Blair "to Devote Life to Faith"

Former prime minister Tony Blair has promised to "spend the rest of my life" uniting the world's religions

He said faith could be a "civilising force in globalisation", bringing people together to solve problems such as malaria and extreme poverty.

Mr Blair, who is now a peace envoy to the Middle East, told Time magazine that religious belief had given him "strength" while in power.

He is launching a "faith foundation" in New York on Friday.

Mr Blair, who recently converted to Catholicism, said: "Faith is part of our future, and faith and the values it brings with it are an essential part of making globalisation work."

'Fantastic thing'

His foundation will attempt to bring religions together to tackle global issues such as the UN's eight Millennium Development Goals, which range from eradicating extreme poverty to ensuring environmental sustainability.

One of its first priorities will be to fight the spread of malaria.

Mr Blair said: "If you got churches and mosques and those of the Jewish faith working together to provide the bed nets that are necessary to eliminate malaria, what a fantastic thing that would be.

"That would show faith in action, it would show the importance of cooperation between faiths, and it would show what faith can do for progress."

He added that it was possible to "achieve a greater understanding between the different religious faiths, so that we make platforms for action by those faiths and deal with some of the biggest issues in the world".

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Source: BBC

Let us pray that our Lord Jesus Christ will work through Former Prime Minister Tony Blair. I am extremely pleased to see the recent convert, Mr. Blair, pursing an active role in evangelization.

Laudetus Jesus Christus!

Image Source: AFP/File/Leon Neal

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The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

"Look at this Heart which has loved men so much, and yet men do not want to love Me in return. Through you My divine Heart wishes to spread its love everywhere on earth."

Double of the II Class (1954 Calendar): Friday after the Octave Day of Corpus Christi

While the entire month of June is devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Today is a day to honor the mercy and love of God while making reparation for the serious sins committed against Our Blessed Lord. Traditionally up until 1955, yesterday was the Octave Day of Corpus Christi. After having celebrated 8 days devoted to the Blessed Sacrament, we now immediately turn to the Sacred Heart, which also traditionally had its own octave as well.

The Sacred Heart is the salvation of the world and lasting peace. This same Heart was pierced on the Cross by a lance, bringing forth blood and water (John 19:34), symbolic of the founding of the Church for our salvation. Many heresies have tried to deny God's complete love such as Arianism, Gnosticism, and Calvinism. Calvinists believe part of society is damned to hell. And that is a lie! Jesus Christ died for every last soul on the Cross. By living in His Heart we find lasting peace and true love. He died for every last soul so that everyone would have the choice to accept Him and follow His teachings. Unfortunately, because people refuse to follow Our Lord in obedience to His righteous commands, souls do go to hell - many souls. We live in His Heart by keeping the Commandments of the Church and God while also loving our Lord and others.

History of the Feast:

The Institution for the Feast of the Sacred Heart was a result of the appearances of our Lord to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1675. St. Margaret Mary suffered contempt from many people who refused to believe the authenticity of the visions. In these appearances, Our Lord told her twelve graces that He would give to anyone devoted to His Sacred Heart. Our Lord said to her, “I ask thee that the first Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi be set apart as a special feast to honor My Heart.” 

Yet, it was not until 1856 that the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was placed officially on the Universal Calendar by Pope Pius XI. In fact, the Mass and Office in Honor of the Sacred Heart were not approved for any use until 1765 by Pope Clement XIII - 100 years after the request was made by our Lord. Established in 1856, the Feast of the Sacred Heart was extended with an octave in 1928, which remained until its removal in 1954.

However, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus dates back even to the Middle Ages. On the December 27th feast day of St. John the Evangelist in 1256 AD, St. Gertrude the Great had a profound vision in which she laid her head near the wound in the side of Jesus and heard the beating of the Sacred Heart. This is especially profound since St. John the Evangelist reclined his head to the heart of the Divine Savior at the Last Supper. When Our Lord later appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 1600s, He appeared to her on the feast day of St. John the Evangelist.

Our Lord requested three things: Frequently receiving Holy Communion, receiving Holy Communion, especially on the first Friday of each month, and observing a Holy Hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

Promises of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary:

1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2. I will establish peace in their families.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of their death.
5. I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings.
6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source of an infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.
9. I will bless the homes where an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored.
10. I will give to priests the power of touching the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who propagate this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be effaced.
12. The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under my displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments; My heart shall be their assured refuge at that last hour.
    

