The National Catholic Register has a good list of ideas on how to Change the World This Lent. I also highly recommend the Catholic Herald's 40 Ways to Improve Your Lent.
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Tuesday, March 7, 2006
Double (1955 Calendar): March 6
Optional Memorial (1969 Calendar): March 7
Since this feastday often occurs during Lent, the feast of Sts. Perpetua and Felicity is kept as a Commemoration at Mass and in the Office.
St. Perpetua was young, beautiful, and well-educated a noblewoman of Carthage. She also was the mother of an infant son. Some of St. Perpetua's writings remain: “When my father in his affection for me was trying to turn me from my purpose by arguments and thus weaken my faith, I said to him, ‘Do you see this vessel—waterpot or whatever it may be? Can it be called by any other name than what it is?’ ‘No,’ he replied. ‘So also I cannot call myself by any other name than what I am—a Christian.’”
During a period of persecution, Perpetua, Felicity (a slavewoman and expectant mother) and their three companions, Revocatus, Secundulus and Saturninus were all martyred because of their refusal to denounce their faith in Christ. Perpetua and Filicity were beheaded and their three companions were devoured by beasts. Felicity was martyred just three days after giving birth. Perpetua's mother also refused to denounce her faith so Perpetua's pagan father had her imprisoned.
"Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:11-12)
As Sts. Perpetua and Felicity illustrate, we must not be afraid to stand firm to our beliefs. We must never back down from the firm truths of the Catholic faith, the same faith that for which those two saints died. This is same faith that proclaims that Jesus Christ must be the center of our lives and hearts.
Since this feastday often occurs during Lent, the feast of Sts. Perpetua and Felicity is kept as a Commemoration at Mass and in the Office.
St. Perpetua was young, beautiful, and well-educated a noblewoman of Carthage. She also was the mother of an infant son. Some of St. Perpetua's writings remain: “When my father in his affection for me was trying to turn me from my purpose by arguments and thus weaken my faith, I said to him, ‘Do you see this vessel—waterpot or whatever it may be? Can it be called by any other name than what it is?’ ‘No,’ he replied. ‘So also I cannot call myself by any other name than what I am—a Christian.’”
During a period of persecution, Perpetua, Felicity (a slavewoman and expectant mother) and their three companions, Revocatus, Secundulus and Saturninus were all martyred because of their refusal to denounce their faith in Christ. Perpetua and Filicity were beheaded and their three companions were devoured by beasts. Felicity was martyred just three days after giving birth. Perpetua's mother also refused to denounce her faith so Perpetua's pagan father had her imprisoned.
"For the young women there was prepared a fierce cow. Perpetua was first led in. She was tossed, and when she saw her tunic torn from her side, she drew it as a veil over her middle, rather mindful of her modesty than of her sufferings. Then the was called up again, and bound up her dishevelled hair, for it is not becoming for a martyr to die with dishevelled hair, which is a sign of mourning. She saw Felicity wounded, and took her hand and raised her up, and at the demand of the populace they were given a respite.
"Now all the prisoners were to be slain with the sword, and they went to the center of the arena, first exchanging a farewell kiss of peace. The others died unmoving and silent, but when the awkward hand of the young executioner bungled her death-stroke, Perpetua cried out in pain, and herself guided his hand to her throat. Possibly such a woman could not have been slain unless she herself willed it, because she was feared by the impure spirit" (Quote from The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 3 edited by Rev. Alexander Roberts)Imagine that - these five willingly refused to deny Our Lord and chose giving up their lives instead. We too must have that faith! We must not be afraid of losing our reputation or jobs for our faith in Christ and His Church. Sts. Perpetua and Filicity refused to give up their faith in Christ and earned eternal reward.
"Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:11-12)
As Sts. Perpetua and Felicity illustrate, we must not be afraid to stand firm to our beliefs. We must never back down from the firm truths of the Catholic faith, the same faith that for which those two saints died. This is same faith that proclaims that Jesus Christ must be the center of our lives and hearts.
