of us!

There are also people who deny the Holocaust. This is a blatant lie; during the Holocaust millions of people: Jews, homosexuals, gypsies, and priests died in horrible concentration camps. Yes, 4,000 priests died for their beliefs and love. We have the survivor's stories, their pictures, their memories. We have a small piece of history remaining only today though as many of the survivors have already died from old age. Today I had the chance to hear a speech in my community by a survivor of the Holocaust.

He spoke about hate and how he knew it. He spoke about how he saw people murdered (his brother brutally and his parents and uncles and aunts). He spoke of people being lit on fire alive and how could they do this. How did the anyone know they were Jewish? Because people told on them. They would scream, "Jews live here! And there! In that house too!" It was a world of hate and pain. These people were not pressured to tell; they wanted to tell. It was hate.

I also disagreed with the gentleman though on some claims such as that "Christ was a Jew; a creation of God." We know that Christ is God and not a creation of God but eternally begotten of the father. This, though is no reason we should hate others. The speaker today even spoke so highly of Pope John Paul ll. Why? Because Pope John Paul ll was a Pope of love. He spoke against the Holocaust, Communism, and other attacks on life. Pope John Paul ll in this speaker's words was the "greatest pope in history" because of his tolerance for others. So many people could have helped these poor people but didn't. In the end, people blame the Church for not doing enough. But in truth, it was us as a people; not us as a Church. The Catholic Church saved nearly 800,000 Jewish people from death in the Holocaust (Read More).

In today's world, we no longer have a Holocaust but a different one. There is one directed against the elderly by legalizing euthanasia, one against the unborn child in embryonic stem cell research and abortion, and a holocaust against love. People are trying to take God out of life and make the world secular. This is an outrage!

I hope those of you that have read this post can one day soon listen to a holocaust speaker. It was 1 1/2 hours long but filled with pain - pain knowing that no one cared when he cried out.

Trust the Lord, receive Him in the Eucharist. Love Him as He loved you and listen. Listen to Our Lord. Take the Crucifix in your hands, as Mother Teresa said, and what a sermon you will hear. And what is the sermon on? It's on love - the foundation of our Faith as God is the God of Love.

"I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I cannot feel it. I believe in God even when He is silent" (an anonymous prisoner of the Holocaust)

Image Source: Photo of Pope Pius XII believed to be in the Public Domain
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Living History

Today I'm going to be hearing a speech from a survivor of the Holocaust that was in several concentration camps. It's a piece of living history and a dark time though God's love shone down through the clouds to us. There is a lot of misguided opinions that the Catholic Church didn't help holocaust victims, but they did! I'll try and post information later tonight.

One of my favorite quotations:

"I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I cannot feel it. I believe in God even when He is silent." (an anonymous prisoner of the Holocaust).
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Somber News in California

Prop. 73, which would have required parental notification and make California the 35th state in the US to have such a law, failed very, very narrowly today. With 83.9% of precincts reporting 51.8% of voters rejected it to 48.2% of voters supporting it.

Those working to defeat this included Planned Parenthood ($1.1 mil. dollar donation), the California Family Health Council, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern and Southern California, and state and national chapters of the Abortion Rights Action League.

It is very saddening to see a state turning down an opportunity to save lives. How sad is this day in US history when California could have saved lives and turned them away. Let's remember Our Lord's words that whoever shows mercy will be shown mercy; I pray abortion will be illegal soon enough.

God bless all of you that voted for Prop 73 or at least supported it in your prayers. Rest assured, that even though this is a minor setback on getting abortion made illegal, that abortion is wrong. Our great Lord, who knows each of us, knows those of us that supported those little ones.
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Tuesday, November 8, 2005
Prayers please for California

Post-election update: Prop. 73, failed very, very narrowly. With 83.9% of precincts reporting 51.8% of voters rejected it to 48.2% of voters supporting it.

Original Post: Today is an important day in California where they will be voting for Prop. 73, which would require parental notification in abortions. This would not only cut down on abortions and teen births but give parents their right to know. In California children need permission slips for school until 18 years of age, but abortion is okay??