If you can, please attend Mass and Confession today as we remember Our Savior's lasting and true love for each of us! No one is beyond hope! Today please say prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus including an Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Pope Pius XI, when he, in 1928, raised the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus to the rank of Double of the First Class and assigned an octave to it, asked that this prayer of Reparation be said in every church on this feastday every year.

For night and day, the Heart of Jesus remains in the Sacrament of the Eucharist as a prisoner of love. Not only did Jesus say, "I am the Bread of Life" (John 6:35), but also "Amen, amen I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life"(John 6:53-54).

Each and every time we receive Him in the Eucharist, let us excite in our heart indescribable joy and receive Our Lord always on our tongue from the hands of the priest. Since the Eucharist is the Lord (Matthew 26:26), we should always receive Our Lord in great love. On the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, let us receive Him in reparation for those who offend Him in the Sacrament of the Eucharist by receiving Him in mortal sin (1 Cor 27-32).

Please also say an Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart for today. If you can not attend Mass, please at least give a moment of thought to Our Lord's boundless love. For more prayers and papal encyclicals, please see my post Devotion to the Sacred Heart.

We should especially pray more devotions in honor of the Sacred Heart throughout the entire Octave of the Sacred Heart, kept in the pre-1954 Liturgy.

Prayer to Saint Margaret Mary:

O Holy Visitandine, to hear your name is to recall the Sacred Heart Devotion, especially as practiced on First Fridays and in making reparation for sins. From early youth, you dedicated yourself to Jesus and you exhibited fervent love for him in the Eucharist. You became his chosen vessel to spread the devotion to the Sacred Heart which has done wonders in modern times. Make all of us realize ever more Christ's words: "Behold this Heart that has so greatly loved people." Amen.

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Poll on Sidewalk Counseling

Dear Friends,

After five years of trying to promote outreach to abortion-minded (or vulnerable) parents as they enter or leave abortion facilities, I've decided to take a poll to determine the level of interest there is in seeing an increase in this particular form of pro-life activism (known to most people as sidewalk counseling).

It is my hope that we may be able to clear up any confusion some people may have about sidewalk counseling and possibly undo any damage that may have been caused by past experiences or hearsay. I also hope to determine how much support there may be in helping to promote this form of pro-life activism.

The number of people presently engaged is disappointingly very small. I continue to wonder what the reason for this is and I'm hoping that your input will help us improve the situation. My interest is in seeing a consortium of individuals engaged in this form of outreach 40+ hours per week, every week of the year, at every child-killing center in the world.

So I present to you the following questions even if you personally are unable (for whatever reasons) to become directly engaged in such activism:

• What is your opinion of this kind of outreach?
• How important do you think it is relative to other forms of pro-life activism?
• How important do you think it is relative to other forms of Christian activism?
• How would you describe it to others?
• Have you ever been engaged in it and if so, in what way and for how long?
• If you were once engaged and are no longer, why did you discontinue your involvement?
• What positive and negative impressions or experiences have you personally had or heard of from others?
• What would you like to see done differently?
• What could be done to cause you to become involved?
• From whom or where have you received most of your information about this kind of outreach?
• What is it about that source or resource that causes you to trust its information and advice?
• What are your concerns regarding this type of outreach based on your personal experiences or the testimony of others?
  

Note:

Sidewalk counseling is "reaching out" to mothers and fathers, who are contemplating or planning abortion, to offer them information that they have a need and right to know. It is conducted by way of conversation and literature. It is done with love and out of concern for unborn children who are in danger of being deprived of their God-given right to be born into the world and for their parents, especially mothers, who are in danger of being severely harmed in numerous ways.

Sidewalk counseling is conducted on public sidewalks outside abortion facilities on days that abortions are being committed and/or days when pre-abortion evaluations or pregnancy tests are provided.

Parents may be offered information about where to go for free pregnancy tests, counseling and practical assistance, as well as fetal development, adoption, abortion procedures, risks and side effects, and post-abortion counseling and healing.

Sidewalk counseling is about saving a child from certain death and his/her parents from certain harm, one family at a time.

