Thursday, February 23, 2006
My Apologies

I apologize for not being able to blog recently. I have been very ill with the flu and was forced to stay in bed. I hopefully will start blogging again tomorrow.

I would appreciate your prayers that I will be well again very soon.

Thanks
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Tuesday, February 21, 2006
My personal reflections from today

I wanted to post my personal reflections for today.

Today I overheard a conversation that deeply saddened me. One woman was talking with a friend and said that she was an ex-Catholic and proud of it. She claimed that growing up Catholic was a horrible time for her, so she was re-baptised last October in a non-denominational Church! How absurd. No one can be re-baptized if the baptism was valid, and it was obviously valid if done in a Catholic Church.

What deeply saddens and troubles me are stories like these. For this reason I started blogging and hoped to bring others in a deeper relationship with Christ - a relationship only found through the Catholic Church.

I was wondering what is the makeup of my readers? Were you a cradle Catholic, a Catholic that returned to the flock after falling away, or a convert? Are you stilling going through discernment or RCIA or are you not Catholic?

I must very must enunciate my the sadness that I feel when I know of someone leaving the Church. The Church is the Body of Christ! As St. Joan of Arc said, "About Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church, I simply know they are one and the same and we should not complicate the matter." Let us pray for deeper faith and more conversions to our faith.

On a positive note, the Catholic Population worldwide has grown 1.1% between 2003 and 2004, the latest statistics.

Let us also pray in reparation for the sins of the world. As Mary revealed to us at Fatima, "Do not offend the Lord our God any more, because He is already so much offended."
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How the Church Leads us to God

The Meaning of “Church”

Before considering who is part of the Church or the marks of the true Church established by Christ, the Catechism of the Council of Trent begins by explaining the various meanings of the word “church”. The Church is referred to as the flock of Christ, the House of God, and the Spouse of Christ. In Scripture, the word “church” is often used to describe the assemblies of the faithful. Far more than describing a mere building or even the communities in which we gather on Sundays to assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Church collectively refers to the totality of all those who are baptized Catholics in communion with the Lord’s established religion.

“In a word, The Church, says St. Augustine, consists of the faithful dispersed throughout the world.”  Such a statement is echoed by the Baltimore Catechism: “The means instituted by Our Lord to enable men at all times to share in the fruits of His Redemption are the Church and the Sacraments. The Church is the congregation of all those who profess the faith of Christ, partake of the same Sacraments, and are governed by their lawful pastors under one visible head.” 

The Role of the Church in the Plan of Salvation

“And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but My Father Who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven” (Matt. 16:17-19).

This solemn declaration by Our Lord is the first instance in which He promised to build His Church. In fact, this is the first time the Lord used the word “church” and He did so by telling St. Peter, who would become the first Pope, that He would establish the Church on Peter. And Our Lord gave Simon a new name, Petros (Peter), meaning “rock.” The Roman Catechism expresses this divine origin of the Church by stating:
“This Church was founded not by man, but by the immortal God Himself, who built her upon a most solid rock. … Since this power, therefore, cannot be of human origin, divine faith can alone enable us to understand that the keys of the kingdom of heaven are deposited with the Church, that to her has been confided the power of remitting sins, of denouncing excommunication, and of consecrating the real body of Christ…” 
While Jesus Christ is the invisible head of the Church, He chose to build His Church on St. Peter. The Pope is the visible head of the Church who occupies the Chair of Peter and acts as Christ’s representative, His Vicar, on earth. Yet, Jesus Christ remains the ultimate head of the Church. The Church preserves the Faith as taught by the Lord and handed down over the centuries in her teachings. And she also passes down the ability to confer the Sacraments through Apostolic Succession. Catholic priests today are ordained in the same line that can be traced back, bishop by bishop, ultimately to Christ Himself, Who ordained the Apostles on Holy Thursday at the Last Supper.

The Four Marks of the Church

In order to determine which institution on earth is the true Church, there are four marks that distinguish it from all false religions and institutions. They are unity, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity. 

One: It was the first and is the one Church founded by Christ (cf. Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 10:17, 12:13). St. Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians asserted that there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Eph. 4:5). The Church is one because she was founded by Jesus, the one and only Son of God, Who taught one unified body of doctrine. Granted, there is great diversity in the Church regarding cultures, gifts, ways of life, and offices, yet there is unity in government (under the visible head, the Pope), faith, and sacraments. The Roman Catechism explains, “The first mark of the true Church is described in the Nicene Creed, and consists in unity….”  Likewise, the Baltimore Catechism teaches, “The Church is one because all its members agree in one faith, are all in one communion, and are all under one Head.” 

