Sunday, January 22, 2006
Two Anniversaries: Swiss Guard Foundation and Roe v. Wade

Today we celebrate two anniversaries.

First, today is the anniversary of the founding of the Swiss Guard 470 years ago. This group is composed of Swiss Catholic men, who guard the Pope. I've always loved seeing them on television.

Second, on a more somber note, today is the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion in 1973. Please pray for the unborn. As Catholics, we believe life exists from conception to natural death. Please pray for the unborn with me:

Heavenly Father, in Your love for us, protect against the wickedness of the devil, those helpless little ones to whom You have given the gift of life.Touch with pity the hearts of those women pregnant in our world today who are not thinking of motherhood.Help them to see that the child they carry is made in Your image - as well as theirs - made for eternal life.Dispel their fear and selfishness and give them true womanly hearts to love their babies and give them birth and all the needed care that a mother can give.We ask this through Jesus Christ, Your Son, Our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen.
Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain, Title Unknown
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5th Day of the Novena for Christian Unity

Today is my 5th day of the Novena for Christian Unity. If you have not already, please join me in praying this novena for all Christians to be united in Christ's Church.

Who is already praying this with me?
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Saturday, January 21, 2006
Pray for Religious Vocations

Please say a prayer for an increase in vocations to religious life. I just read this:

"Let's look at the numbers in the US first. In 1965, at the end of the Council, there were 58,000 priests. Now there are 41,000. By 2020, if present trends continue (and there is no sign of a dramatic upsurge in vocations), there will be only 31,000 priests, and half of those will be over 70. (To offer a personal example of the effect of these demographics, I was ordained in 1981 at the age of 27. Today, at the age of 52, I can still attend gatherings of priests and find myself one of the younger members present.) In 1965, 1,575 new priests were ordained. In 2005, the number was 454, a decrease of more than two-thirds — and remember that the Catholic population in the US increased during these years from 45.6 million in 1965 to the 64.8 million of 2005, a rise of almost 50%."

by Father John McCloskey
The State of the US Catholic Church at the Beginning of 2006
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Stand Up for Life on Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

Tomorrow, Jan. 22nd, we remember one of the saddest moment in our history. In 1973, the United States allowed mothers to murder their own unborn children. This horrendous and murderous attack on the dignity of life has lead to the murder of millions of babies - 1.3 mil annually in the US and 46 mil. globally in a year!

Stand up for life! Faith demands action!

One abortionist, George Tiller, must be stopped. His actions led to the death of a 19 year old disabled girl! Read on the story through this list, and please write to the District Attorney of that county.

Tomorrow we remember the day the US opened the door for murder. Take a stand against this! Stand up for life, for Our Lord came to save all. He said, "Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it" (Matthew 10:14-15)

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain, Title Unknown
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St. Agnes


Double (1954 Calendar): January 21
Memorial (1969 Calendar): January 21

Today the Church celebrates the sainthood of St. Agnes, virgin and martyr. St. Agnes lived around 250 AD and died very young at 12 or 13 years old.

She was a very beautiful girl with many men offering marriages. But, St. Agnes wished to remain pure to God as a virgin, so one of these men, the son of the governor, contacted Roman officials about her being a Christian. She was dragged to a Roman temple and threatened with rape, but she refused to reject Jesus Christ as Our Lord.

The Governor tried to persuade Agnes to change her mind by forcing her to walk naked through the Roman city naked, but her hair miraculously grew to cover her body. The Governor ordered St. Agnes to be burned at the stake, but the flames did not harm her. She was then sent to the lions, but they refused to attack her. The son of the Governor entered and was immediately attacked by the lions. Agnes prayed for the man's health and he was restored. The Governor then had St. Agnes beheaded. She was buried in a catacomb in Rome that was named after her.

"But if as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name" (1 Peter 4:16)

Please learn more about the special tradition by the Pope to bless two lambs on the feast day of St. Agnes.  Also, see the special post on the Agnus Dei Sacramental.

Prayer:

Almighty and everlasting God, Who dost choose the weak things of the world to confound the strong: mercifully grant that we who keep the solemn feast of blessed Agnes, Thy Virgin and Martyr, may experience her advocacy with Thee. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal
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4th Day of the Novena for Christian Unity

Today is the Fourth Day of the Novena for Christian Unity. If you have not started yet, please join me in praying this novena.
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Friday, January 20, 2006
Please Pray for Speeches Tomorrow

Tomorrow I will be going out again and giving speeches. But, tomorrow is different. It's an extremely important day. There will be many others there, and I not only want to do well in my speaking but also to serve God completely.