Please e-mail your response to this poll to "hgpi @ prolifeamerica . com"

Thank you for your consideration and input.

Fredi D'Alessio
Thoughts and Faith to Share

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Sandals & Fiddlebacks

An outstanding video of the Mass of the Ages.

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Father Jeremy Davies: Avoid Yoga, Massage Therapy, and Horoscopes

Image Source: YouTube

Yoga and horoscopes can lead to possession by Devil, claims Cardinal's exorcist

By Jonathan Petre
Last updated at 11:27 PM on 24th May 2008

It is a physical workout enjoyed by millions and its devotees include Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Sting.

But yoga enthusiasts have been warned by a leading Roman Catholic clergyman that they are in danger of being possessed by the Devil.

Father Jeremy Davies, exorcist for Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, the leader of Catholics in England and Wales, says that activities such as yoga, massage therapy, reiki or even reading horoscopes could put people at risk from evil spirits.

In a new book, he also argues that people with promiscuous lifestyles could find themselves afflicted by demons.

And he says that the occult is closely linked to the scourges of ‘drugs, demonic music and pornography’ which are ‘destroying millions of young people in our time’.

The 73-year-old Catholic priest, who was appointed exorcist of the Archdiocese of Westminster in 1986, was a medical doctor before being ordained in 1974.

He has carried out thousands of exorcisms in London and in 1993 he set up the International Association of Exorcists with Fr Gabriel Amorth, the Pope’s top exorcist

The fourth comment in the comment box is a lengthy reflection on the problems of Yoga, added in response to the comments by readers.

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Pope Benedict XVI: Considering Limits on Concelebration

Vatican, May. 22, 2008 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI plans to curtail the practice of organizing large-scale Eucharistic celebrations with hundreds of priests concelebrating the Mass, according to a report in Italy's Panorama magazine.

Panorama reports that the Holy Father has directed the Congregation for Divine Worship to study the question and prepare appropriate instructions. His objective, the Italian journal says, is to eliminate the concelebration of Mass by hundreds of priests at a time, with many of them standing at a distance from the altar.

The Vatican has not commented on the Panorama report.

If the story is accurate, the new liturgical guidelines could bring significant changes in liturgical celebrations at which the Pope himself presides, such as Masses attended by tens of thousands of people at World Youth Day or during papal trips abroad.

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Pope Benedict XVI on 20th Century Martyrs

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 27, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a Vatican translation of the homily Benedict XVI delivered April 7 at the Basilica of St. Bartholomew on Tiber Island in Rome. The visit marked the 40th anniversary of the foundation of the Community of Sant'Egidio, and the basilica is the site of a memorial of those who have died for the faith during the 20th century.
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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We may see our meeting in the ancient Basilica of St Bartholomew on Tiber Island as a pilgrimage in memory of the martyrs of the 20th century, countless men and women, known and unknown, who shed their blood for the Lord in the 1900s. It is a pilgrimage guided by the Word of God which, like a lamp to our feet, a light on our way (cf. Ps 119[118]: 105), brightens the life of every believer with its light. This church was especially designated by my beloved Predecessor John Paul II as a place for the memorial of the 20th century martyrs and entrusted by him to the Community of Sant'Egidio, which this year is thanking the Lord for the 40th anniversary of its foundation.

I greet with affection the Cardinals and Bishops who have wished to take part in this liturgy. I greet Prof. Andrea Riccardi, Founder of the Sant'Egidio Community, and I thank him for his words; I greet Prof. Marco Impagliazzo, President of the Community, the Chaplain, Mons. Matteo Zuppi, as well as Bishop Vincenzo Paglia of Terni-Narni-Amelia.

In this place full of memories let us ask ourselves: why did these martyr brothers and sisters of ours not seek to save the irreplaceable good of life at all costs? Why did they continue to serve the Church in spite of grave threats and intimidation? In this Basilica where the relics of the Apostle Bartholomew are preserved and the mortal remains of St Adalbert venerated, we hear the resonance of the eloquent witness of those who, not only in the 1900s but from the very beginning of the Church, putting love into practice, offered their lives to Christ in martyrdom.