Update: I updated my website a little on the FAQ of the Eucharist. Let me know if you like how it looks
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Monday, November 7, 2005
This week in Catholicism (Nov. 6 - 12th)

This week in Catholicism...
  • Nov. 8th: Today is the special election in California where voters will consider Prop. 73, which would require parental notification. In other states this measure has had immense success at cutting down abortion and teen pregnancy rates.
  • Nov. 10th: Memorial of St. Leo the Great
  • Nov. 11th: Memorial of St. Martin of Tours
  • Nov. 11th: Veterans Day (USA) - a day to remember all of those that have given their lives for freedom
**A prayer for this week.***

With November being a time to pray for the faithfully departed, let us never forget the power of the saint's intercession. Let us ask for their prayers to Our Lord through the Litany of Saints.
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Sunday, November 6, 2005
Getting in the Christmas Spirit


Today I have not blogged much because I was volunteering today for an organization that raises funds for the disabled. This organization has an annual festival in my community with auctions and raffles, and I like volunteering there. As of today I'm happy to say that I have 3 years of volunteering under my belt.

Christmas is such a great time to enrich our hearts again in Christ's love and an important time to share our talents with others. Whether it's giving food to the food pantry or volunteering for this organization each year, I love Christmas time. Advent is also rapidly approaching so I will be posting much more on Advent as time comes.

Blessings

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain
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Saturday, November 5, 2005
A Catholic Wikipedia

November 2006 Update: The Catholic Wikipedia mentioned below, for a reason unknown to me, no longer exists. All work on there has been deleted. There is, however, a new Catholic Wikipedia project going on that is connected with the real Wikipedia. Help out if you can!


Update: I've added a few posts and see there is still a lot of work left to do. So much of our faith needs to be covered there for the encyclopedia to become close to ready to help others. I encourage everyone to add some pages. Just click on a link for a page and if you think it should be edited then edit it. Don't be afraid about not understanding the software there. After a few posts I understand completely how to edit posts and put in links.

Original Post: I'm the kind of person that loves using Wikipedia.com because it is the editable, online encyclopedia. Anyone can edit and create pages so it constantly is updated with the latest information. I especially like going to the Catholic articles and others to spread the faith. For example, I added information to the In vitro fertilization article to point out that the Catholic faith is opposed to it.

But now there is another encyclopedia online that can be edited by anyone and this is an entirely Catholic Wikipedia. Anyone can edit and I know many of my readers here could really help out the editing. Some of you are great on saint and others on pro-life issues. I know Paul from In Veritate Ambulare knows a lot about sacred vessels. So, I wanted to let everyone know that this project is now open in English because so many of you could help so much.
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Friday, November 4, 2005
Common Questions on the Eucharist

Frequently Asked Questions on the Eucharist (FAQ)


First Holy Communion at a Parish in France (March 1952)


Q: What is Holy Communion?

A: Also known as the Eucharist, Holy Communion is the center of the Catholic faith because it is truly the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not in any way a symbol but literally Christ’s most Holy body. The bread and wine at the Mass become the holiest of holies through the priest’s words by the power of God. The moment when the Bread and Wine become Jesus Christ is called transubstantiation. The entire Gospel of John Chapter Six even wrote specifically on the Eucharist and how Christ’s body is truly present.

Some people that don't believe in the Eucharist say that Jesus meant for it to be symbolic. Well, then we look to the Gospel of John Chapter 6. That chapter is entirely on the Eucharist, and we see that when Our Lord tells them "Unless you eat my Body and Drink my Blood you will have no life within you" the people do one thing: they leave Him. If Jesus was speaking symbolically He would have said "No, you misunderstand" like He did before in the Gospels, but this time He just let them walk away. Thousands left Him, but He let them because what He spoke was literally true and they couldn't accept it. “Since Christ Himself has said, ‘This is My Body’ who shall dare to doubt that it is His Body? (Saint Cyril of Jerusalem)

For more information see: The Eucharist.