Here is an account of their coming deaths:
Now the day had arrived when they were to be thrown to the wild beasts. Felicitas began to be sorrowful because she feared she would have to wait longer than her companions. For eight months she had been pregnant and therefore, according to Roman law, could not be executed before the birth of the child. But the prayers of her fellow sufferers hastened her time and she gave birth to a baby girl.Prayer:
While she was suffering from the pains of childbirth, one of the guards called out to her, "If you are suffering so much now, what will you do when you are thrown to the wild beasts?" "Now I suffer," she answered, "but there Another will be in me, who will suffer for me, because I will suffer for Him." When she was in travail she had sorrow, but when she was set before the wild beasts she rejoiced" (Roman Martyrology).
O Lord, our God, grant us the grace to honor with unfailing veneration the glorious martyrdom of SS. Perpetua and Felicitas; and, if we cannot sing praises worthy of these Saints, may we at least offer them our lowly homage. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal
Let us try to live by Blessed Mother Teresa's words of wisdom today:
"Love until it hurts; it takes deep sacrifice to proclaim the word of God. "
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"Love until it hurts; it takes deep sacrifice to proclaim the word of God. "
Monday, March 6, 2006
I end this day in the Prayer for the Liturgy of the Hours and pray for the following Intentions:
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- That all people may receive the opportunities they need to reach their full potential
- For the poor and the poor souls in purgatory
- For the Intentions of the Catholic forum that I put together
(There is a pious story that soon after the death of a certain Poor Clare nun, she appeared to her Mother Superior - who was praying for her soul - and made the following revelation: " I went straight to heaven because I paid all my debts by virtue of this prayer (below)." Please note that this prayer is not meant to take the place of making a sincere Confession. It is meant only as a prayer to foster true contrition and reparation.)
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with al its love, all its sufferings and all its merits.
To expiate all the sins I have committed this day and during all my life.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
To purify the good I have done poorly this day and during all my life.
Glory be, etc.
To supply for the good I ought to have done, and that I have neglected this day and all my life.
Glory be, etc.
"Let us devote ourselves to tearful prayers, to reading and compunction of heart, and to abstinence. During these days, therefore, let us add something to the usual amount of our service, special prayers, abstinence from food and drink, that each one offer to God 'with the joy of the Holy Ghost' (1 Thes 1:6), of his own accord, something above his prescribed measure; namely, let him withdraw from his body somewhat of food, drink, sleep, speech, merriment, and with the gladness of spiritual desire await holy Easter."Image Source: Image believed to be in the Public Domain.
Governor Rounds of South Dakota signed the ban on virtually all abortions today. This bill would ban all abortions expect in rare cases to save the life of the mother. This is monumental! Although Planned Parenthood will file suit and this will be tied up in the courts, this is the first win since 1973 for the unborn. The day is coming when all of God's children will be equal. Let us pray that day will not be long away."In the history of the world, the true test of a civili[z]ation is how well people treat the most vulnerable and most helpless in their society," Rounds said. "The sponsors and supporters of this bill believe that abortion is wrong because unborn children are the most vulnerable and most helpless persons in our society. I agree with them."The law, would put abortion practitioners in prison for 5 to 10 years along with fining them $5,000 for performing an illegal abortion. Although it is slated to take effect July 1, 2006, Planned Parenthood is planning to object.
According to Rasmussen Reports, 45% of South Dakotans support the measure while 45% do not. Fox News concluded Americans in general disapprove of it by a 59-35 percent margin. This however is most likely because the law does not include exception for rape and incest, which 70% of Americans support.
Read more on this victory and read the text of this new law.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church:
2271. "Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law: You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish. [Didache 2, 2: SCh 248, 148; cf. Ep. Barnabae 19, 5: PG 2, 777; Ad Diognetum 5, 6: PG 2, 1173; Tertullian, Apol. 9: PL 1, 319-320.] God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes. [GS 51 # 3.]"