In the icon set above the main altar, which portrays some of these witnesses of faith, the words of the Book of Revelation stand out: "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation" (Rv 7: 13). The old man who asks who the people dressed in white are and where they came from is told: "They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Rv 7: 14). At first it appears a strange answer. However, in the coded language of the Seer of Patmos it contains a precise reference to the clear flame of love that impelled Christ to pour out his blood for us. By virtue of that blood, we have been purified. Sustained by that flame, the martyrs too poured out their blood and were purified in love: in the love of Christ who made them capable of sacrificing themselves for love in their turn.

Jesus said: "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (Jn 15: 13). Every witness of faith lives this "greater love" and, after the example of the Divine Teacher, is ready to sacrifice his life for the Kingdom. In this way we become friends of Christ; thus, we are conformed to him, accepting the extreme sacrifice without limiting the gift of love and the service of faith.

Stopping by the six altars that commemorate the Christians who fell under the totalitarian violence of Communism, Nazism, those killed in America, Asia and Oceania, in Spain and Mexico, in Africa, we retrace in spirit numerous sorrowful events of the past century. So many fell while they were carrying out the evangelizing mission of the Church: their blood mingled with that of the indigenous Christians to which they had transmitted the faith.

Others, often in a minority condition, were killed in hatred of the faith. Lastly, many sacrificed themselves, undaunted by threats and dangers, in order not to abandon the needy, the poor or the faithful entrusted to them. They were Bishops, priests, men and women religious and faithful lay people. How many they are! At the Ecumenical Jubilee Commemoration for the new martyrs celebrated at the Colosseum on 7 May 2000, the Servant of God John Paul II said that these brothers and sisters of ours in the faith stand as a vast panorama of Christian humanity in the 20th century, a panorama of the Gospel of the Beatitudes, lived even to the shedding of blood. And he was in the habit of repeating that Christ's witness to the point of bloodshed speaks with a stronger voice than the divisions of the past.

It is true: it seems as though violence, totalitarianism, persecution and blind brutality got the upper hand, silencing the voices of the witnesses to the faith who humanly speaking appeared to be defeated by history. But the Risen Jesus illumines their testimony and thus we understand the meaning of martyrdom. Tertullian says of this: "Plures efficimur quoties metimur a vobis: sanguis martyrum semen christianorum -- Our numbers increase every time we are cut down by you: the blood of martyrs is the seed of [new] Christians" (Apol. 50, 13; CCC, PL 1,603).

A force that the world does not know is active in defeat, in the humiliation of those who suffer for the Gospel: "for when I am weak", the Apostle Paul exclaims, "then I am strong" (II Cor 12: 10). It is the power of love, defenseless and victorious even in apparent defeat. It is the force that challenges and triumphs over death.

This 21st century also opened under the banner of martyrdom. When Christians are truly the leaven, light and salt of the earth, they too become the object of persecution, as was Jesus; like him they are "a sign of contradiction". Fraternal life in common and the love, faith and decisions in favour of the lowliest and poorest that mark the existence of the Christian community sometimes give rise to violent aversion. How useful it is then to look to the shining witness of those who have preceded us in the sign of heroic fidelity to the point of martyrdom!

And in this ancient Basilica, thanks to the care of the Sant'Egidio Community, the memory of so many witnesses to the faith who died in recent times is preserved and venerated. Dear friends of the Community of Sant'Egidio, looking at these heroes of the faith, may you too strive to imitate their courage and perseverance in serving the Gospel, especially among the poorest. Be builders of peace and reconciliation among those who are enemies or who fight one another. Nourish your faith by listening to and meditating on the Word of God, daily prayer and active participation in Holy Mass. Authentic friendship with Christ will be the basis of your mutual love. Sustained by his Spirit you will be able to help build a more fraternal world. May the Blessed Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, sustain you and help you to be genuine witnesses of Christ.

Amen.

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Pope Benedict XVI addresses United Nations

Today Pope Benedict XVI addressed the United Nations.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Mass at the Nationals Park in Washington, DC.

In recent updates, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his first public Mass of his trip to the United States of America today. For reactions and comments, please see the following posts:

Pope Benedict XVI's Homily (WDTPRS)
Comments on Holy Father's Mass at Nationals Stadium (WDTPRS)
Photos of Pope Benedict XVI's Mass (NLM)
Details on Papal Altar (WDTPRS)

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St. Benedict's Catholic Church in South Baltimore

Let us join with this parish in praying consistently for the Holy Father over the course of these next few days.

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