Holy: The Church is holy because she teaches holy doctrine and her Founder is the Source of all holiness (cf. Eph. 5:25-27; Apoc. 19:7-8). Christ joined the Church to Himself as His Mystical Body and gave her the gift of the Holy Ghost. Through Him and in Him, she becomes the means of sanctification for others. On this second mark, the Roman Catechism states: “The Church is called holy because she is consecrated and dedicated to God…. The Church is also to be called holy because she is united to her holy Head, as His Body; that is, to Christ the Lord, the fountain of all holiness…. Moreover, the Church alone has the legitimate worship of sacrifice, and the salutary use of the Sacraments, which are the efficacious instruments of divine grace, used by God to produce true holiness. Hence, to possess true holiness, we must belong to this Church.” 

There is a genuine paradox between the holiness of the divine dimension and human dimension of the Church. The divine dimension of the Church is holy, but the human dimension contains sinful members. Concerning this paradox, the wisdom of the Roman Catechism again helps clarify the matter: “It should not be deemed a matter of surprise that the Church, although numbering among her children many sinners, is called holy. For as those who profess any art, even though they depart from its rules, are still called artists, so in like manner the faithful, although offending in many things and violating the engagements to which they had pledged themselves, are still called holy, because they have been made the people of God and have consecrated themselves to Christ by faith and Baptism.” 

Catholic: The term literally means “universal.” We are the universal faith established by Christ and meant for all people of all corners of the world for all times (cf. Matt. 28:18-20; Apoc. 5:9-10). The etymology of the word “catholic” is the Greek adjective katholikos, which is related to the adverb katholou, meaning “in general” or “according to the whole.” This definition helps communicate the fact that the Catholic Faith is for people of every place, culture, and class. There is no one who is not called to a member of the true Faith. As St. John relates in the Book of the Apocalypse: “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; because Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God, in Thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Apoc. 5:9).

Apostolic: The title of “apostle” comes from the Greek word apostolus, which means “to be sent.” Through the unbroken line of bishops going back to the Twelve Apostles themselves, the “foundation” upon which the Church was built, we can trace our Faith back to Christ Himself, Who is “the chief cornerstone” (Eph. 2:20). As the Baltimore Catechism succinctly states: “The Church is apostolic because it was founded by Christ on His Apostles, and is governed by their lawful successors, and because it has never ceased, and never will cease, to teach their doctrine.” 

The Church is founded on the Apostles in three ways. First, the Apostles were the actual witnesses of what Christ taught and then were sent to evangelize by Christ. This is the origin of the Church.

Second, the Church has the “Deposit of Faith” (Scripture and Tradition) through the Apostles. The Deposit of Faith is the body of saving truth entrusted by Christ to the Apostles and handed on by them to be preserved and proclaimed. Jesus ordered them to teach the nations “all things whatsoever I have commanded you” and assured them, “I am with you always, even until the consummation of the world” (Matthew 28:18-20). Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition are the two unique sources of public Revelation, which together form the one Deposit of Faith.

The third way that the Church is apostolic is through Apostolic Succession. The whole Church continues to be guided by the Apostles through their successors, the bishops, as well as priests. The whole Church is apostolic because she is sent into the whole world and all members of the Church share in her mission. to pray and work for the conversion of all non-Catholics, as well as the return of all Catholics who have fallen away from the Faith.

The Church is Necessary for Salvation

Above all, in the manner in which our Lord has made the world, it is necessary to be a member of God's True Church, which is the Catholic Faith, in order to be saved. See: Can Non-Catholics Be Saved?
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CatholicBlogs.com

I received an email about a new website - CatholicBlogs.com. The site allows visitors to search over 13,000 articles from 700 Catholic blogs. One can even subsribe to an RSS feed for any search and soon a new Catholic blogs Directory will be created.

It looks great!
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St. Peter Damian


Optional Memorial (1969 Calendar): February 21
Double (1954 Calendar): February 23

Today is the feastday of St. Peter Damian (1007-1072). St. Peter Damian grew up in an orphanage and experienced poverty. As a result, he would minister and care especially for the poor. He invited them individually to have dinner with him. His brother forced him to work as a swine-herded and treated him very poorly.

