I ask you to please contact Villanova's Board of Trustees and ask them to approve the Maternal Bond Memorial. An image of this memorial is to the left, and pro-lifers are hoping to have this memorial placed at Villanova University. The University initially appeared to approve, but they are worried it would offend non-Catholics so they postponed the decision.
First, this is a private Catholic University! This University should be supporting and working to uphold Catholic values. That is what is most important. As I posted on in the past, many "Catholic" universities are Catholic only in name (list). I hope Villanova doesn't become one of those. Wikipedia lists Villanova's landmarks and they include numerous Catholic ones. What's the difference if the landmark supports the unborn?
That is why I am asking you to email the Board of Trustees Chairperson, Villanova's President and President-elect. Please respectfully ask them to approve of the decision to install this memorial.
"I therefore exhort you again to be trustful. A soul who trust in her Lord and places all her hope in Him has nothing to fear. The enemy of our salvation is always around us to snatch from our hearts the anchor that is to lead us to salvation, by which I mean trust in God our Father. Let us keep a very firm hold on this anchor and not relinquish it for a single moment. Otherwise all would be lost" (Letters II p 410).
I was awaiting anxiously to watch this night's episode, and I think Mike made the right decision. After watching yesterday's episodes I knew he seemed to be called to the married life, and that is an important vocation too. I wish him the best, but I do hope and pray that he and others like him will serve the Lord as a deacon. Deacons of course can get married, so I think that would be excellent for him.
Second, I was so frustrated when Dan encountered the fundamentalist. Of course he said the classic examples of "If Mary was sinless why would she need a Savior as she said?" or "Isn't there only mediator between God and man."
And, I was practically jumping up and down: "But God saved many before her conception! She still needed a Savior" and "But, in Confession the mediator is Jesus not a man!"
This special A&E series has one made we want the priesthood more. The Church is perceived very badly by many people in our world, and too many people fall into the misinterpretations of other denominations. I've really tried to post this on my Apologetics Website, and this is one reason I am called to serve as a priest. I feel as if the Lord has asked me: "Will you give up everything you have and follow Me?" I answered, "Yes".
What tears me apart is seeing people leave the Church or not practice their faith. My vision is for us all to be under the Catholic Church with Christ as the head, but I know that this won't happen. But that doesn't mean we can't get as close to that as possible. This is the point of my blog and everything I do online - to honor Jesus Christ and bring others to Him.
And he said to them: The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send labourers into his harvest. 3 Go: Behold I send you as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes; and salute no man by the way. Into whatsoever house you enter, first say: Peace be to this house (Luke 10: 2 - 5)
Here I am, Lord. I come to do your will!
Thanks again for all of your prayers, and please keep them coming doing this special Octave for Easter.
"Saint Joseph adored our Lord in a spirit of compassion. By faith he saw and joined the self-immolation of Christ on Calvary and on the altar. To perfect his love Jesus gave him a preview of the Passion, for a love that does not suffer is a childlike love. You will never equal Joseph in compassionate love, but unite with him in adoring the Sacred Victim on the altar; let your faith be food and light for your adoration. Have faith and you will see, for faith is the eye of a pure soul."
The blogsphere has been filled with news on the recent A&E production: "God or the Girl". Since I am also contemplating the priesthood, I was really interested in seeing the show. And, after seeing the first episode I'm really hoping that some of them will answer the call we need priests so much. That is why I want to follow Our Lord. I'm finding it a very interesting show, but I'm really interested in how it will all turn out.
Next Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday, and I will be meeting with my diocese's vocations director concerning the priesthood. This is really important to get the process started. Please keep me in your prayers during this time.
As we celebrate the joy of Easter Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI is also celebrating his 79th birthday. Let us please pray one Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be for his health and intentions.
Pope Benedict XVI has gave his traditional Urbi et Orbi address after the Easter Sunday Mass attended by thousands.
Pope Benedict XVI arrives at St. Peter's Basilica to celebrate Easter Sunday Mass.
Here is part of his Urbi et Orbi address:
May the risen Lord grant that the strength of his life, peace and freedom be experienced everywhere. Today the words with which the Angel reassured the frightened hearts of the women on Easter morning are addressed to all: "Do not be afraid! ... He is not here; he is risen" (Matthew 28:5-6). Jesus is risen, and he gives us peace; he himself is peace. For this reason the Church repeats insistently: "Christ is risen -- 'Christós anésti.'"