2272. "Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. 'A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae,' [CIC, can. 1398.] 'by the very commission of the offense,' [CIC, can. 1314.] and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law. [Cf. CIC, cann. 1323-1324.] The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society."
2274. "Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being. Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, 'if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo and the human fetus and is directed toward its safe guarding or healing as an individual.... It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence.' [CDF, Donum vitae I, 2.]"
2322. "From its conception, the child has the right to life. Direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, is a 'criminal' practice (GS 27 # 3), gravely contrary to the moral law. The Church imposes the canonical penalty of excommunication for this crime against human life."
Image Source: AP
The company has announced that as of March 20, 2006, its 3,700 pharmacies will begin filling prescriptions for the morning after pill. This form of artificial contraception is opposed to the Catholic faith, and we as Catholics can not support its use.
I ask you to join me in writing to Walmart and voicing your opposition. Lent is a great time of year to stand up for our faith. Just write a short comment voicing your opposition to their decision.
Write to Walmart
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I ask you to join me in writing to Walmart and voicing your opposition. Lent is a great time of year to stand up for our faith. Just write a short comment voicing your opposition to their decision.
Write to Walmart
Sunday, March 5, 2006
Today we have celebrated the Holy Mass and received the Sacred Body and Blood of Our Savior, let us remember this joy as we sleep. Remember, we received the Bread of Angels - let us end the day in prayer.
O my God, at the end of this day I thank you most heartily for all the graces I have received from you. I am sorry that I have not made a better use of them. I am sorry for all the sins I have committed against you. Forgive me, O my God, and graciously protect me this night. Blessed Virgin Mary, my dear heavenly mother, take me under your protection. St. Joseph, my dear guardian angel, and all you saints of God, pray for me. Sweet Jesus, have pity on all poor sinners, and save them from hell. Have mercy on the suffering souls in purgatory.
Tonight's Intentions:
Since this is Lent I am trying to follow the Lenten calendar outlined by Operation Rice Bowl. I will be posting their prayer intentions onward now.
Tonight I pray for those in third world countries that went to bed hungry, and for the small business owners of their countries. May they be safeguarded and find work and food but also saved by Christ.
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O my God, at the end of this day I thank you most heartily for all the graces I have received from you. I am sorry that I have not made a better use of them. I am sorry for all the sins I have committed against you. Forgive me, O my God, and graciously protect me this night. Blessed Virgin Mary, my dear heavenly mother, take me under your protection. St. Joseph, my dear guardian angel, and all you saints of God, pray for me. Sweet Jesus, have pity on all poor sinners, and save them from hell. Have mercy on the suffering souls in purgatory.
Tonight's Intentions:
Since this is Lent I am trying to follow the Lenten calendar outlined by Operation Rice Bowl. I will be posting their prayer intentions onward now.
Tonight I pray for those in third world countries that went to bed hungry, and for the small business owners of their countries. May they be safeguarded and find work and food but also saved by Christ.
I've been wanting to post about this for awhile, but I haven't had a chance until today. We, as Catholics, have thousands of beautiful churches, cathedrals, and basilicas around the world. I want to share pictures of some of these.
Please comment below and leave links to information and pictures on some of your favorite Catholic Churches. Here's some of mine:
- The Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, which houses St. Louise and St. Catherines' bodies.
- The Basilica of St John Lateran
- Holy Name Cathedral
- Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
His Emminence, Cardinal Francis George, O.M.I of Chicago issued a very sentimental Lenten message for 2006.Lent has begun. Last Wednesday we took the blessed ashes upon our foreheads and accepted the invitation of the Church to go into the desert with the Lord.
The desert is the place where Jesus prays and fasts to prepare for his public ministry. It was not the fasting sometimes fashionable today—dieting to have better health or a more attractive figure or to train for a sporting event.
Like Moses in the desert, the pious Jew of Jesus’ day would fast from earthly nourishment in order to become hungry for divine food, to become hungry for God. In the desert for 40 days, Jesus fasted to become empty in order to receive and carry out the will of his Father.