St. Peter Damian was saved from poverty by his other brother, an archpriest of Ravenna, and St. Peter Damian became a professor. His life was one of penance - he wore a hair shirt, slept little, fasted vigorously, and studied the Bible when not in prayer.

St. Peter became an abbot and founded monasteries. He was elevated to the rank of Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia. His life's work included the writing of numerous sermons, seven biographies, and beautifully worded poems.

St. Peter Damian died on February 22, 1072, and he was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1828.

Traditional Matins Reading:

Peter was born at Ravenna, of respectable parents. His mother, wearied with the care of a large family, abandoned him when a babe; but one of her female servants found him in an almost dying state, and took care of him, until such time as the mother, repenting of her unnatural conduct, consented to treat him as her child. After the death of his parents, one of his brothers, a most harsh man, took him as a servant, or more truly as his slave. It was about this period of his life that he performed an action, which evinced his virtue and his filial piety. He happened to find a sum of money: but instead of using it for his own wants, he gave it to a priest, begging him to offer up the holy sacrifice for the repose of his father’s soul. Another of his brothers, called Damian (after whom, it is said, he was named), had him educated; and so rapid and so great was the progress he made in his studies, that he was the admiration of his masters. He became such a proficient in the liberal sciences, that he was made to teach them in the public schools, which he did with great success. During all this time, it was his study to bring his body into subjection to the spirit; and to this end, he wore a hair shirt under an out wardly comfortable dress, and practised frequent fasting, watching, and prayer. Being in the very ardour of youth, and being cruelly buffeted by the sting of the flesh, he, during the night, would go and plunge himself into a frozen pool of water, that he might quench the impure flame which tormented him; or he would make pilgrimages to holy sanctuaries, and recite the entire psalter. His charities to the poor were unceasing, and when he provided them with a meal, which was frequently, he would wait upon them himself.

Out of a desire to lead a still more perfect life, he became a religious in the monastery of Avellino, in the diocese of Gubbio, of the Order of the monks of holy Cross of Fontavellana, which was founded by the blessed Ludolphus, a disciple of St. Romuald. Being sent by his abbot, not very long after, first to the monastery of Pomposia, and then to that of Saint Vincent of PietraPertusa, he edified both houses by his preaching, admirable teaching, and holy life. At the death of the abbot of Avellino, he was recalled to that monastery, and was made its superior. The institute was so benefited by his government, not only by the new monasteries which he founded in several places, but also by the very saintly regulations he drew up, that he was justly looked upon as the second founder of the Order, and its brightest ornament. Houses of other Orders, canons, yea, entire congregations of the faithful, were benefited by Peter’s enlightened zeal. He was a benefactor, in more ways than one, to the diocese of Urbino: he aided the bishop Theuzo in a most important suit, and assisted him, both by advice and work, in the right administration of his diocese. His spirit of holy contemplation, his corporal austerities, and the saintly tenor of his whole conduct, gained for him so high a reputation, that Pope Stephen IX., in spite of Peter's extreme reluctance, created him Cardinal of the holy Roman Church and bishop of Ostia. The saint proved himself worthy of these honours by the exercise of the most eminent virtues, and by the faithful discharge of his episcopal office.

It would be impossible to describe the services he rendered to the Church and the sovereign Pontiffs, during those most trying times, by his learning, his prudence as legate, and his untiring zeal. His life was one continued struggle against simony, and the heresy of the Nicolaites. He purged the Church of Milan of these disorders, and brought her into subjection to the Holy See. He courageously resisted the anti-popes Benedict and Cadalous. He deterred Henry IV., king of Germany, from an unjust divorce of his wife. He restored the people of Ravenna to their allegiance to the Roman Pontiff, and absolved them from interdict. He reformed the abuses which had crept in among the canons of Vellotri. There was scarcely a single cathedral church in the province of Urbino that had not experienced the beneficial effects of Peter’s holy zeal: thus, that of Gubbio, which was for some time under his care, was relieved by him of many evils; and other churches, that needed his help, found him as earnest for their welfare as though he were their own bishop. When he obtained permission to resign his dignity as Cardinal and his bishopric, he relented nothing of his former charity, but was equally ready in doing good to all. He was instrumental in propagating many devout practices; among these may be mentioned, fasting on Fridays in honour of the holy cross; the reciting the Little Office of our Lady; the keeping the Saturday as a day especially devoted to Mary; the taking of the discipline in expiation of past Bins. At length, after a life which had edified the world by holiness, learning, miracles, and glorious works, on his return from Ravenna, whither he had been sent as legate, he slept in Christ, on the eighth of the Calends of March (February 23), at Faënza. His relics, which are kept in the Cistercian church of that town, are devoutly honoured by the faithful, and many miracles are wrought at the holy shrine. The inhabitants of Faënza have chosen him as the patron of their city, having several times experienced his protection when threatened by danger. His Mass and Office, which were kept under the rite of confessor and bishop, had been long observed in several dioceses, and by the Camaldolese Order; but they were extended to the whole Church by a decree of the Congregation of Sacred Rites, which was approved by Pope Leo XII., who also added to the name of the saint the title of Doctor.