Please pray for me that I might succeed in both. I'll be gone all day on this one.

Thank you all for your prayers.
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Anniversary of Roe V. Wade Approaching

News Update: The man who shot Pope John Paul ll in the early 1980s has now been re-arrested. When he was arrested he said, "I am the messiah." How sad... May he see the light of Christ espeically through John Paul ll, who knew the real Messiah - Jesus Christ.

Also, The anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the decision that legalized abortion, is approaching. On January 22, it will have been 33 years of legalized murder of the unborn.

"The cemetery of the victims of human cruelty in our century is extended to include yet another vast cemetery, that of the unborn. " - Pope John Paul ll

There are 46 million abortions globally each year. Thankfully some countries have outlawed abortions, but other have not. [Click here for abortions laws]

Let us pray especially with the anniversary of abortion approaching in the US. In the US, 1.3 million of our brothers and sisters are murdered! Let us unite in Christ! Let us be one in the same spirit and fight against this! Faith demands a response. Don't sit idlely go out an peacefuly protest, pray, and preach. Go out - faith demands action!
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St. Sebastian


Double (1954 Calendar): January 20
Optional Memorial (1969 Calendar): January 20

Today the Church remembers St. Sebastian (c. 257- c. 288). St. Sebastian was a convert to Christianity and died a martyr for his faith. Sebastian helped imprisoned Christians during this time of persecution and converted many others. After learning of St. Sebastian's acts, the emperor ordered Sebastian murdered. Sebastian was pierced with numerous arrows and left to die, but a widow named Irene found him and healed him.

He came before Emperor Diocletian again and was then sentenced to death. He was martyred by being beaten to death with clubs. He refused to give up his love for Jesus Christ.

Traditional Matins Reading:

Sebastian, whose father was of Narbonne, and his mother a lady of Milan, was beloved by Diocletian on account of his noble birth and his virtues. Being a captain of the pretorian cohort, he was able to give assistance and alms to the Christians, whose faith he himself followed, though privately. When he perceived any of them trembling at the great tortures of the persecutors, he made it his duty to encourage them; and so well did he do it, that many, for the sake of Jesus Christ, would freely offer themselves to the executioners. Of this number were the two brothers Mark and Marcellian, who were in custody under Nicostratus, whose wife, named Zoe, had recovered her speech by the prayer made for her by Sebastian. Diocletian, being told of these things, summoned Sebastian before him; and after upbraiding him in very strong words, tried every means to induce him to turn from the faith of Christ. But finding that neither promises nor threats availed, he ordered him to be tied to a stake, and to be shot to death with arrows.

Everyone thought he was dead; and a pious woman named Irene gave orders that his body should be taken away during the night and buried; but she, finding him to be still alive, had him taken to her house, where she took care of him. Not long after, having quite recovered, he went before Diocletian, and boldly chided him for his wickedness. At first the Emperor was struck dumb with astonishment, for he had been told that Sebastian was dead; but at length the strange event and the Martyr's sharp rebuke so inflamed him with rage, that he ordered him to be scourged to death with rods. His body was thrown into a sewer, but Lucina was instructed by Sebastian, in her sleep, both as to where his body was, and where he wished to be buried. Accordingly she buried him at the Catacombs, where, afterwards, a celebrated Church was built, called Saint Sebastian's.

A Prayer to St. Sebastian:

Dear Commander at the Roman Emperor's court, you chose to be also a soldier of Christ and dared to spread faith in the King of Kings, for which you were condemned to die. Your body, however, proved athletically strong and the executing arrows extremely weak. So another means to kill you was chosen and you gave your life to the Lord. May athletes be always as strong in their faith as their Patron Saint so clearly has been. Amen.

Prayer:

O Almighty God, have regard to our weakness: and since the weight of our own evil deeds is oppressive, may the glorious intercession of Thy blessed Martyrs, Fabian and Sebastian, protect us. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal
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Protect Marriage in Illinois

I just got an email about this great site, Protect Marriage Illinois. If you are from the state of Illinois, please visit this site and sign the petition to "place a referendum on the November 2006 ballot calling on the Illinois General Assembly to pass a Marriage Protection Amendment permanently defining marriage as one-man, one-woman."
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