We, the followers of Jesus, need to fast to become free for God. The Church no longer has precise rules for substantial Lenten fasting, except for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and the result might be that we too easily drift through Lent and find at Easter that we have not made any serious effort. This is greatly to our spiritual loss and that of the Church.
Continue reading
Image Source: Cardinal George Fan Club
St. Catherine was born in the nobility as the youngest of five children in an era when only luxury and art mattered in Europe. However, at the age of 13, St. Catherine sought to become a nun. She was however denied because of her age. So, at the age of 16, immediately following her father's death, St. Catherine married a man named Julian. Julian was a cruel man that didn't provide for Catherine; his unfaithfulness nearly led them to bankruptcy.
It was not until Confession one day that St. Catherine realized how much Jesus loved her even though she sinned. This realization helped St. Catherine to immediately reform her life and in doing so Julian also left his self-centered life behind. St. Catherine shows us the necessity of Confession. St. Catherine even received the Stigmata.
St. Catherine and Julian worked together from that day to help the poor and suffering. They continued this until Julian's death in 1497. In 1493, St. Catherine of Genoa caught the plague yet she miraculously survived.
She was a mystic, visionary, and a writer. She died on September 15, 1510. She was canonized in 1737.
Saturday, March 4, 2006
Semidouble (1955 Calendar): March 4
Today the Church remembers St. Casimir of Poland (1458-1483). He was born in 1458 third in the line to the throne of Poland. Yet, even his adolescence was filled with acts of penance including sleeping on the ground, spending a great part of the night in prayer, dedicating himself to lifelong celibacy. He lived for a penitential life for Christ. St. Casimir also had a devotion to Mary and a love for helping the poor.
At the age of fifteen, St. Casimir was made king of Hungaria, but he refused to exercise his intense power. His army was outnumbered and deserted because they were unpaid, so St. Casimir returned home. He once again took up intense prayer. He reigned as king briefly during his father's absence and remained celibate his entire life even when asked to marry the emperor's daughter.
St. Casimir died March 4, 1484 at the age of 26 in Grondo, Lithuania of tuberculosis.
Visit the Sisters of St. Casimir for more information
Prayer:
O God, Who didst strengthen holy Casimir with the virtue of constancy in the midst of royal luxury and the snares of the world: we beseech Thee, that by his intercession Thy faithful people may despise earthly things, and ever aspire to those of heaven. Through our Lord.
Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal
Blessed Mother Teresa -
"Christ must be the light that shines through you, and the people looking at you must see only Jesus."
"You have a challenge from Jesus to meet: He has shed the light, and you will take His light and lighten every heart you meet."
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"Christ must be the light that shines through you, and the people looking at you must see only Jesus."
"You have a challenge from Jesus to meet: He has shed the light, and you will take His light and lighten every heart you meet."
Friday, March 3, 2006
The new Cardinal-elect from Toledo, Spain, Antonio Cañizares recently sat down for an interview.Here is just a small portion:
"Q: A cardinal is he who sheds his blood for the Pope. What does this mean in the present-day context?
Archbishop Cañizares: To be a cardinal is reflected in the [red] color that implies giving witness with the Pope of the faith unto death, if necessary. It is to give witness of the living God and, with Peter, to confess that Jesus Christ is the only Savior, the only hope for the whole of humanity.
It implies living with the Pope, servant of servants, in a life of service and full commitment without any reservations, to spend oneself and exhaust oneself for the hard works of the Gospel, to lose one's life so that the world will believe.
It is to serve in communion, in unbreakable unity with the Successor of Peter; it is to defend the dignity of the injured and poor man, to give him to Jesus Christ.
It is a very beautiful mission, a grace to be able to be associated with the Holy Father in his ministry of confirming the faith, in his ministry of concern for all the Church and of love for all, with that love of which Benedict XVI has spoken to us so beautifully in his encyclical."
Read more on Zenit
Photo Source
In what appears to be an effort to bridge the differences between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, Pope Benedict XVI has dropped the papal title "Patriarch of the West."