Prayer:

Grant unto us, we beseech Thee, O almighty God, so to follow the counsels and example of blessed Peter, Thy Confessor and Bishop, that we may, by despising earthly things, obtain everlasting joys. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal
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Monday, February 20, 2006
Lenten Reading

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which is March 1 for this year!

For a special penance this lent, I plan on reading "The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ" by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, an Augustinian nun who lived from 1774 - 1824 in Germany. It is available on online here. Darren at MyCatholicReflections will join me in reading this book for additional Lenten penance. Would anyone else like to join in reading this collection of visions to Blessed Anne?

And for information on Lenten Regulations click here.

Image Source: Photo believed to be in the Public Domain
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Pray for the Repose of the Soul of Robert "Greggory" Bayless

I received this prayer request in my inbox. Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei. Requiescat in pace. Amen.

Hi Everyone,

Could you please add to your to-pray-for list the soul of Robert "Greggory" Bayless? He was a two year old grandson of a longtime friend of my husband's. The poor dear died in a freak horse accident. He is being buried by the Baptist church, so I have to assume that at the age of 2, he was not baptized and so any prayers you could send towards limbo would be much appreciated to get him heavenward. Thank you very much.

God Bless
Dawn
Image Source: Photo of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Believed to be in the Public Domain
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Blessed Mother Teresa on the Unloved and Unwanted

Blessed Mother Teresa: "People who are unloved and unwanted are, just like us, children of God. Even more, they are Christ in our midst and they belong to us. They are our brothers and sisters."

Image Source: Image believed to be in the Public Domain
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Blessed Jacinta and Francisco Marto

Today we remember Blessed Jacinta and Francisco Marto. Just yesterday I watched the transfer of the remains of the other Fatima visionary, Sister Lucia who died in 2005, on EWTN.

Blessed Jacinta and Francisco Marto died shortly after the Fatima apparitions from 1917. Blessed Jacinta (1910-1920) and Blessed Francisco (1908-1919) both died of influenza, and their bodies rest in Fatima today. Shortly before Francisco died, Jacinta said, "Give my greetings to Our Lord and to Our Lady and tell them that I am enduring everything they want for the conversion of sinners" All of the children offered all of their sufferings in reparation of the sins of the world.

The story of Fatima is too long to repost, so please see that post for the amazing story.

Here are some of Mary's requests from Fatima:

* "Men must stop offending Almighty God Who is already so deeply offended."
* "I have come to warn the faithful to amend their lives."
* "To obtain Peace in the World you must pray--pray the Rosary every day!"
* "Pray and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls go to Hell, because they have no one to pray and make sacrifices for them."
* "Certain fashions and styles will be introduced, that will offend Our Lord very much."
* "More souls go to Hell, because of sins against purity and chastity, than for any other reason."
* "War is a punishment for sins."
* "The Holy Father will consecrate Russia and the World to My Immaculate Heart."
* "Mary showed a vision of Hell to the children."
* "Our Lady foretold that all three children will go to Heaven."

Please say this prayer for their canonization:

Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, I adore Thee profoundly with all the powers of my soul, and I thank Thee for the Apparitions of the most Holy Virgin in Fatima which have made manifest to the world the treasures of her Immaculate Heart. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary I implore Thee -- if it should be for Thy greater glory and the good of our souls -- to glorify in the sight of Thy Holy Church Francisco and Jacinta the shepherds of Fatima, granting us through their intercession the grace which we implore. Amen.
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Adoration is a Moment of Joy

"When you approach the tabernacle remember that He has been waiting for you for twenty centuries."- St. Josemaría Escriva

"Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the greatest after the sacraments, the one dearest to God and the one most helpful to us." - St. Alphonsus Liguori

(More information on Eucharistic Adoration)

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain
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