Q: Does the Sacred Host also contain Christ's Blood?


A: Yes, the Consecrated Host also contains the Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord. The wine also becomes at the Consecration not just Christ s Blood but His Body, Soul, and Divinity also. After the Consecration, the presence of Christ only remain. The consecrated bread may look like bread but no part of its substance is bread. Only the accidents (the mere appearance, taste, smell, etc) of bread remains the same applies to the Consecrated wine - it is not wine.

The breaking of the Body of Christ or the separation of the Blood does not divide Christ, so receiving only a piece of a full Communion Host is still receiving Jesus Christ completely (as affirmed at the Council of Trent: Thirteenth Session: Canon III)

Q: Do the People Also Need to Receive Holy Communion From the Chalice?

For centuries, only the priest alone received the Consecrated Wine from the chalice. The notion in the past few decades that the faithful need to also receive from the chalice is a grave error. The fullness of Christ is received under either species. Traditionally, as is still done of course in the Tridentine Mass, the faithful will only receive the Consecrated Host.

The Baltimore Catechism in Q. 900 advised, "The Church does not give Holy Communion to the people as it does to the priest under the appearance of wine also, to avoid the danger of spilling the Precious Blood; to prevent the irreverence some might show if compelled to drink out of a chalice used by all, and lastly, to refute those who denied that Our Lord's blood is present under the appearance of bread also."

For more information, please see Holy Communion Under One or Both Species?

Q: What are Eucharistic Miracles?

A: These are outward signs of the majesty of Our Lord’s true presence in the Holy Eucharist. I recognize this mirroring the Transfiguration when Our Lord on Mt. Tabor appeared dazzlingly white with Elijah and Moses. This was an outward manifestation of Our Lord’s immense greatness. The Transfiguration wasn’t in and of itself the greatest part of this mystery, but what is even greater is that Christ humbled Himself and kept in His immense glory while on earth.

Eucharistic miracles are the same where the Lord’s greatness reveals itself and scientific testing has proven it to be true blood and tissue. These miracles are not required beliefs of the Catholic faith, and the Eucharist from these Mass is no less amazing then the Eucharist at other Masses because the Eucharist is always the same true presence of Jesus Christ. Read about these beautiful miracles.

Q: If I suspect someone is taking the Eucharist from Mass without the intentions of giving it to the sick what should I do?

A: If someone takes Communion back to the pew and doesn’t consume it PLEASE report it to the priest or someone in an authority position at the parish. Sometimes people will take Our Lord’s Body to desecrate it and this destruction of Our Lord in the Eucharist is a grave sacrilege. We can help prevent this by working to stop Communion in the hand.

Q: Can Holy Communion ever be denied? 


A: It can be denied to individuals in a public act of scandal. For example, if one regularly known non-Catholic is at a Mass and wishes to receive Holy Communion it is to be denied. Holy Communion may - and should - be denied to those Catholics who promote intrinsic evils such as abortion, gay marriage, and artificial contraception. Also, if one suspects a person is going to desecrate the Eucharist it can be denied.

Q. Should the Faithful be Forced to Receive Communion in the Hand?

No. Even during health crises, Holy Communion may never be denied on the tongue. No one may force Holy Communion in the Hand. The Vatican has affirmed this.


Q: Are there special conditions on receiving the Eucharist?

A: Yes. One must be a Catholic in good standing with the Church. You must also obey the Eucharistic fast and not be in a state of mortal sin (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 37). Those who have committed a mortal sin must first receive absolution in Confession. Those who fail to do so commit the most grievous sin of sacrilege.

The Catechism of the Council of Trent states, “As of all the sacred mysteries bequeathed to us by our Lord and Savior as most infallible instruments of divine grace, there is none comparable to the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist; so, for no crime is there a heavier punishment to be feared from God than for the unholy or irreligious use by the faithful of that which contains the author and source of holiness.”