Vatican, Mar. 01 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI has dropped one of the traditional titles of the Roman Pontiff. Evidently hoping to eliminate one possible obstacle to ecumenical progress with the Orthodox world, the Holy Father has renounced the title "Patriarch of the West."I hope it is evident that the Pope is not just the Patriarch of the West but of the whole Universal Church - He is the Successor of the Chief of the Apostles, St. Peter, and is the leader of the flock of Jesus Christ.
The Catholic News Service writes more...
The Pope's other titles remain the "Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of (Peter) the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City, and Servant of the Servants of God."
Padre Pio: "Don’t be upset when you are unable to meditate, receive Communion or carry out all the pious practices. In the meantime, try to make up for this in different manner, by keeping yourself united to Our Lord with a loving will, with ejaculatory prayers and Spiritual Communions."
"Upon first entering the church, there is a fire, a fervency, a desire to serve God in this new place that burns brightly; however, as they fuel for that fire tends to be sparse it is of short duration. Soon, from whatever cause, the fire has died down and is banked, the embers are rarely stirred beneath their fine white covering of ash. Such a faith provides a certain warmth and glow, but not the all-consuming blaze that the Lord would like of us. "Lent is a time to consider how to move once again toward that intimacy, toward an all-out conflagration rather than a simple house-warming fire. It is a time of renewal--not of hardship. The hardships of Lent are incidentals that receive entirely too much of our attention. Fasting, Prayer, and Alms are not strange entities to pull out only at this season--rather they are constants.
Lent is a time to consider all of our activities and to integrate them into the one goal of serving the Lord. "
From An Invitiation to Intimacy
Today let us begin and end the day in prayer. There is no set prayer, rather, let all prayers we say be from the heart. Remember today the image of true love - the Cross. Ask our Lord how much He cares and loves you. And what does He do? He opened up His arms and died for us so that you might have life and be able to live with Him for all eternity.
Today let us offer our abstience from meat up in prayer for those who are starving and hungry and will go to bed without any food. And let our prayers be for them and for all believers and non-believers that we might all grow in a deeper love for the One True Love - Our Savior, Crucfied.
Prayer to Our Lord Jesus Crucified:
Heavenly Father; in the holy name of your Son Jesus, crucified for my sins, and in the Love of the Holy Spirit, I come very humbly before you, with sorrow for my sins. Through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, which I live as I receive Him in the Holy Eucharist.
Lord Jesus crucified; I humbly speak to you, in the Presence of Mary our Blessed Mother. I acknowledge that you suffered so much for me and for all, and that we are indebted to you forever. Lord Jesus; I appreciate very much your sufferings for me and for the rest of humanity. I thank you for saving me through your crushing pain, through your many wounds, through your tiredness and agony and through your Precious Blood shed with so much pain and love for us; through your difficulty to breath, through your sweat and tears, through your merciful patience, through every effort that you made and through your total offering for my sins and for the sins of the whole world.
Lord I complain sometimes when I have a little misfortune, a wound or when I am sick or tired, rejected, despised or prosecuted. But you were covered through your entire body with painful wounds; you were pierced with pain by the crown of thorns, you were stripped of your flesh by the scourging, you were insulted with terrible blasphemies, you were spat upon, you were humiliated, you were inflicted new wounds upon your wounded shoulder by the crushing weight of the cross, you were inflicted more wounds upon your wounds by the brutal stripping of your garments, you were pierced painfully by the nails on the cross, you were hanged upon the cross to bleed painfully to death, you suffered asphyxiation as you found it very painful to breathe, and yet your physical agony was only part of your suffering compared to your spiritual agony because you are God, and your holy soul was sorrowful unto death as you surrendered your life in exchange for our eternal life.
You saw the ingratitude of men for your great sacrifice, and you suffered for the pride of our sins, for the aggressiveness of those whom you created with so much love, for the hatred of men who always receive all your love if only they come to you. My Lord Jesus crucified, I come humbly before you, everlasting fountain of healing and life, Powerful source of our Resurrection, food for our souls in the Holy Eucharist, eternal refuge of Divine Light, gate to the Majesty and Glory of the Father and our only hope and salvation.