Let the people of the third millennium not be afraid to open their hearts to him. His Gospel totally quenches the thirst for peace and happiness that is found in every human heart. Christ is now alive and he walks with us. What an immense mystery of love! "Christus resurrexit, quia Deus caritas est!" Alleluia!
V. Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia:
R. For he whom you merited to bear, alleluia,
V. Has risen, as he said, alleluia.
R. Pray for us to God, alleluia.
V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
R. Because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia.
Let us pray. O God, who by the Resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, granted joy to the whole world: grant, we beg you, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, his Mother, we may lay hold of the joys of eternal life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. (Roman Breviary)
A partial indulgence is obtained through the saying of this prayer, but if one does not know the words to this prayer, they may still receive it if they just pray 5 Hail Marys.
It was on this night that Our Savior, lying in tomb because of our sins, rose again and broke the firm chains of sin and death forever. Christ defeated satan and the powers of darkness at the Cross, and this night, He rose again as victor over death. By rising, we proclaim that He "restored our life". Jesus Christ is Risen from the dead! And, now we too may one day hope to rise again in splendor with a new Heaven and a new Earth with Christ as the Light of the World.
But, in our world we still see people living in the darkness of sin. They embrace hared, bigotry, indecency, and other attacks on God's laws. We, my brothers and sister, must be mirrors of Christ's light. We must bring this light into others' hearts. Do nothing other than observe the Commandments of Christ and His Church so as to bring others into His light. This is the most important thing we can do. For in baptism we were buried in Christ so that after our death we might hope to share in the Resurrection. Tonight I had the privilege to see around 14 people enter the Catholic faith. It was a beautiful sight. We must continue to pray that others will enter the fullness of the truth.
And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought sweet spices, that coming, they might anoint Jesus. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they come to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen. And they said one to another: Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And looking, they saw the stone rolled back. For it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed with a white robe: and they were astonished. Who saith to them: Be not affrighted; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: he is risen, he is not here, behold the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee; there you shall see him, as he told you. (Mk 16:1-7)
In the celebrations tonight thousands of people entered our faith of Jesus Christ included many fellow bloggers. Please welcome them. I just read about a married Lutheran minister that also just entered the Church as a Catholic priest. President Arroyo of the Philippines, a Catholic, has also promised to stop executing prisoners as part of her Easter message. Jesus Christ's light is shinning in the world and we must continue to bring this light. We must be carries of His light as we were reminded tonight.
If you did not attend the Vigil, I at least ask you to listen to the beautiful Easter Proclamation:
And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world. (Matthew 28:18-20).
May all who sleep in Christ rise again to eternal life. Amen.
Let us make Easter, the holiest day in the year, and the Octave that follows, some of the holiest days of our lives. Our entire observance of Lent was for this day - to honor the Risen King! Come, let us worship Him!
In just a few hours I will attend the Vigil Mass of Easter and see several people received into the Church. If you are not attending the a Vigil Mass, I encourage you to listen to the Easter Proclamation over the computer. I love this prayer - it is so beautiful when we proclaim the triumphant Resurrection of Our Savior.
Please keep praying for everyone that will enter the Church tonight.
It was on this night that He passed from death to life!
Tonight at the Easter Vigil, thousand will enter the Catholic Church as we recall the Resurrection of Our Crucified Savior. By this action, He freed us all from the certainty of hell so that we might enter Heaven. The rest is up to how we live our own lives.
Tonight please keep Lise in your prayers as she was just reconciled with the Church after leaving for many years. She needs your prayers. Please also keep these people in your prayers because they will enter the Church this year: New Catholics for 2006.
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Matthew is a Third Order Dominican from Chicago and an expert on Catholicism, with an emphasis on Traditional Fasting. He has written for "A Catholic Life" since 2005. Matthew is a Certified Catechist and is a speaker available to address your next parish or Catholic conference gathering. Matthew spends his leisure time traveling, teaching, writing, and enjoying Catholic culture. He is also a writer for "Catholic Family News" and "The Fatima Center." Please contact Matthew directly regarding advertising requests for A Catholic Life or in regard to speaking engagements.
I ask you to please contact Villanova's Board of Trustees and ask them to approve the Maternal Bond Memorial. An image of this memorial is to the left, and pro-lifers are hoping to have this memorial placed at Villanova University. The University initially appeared to approve, but they are worried it would offend non-Catholics so they postponed the decision.