St. Cyril of Alexandria explains further the gravity when he says, “They who make a sacrilegious Communion receive Satan and Jesus Christ into their heart.  Satan, that they may let him rule, and Jesus Christ that they may offer Him in sacrifice to Satan.”

That’s a sacrilegious Communion.  That’s why it is so grave and evil and truly few sins offend the Lord’s heart as much as this.  Indeed, our Lord told St. Bridget in a vision, “There does not exist on earth a punishment great enough to punish it sufficiently.”

Q: How many times a day can we receive communion?

A: In the old 1917 Code of Cannon Law, reception of Holy Communion more than once a day was prohibited. Unfortunately, in another novelty after Vatican II, the 1983 Code was revised to state that Holy Communion can be received twice a day, noting though that the second time must be in a Mass. Traditionally, we receive our Lord only once a day (that is once each calendar day and not necessarily once every 24 hours). Traditional Catholics will still maintain this practice.

As an exception to both the 1917 and the 1983 Canon Law, a person may receive Holy Communion again the same day in the form of the Viaticum, which is the name of the Eucharist when given to one who is extremely ill and seemly near death. Holy Communion is often given to souls during Last Rites, and it would be called Viaticum.

"Christ held Himself in His hands when He gave His Body to His disciples saying: 'This is My Body.' No one partakes of this Flesh before he has adored It" (Saint Augustine).

Q: What act of reverence should we show before receiving Holy Communion?

A: An act of reverence must be made before receiving Holy Communion because it is showing reverence to Our Lord truly present before us. People are also still allowed to receive the Holy Eucharist while kneeling, and as is the traditional practice, Holy Communion should be received while kneeling.

Q: What is Intinction?

A: Intinction is only allowed to be performed by the ordinary minister of Holy Communion (i.e. the priest). No "lay minister" may do so. Intinction is where the Sacred Host is dipped in the Sacred Blood of Christ. In the Byzantine Rite one receives the Lord without saying “Amen” but the priest puts the Host dipped in the Sacred Blood in the person’s mouth. Those receiving this way always have their head tipped backwards.

This form of receiving Holy Communion is rarely observed in the Roman Catholic Rite because of the risk of dripping the Lord's body and blood on the ground. When observed, the priest has a minister standing at his side holding the consecrated wine and he takes a particle of the consecrated bread and dips it. He then says "The body and blood of Jesus". A paten must be held under the Body and Blood to prevent any from falling to the ground. While uncommon, this form of receiving is permitted in the Roman Catholic Church (i.e. the Latin Rite).

Q: What is the Eucharistic fast and how long is it?

A: The Eucharistic fast is a fast before receiving Holy Communion to observe a period of reflecting and spiritual hunger for Our Lord. Currently, only medicine and water are allowed before hand, but if one needs to eat for serious medical reason this can be circumvented. Note that a priest who celebrates the Eucharist two or three times a day can take something before the second and third Mass even if it is less than one hour before receiving the Blessed Sacrament again. Also, the elderly, ill, and those that care for them may receive the Eucharist if they have eaten something in the previous hour (Canon 919).

 Many Traditional Catholics will take part in the traditional fast, which was three hours long. Other Traditional Catholics will take part in an older form of the fast which mandated fasting from midnight until receiving Communion.

For more thorough information see: What is the Eucharistic Fast?

Q: How often is one required to receive the Eucharist?

A: A Catholic is only required to receive the Eucharist once a year and that is to be done during the Easter season (Canon 920). However, one should receive our Lord more often - even daily - if they are in the state of grace and have the right dispositions so they do not receive our Lord out of mere habit.

When is the Easter Season for the purpose of observing our "Easter Duty"? In the United States it is from the first Sunday of Lent to Trinity Sunday inclusive; in other countries, the season may begin on Ash Wednesday and close on Low Sunday or Ascension Thursday.
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In Vitro Fertilization and the Catholic Faith


In vitro fertilization is not permitted in the Catholic faith for any reason; instead, adoption is encouraged and there are morally acceptable options for infertile couples. Currently, according to a July 4th issue of Newsweek, IVF costs $9,000 and 25% of all cycles now involve a live birth. It should also be noted that there is a serious though rare side effect, Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS), that has killed patients using IVF. (An example of a woman in the UK) And, 6 million embryos, human beings like us, have died because of this procedure. That is roughly 80-90% of all embryos created in IVF. In the US, 170,000 embryos die each year.

