Pope Benedict XV Encyclicals Added to Past Posts

His Holiness Pope Benedict XV wrote 12 encyclicals, and A Catholic Life would like to encourage the readings of these documents. Therefore, I have edited the following posts to include information about encyclicals. Many of my posts are written so as to benefit users who find the site through search engines and bookmarked visits. And, I feel that these edits will help those visitors find even more spiritually useful information.

And, below are some of the posts which now include information about his encyclicals.

• St. Boniface
• St. Jerome
• St. Dominic de Guzman
  

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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Pope Leo XIII Encyclicals Added to Past Posts

His Holiness Pope Leo XIII wrote 85 encyclicals, and A Catholic Life would like to encourage the readings of these documents. Therefore, I have edited the following posts to include information about encyclicals. Many of my posts are written so as to benefit users who find the site through search engines and bookmarked visits. And, I feel that these edits will help those visitors find even more spiritually useful information.

• St. Francis of Assisi
• Devotion to the Rosary (6 Encyclicals Added)
  
• Abolition of Slavery
• Devotion to St. Joseph
• Eucharist
  

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Double of the I Class of St. John the Baptist

Alleluia! Today is the Double of the I Class Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. See my post from 2006 for information concerning today's feastday.

Image Source: Wilson's Almanac

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Pope Pius XII Encyclicals

His Holiness Pope Pius XII wrote 41 encyclicals, and A Catholic Life would like to encourage the readings of these documents. Therefore, I have edited the following posts to include information about encyclicals. Many of my posts are written so as to benefit users who find the site through search engines and bookmarked visits. And, I feel that these edits will help those visitors find even more spiritually useful information. 

So, I encourage you to read the 41 encyclicals of His Holiness Pope Pius XII. And, below are some of the posts which now include information about his encyclicals.

• St. Benedict
• St. Bernard of Clairvaux
• St. Boniface
• Devotions to the Sacred Heart
• Assumption of Mary
• Our Lady of Lourdes
• Queenship of Mary

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In Chicago for the Summer

This summer, as stated in my Blogger profile, I am living in the Chicago area. Last Saturday I had the privilege of traveling into Downtown Chicago and visiting Loyola University of Chicago, the site of the the Sacred Music Colloquium, which is currently taking place. It was there that I had the opportunity to visit and spend several hours with a long-time reader of my blog who is in attendance. Two other friends of mine are also in attendance at this Colloquium.

If any other readers of my blog are also in the Chicago area this summer, please send me an email so that we can attempt to meet, preferably over lunch.



Image Source: Wikipedia

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Vigil of St. John the Baptist

As June 24th approaches, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, the last of the prophets, similarly advances. Along with solely the sinless Blessed Virgin Mary and our Lord Jesus Christ, the Church remembers the birth of St. John the Baptist. Together, the Church only liturgically celebrates these three holy births.

In the Traditional Catholic Calendar, June 23 is the Vigil of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. From the propers of the Mass for June 23, the Introit occupies a place of importance, expressing comfort and hope:

Fear not, Zachary; thy prayer is heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John; and he shall be great before the Lord, and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother's womb; and many shall rejoice at his birth. V. (Ps. 20: 2) In Thy strength, O Lord, the king shall joy; and in Thy salvation he shall rejoice exceedingly. v. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Fear not, Zachary...

Please see my post from last year and attempt to participate in the ancient tradition of a Bonfire this evening.

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Website of the Confraternity of the Sacred Heart

I have added a link to the Confraternity of the Sacred Heart to the sidebar, as this organization seems to be part of the goal of A Catholic Life, namely the Restoration of Traditionalism.

Image Source: Pictures of the Pontifical Low Mass on June 18, 2009 at the Church of the Holy Innocents celebrated by Bishop Fernando Rifan.

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Pope Benedict XVI Celebrates Mass Before the Relics of St. Padre Pio

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI leads a Mass during a visit to Padre Pio at Santa Maria delle Grazie in San Giovanni Rotondo. He prayed before the exhumed body of St. Padre Pio and the Mass was said in the presence of his sacred relics.

Image Source (1): Getty Images
Image Source (2): AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito
Image Source (3, 4, 5): (AP Photo/Andreas Solaro, Pool)

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Feastday of St. Aloysius Gonzaga

Today the Church remembers the holy saint, St. Aloysius Gonzaga. See my previous post dedicated in honor to this saint for a brief biography, an appropriate read for his feastday.

"Well done, good servant, faithful in little things, enter into the joy of your Lord" (Antiphon 2, Lauds, Common of a Confessor not a Bishop, 1962 Breviary)

Prayer:

O God, The Giver of heavenly gifts, Who in the angelic youth Aloysius dist unite a wonderful innocence of life with an equal spirit of penance: grant through his merits and prayers, that we, who have not followed his innocence, may imitate his penance. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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Pope Benedict XVI Celebrates the Mass in Honor of the Sacred Heart, Vespers

Image Source (Images 1, 2): AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito
Image Source (Images 3, 4, 5): REUTERS/Giampiero Sposito (VATICAN RELIGION)
Image Source (Images 6, 7): Getty Images

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