UpdateRead Why Catholics Must Reject IVF, published in May 2024

Speech of Pope Pius XII to Catholic Doctors in Rome for their 4th International Congress (Sept. 29, 1949), Acta Apostolicae Sedis 49:

"Artificial fertilization, outside of marriage, is to be condemned outright as immoral. Such is indeed the natural law and the positive divine law, that the procreation of a new life can only be the fruit of marriage. Marriage alone safeguards the dignity of the spouses (mainly the woman in this case), their personal property. By itself, only it provides for the good and education of the child. Consequently, on the condemnation of artificial fertilization outside the conjugal union, no difference of opinion is possible between Catholics. A child conceived under these conditions would, by the very fact, be illegitimate.

"Artificial fertilization in marriage, but produced by the active element of a third party, is also immoral and, as such, to be condemned without appeal. Only the spouses have a reciprocal right over their body to engender a new life, an exclusive, non-transferable, inalienable right. And that must also be taken into consideration of the child. To anyone who gives life to a small being, nature imposes, by virtue of this bond, the burden of its conservation and education. But between the legitimate husband and the child, the fruit of the active element of a third party (the spouse was he consenting), there is no bond of origin, no moral and legal bond of conjugal procreation.

"As for the lawfulness of artificial fertilization in marriage, it suffices for us, for the moment, to recall these principles of natural law: the simple fact that the result to which we aim is achieved by this route, does not justify the use of the medium itself; nor the desire, in itself very legitimate among spouses, to have a child, is not enough to prove the legitimacy of the recourse to artificial fertilization, which would fulfill this desire.

"Let it not be forgotten: only the procreation of a new life according to the will and the plan of the Creator carries with it, to an astonishing degree of perfection, the achievement of the aims pursued. It is, at the same time, in conformity with the bodily and spiritual nature and with the dignity of the spouses, with the normal and happy development of the child."
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St. Martin de Porres


Optional Memorial (1969 Calendar): November 3

St. Martin de Porres (1579 - 1639) showed commendable love, especially for the Holy Eucharist, and he worked tirelessly for the good of others. He set up an orphanage for poor children and a shelter for stray dogs and cats to be nursed back to health. He always helped others and was even called St. Martin of Charity.

St. Martin de Porres was born into poverty and spent time as a surgeon-barber, where he learned medicine. At age 11, he became a servant in the Holy Rosary Dominican priory in Lima, Peru. He begged for money from the rich and collected more than $2,000 a week to care for the poor and sick of Lima. In 1603, he took vows as a Dominican brother. He also fasted regularly, never ate meat, and spent much time in prayer and meditation. St. Martin had many gifts, including levitation and bilocation. He died of a fever in 1639.

Pope Gregory XVI beatified Martin de Porres on October 8, 1837. Pope John XXIII canonized him in Rome on May 6, 1962. He was the first canonized black saint from the Americas. 

Prayers to Saint Martin de Porres:

O GOD, Who has given us In Your humble Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, The model of all virtue And perfection, Grant to us The virtue of humility. We think so little of You Because we are So full of ourselves. We cannot love You more Until humility shows us Our own nothingness And makes us rejoice In our complete Dependence upon You. You have given to the world a glorious apostle of humility: 

ST. MARTIN DE PORRES. Guide us by his example And strengthen Us through his intercession In our efforts To conform our hearts To the humble Heart Of Your crucified Son. May the glory of sainthood Which you have Deigned to bestow Upon Brother Martin Draw the world closer And closer to You. Renew, O Lord, in these days When pride and forgetfulness Of You are so widespread, The wonders which You performed Through Your humble servant During his lifetime. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be (3 times each.)
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