Divine Merciful Lord, I pray and beseech on behalf of all humanity for your Mercy and compassion, for your healing and blessings and for our Salvation. O, Precious treasure from Heaven, you who are hidden to the proud, fill my heart with humility and purity that I may be worthy to receive the promises of everlasting life in your Glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord into your Sacred Heart I place my heart united to all my needs and desires, I present humbly my petitions, please deign to listen to my plea, embrace me with your love, respond to my soul, look at me your child who comes attracted by your love.
My Lord Jesus; In your crucified body I reverently place my sinfulness, my sicknesses and those of the people that I pray for; since you bore our diseases and infirmities, since you endured our sufferings and paid for our sins. Please dissolve them in your mercy; grant me these petitions in your holy name and in the name of your sorrowful mother, my mother. Amen.
The Day is coming when abortion will end! Following South Dakota, Missisippi has introduced a bill in its legislature that will ban virtually all abortions in the state. The only exception is for the life of mother. Governor Barbour of Mississippi has said that although the bill doesn't include exceptions for incest and rape, he will sign it:
This is wonderful news. The day is coming when all abortions will be illegal. I have a dream that one day this holocaust of the innocent might end and we will all sit down at the table of brotherhood. Since 1973, over 46 million unborn children have been murdered in the name of privacy and choice. It's time for our society in the twenty-first century to change this. The time has arrived. Let us pray, pray, and pray. Let us also support Gov. Barbour and hope that this bill and the similar measure in South Dakota will become law and survive the courts.
Missouri, the third state, has proposed a measure that would ban abortions with the same exception. This measure however, would be placed before the voters in November and decided upon by them.
Sen. Jason Crowell, the measure's sponsor, said: "The time has come for us to outlaw abortion. The time has come for these decisions to be made in these deliberative bodies, not by nine men and women who wear black robes."
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"It hasn't gotten to my desk yet. When one gets there, we'll find out, and I suspect I'll sign it."Update: The Legislature has added exceptions in cases of rape and incest. Although the Catholic Church does not approve of any exceptions because all life is sacred, I do hope this will become law. We need to limit and outlaw abortions - children deserve life.
This is wonderful news. The day is coming when all abortions will be illegal. I have a dream that one day this holocaust of the innocent might end and we will all sit down at the table of brotherhood. Since 1973, over 46 million unborn children have been murdered in the name of privacy and choice. It's time for our society in the twenty-first century to change this. The time has arrived. Let us pray, pray, and pray. Let us also support Gov. Barbour and hope that this bill and the similar measure in South Dakota will become law and survive the courts.
Missouri, the third state, has proposed a measure that would ban abortions with the same exception. This measure however, would be placed before the voters in November and decided upon by them.
Sen. Jason Crowell, the measure's sponsor, said: "The time has come for us to outlaw abortion. The time has come for these decisions to be made in these deliberative bodies, not by nine men and women who wear black robes."
The Holy Father's audience given at the Ash Wednesday Mass is available online now. Here is only a segment of it:"Today we begin our Lenten journey, when the Church invites us to ponder Christ's saving work, to live out more deeply the reality of our Baptism and to draw rich nourishment from sacred Scripture. Above all, we are to relive with Jesus the 40 days he spent in the desert, praying and fasting, in preparation for his public mission. We join him in a spiritual journey, we follow him on the road to Calvary, and after the mystery of the Cross, we experience the joy of his Resurrection.
"This day is marked by the solemn distribution of ashes. Two Scripture passages are used to accompany the rite. The first, "remember that you are dust and to dust you will return" (John 3:19), urges us to place our hope in God alone. The second, "turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel" (Mark 1:15), directs us to set out on the path of spiritual renewal, rejecting evil and drawing life from Christ's saving truth.
"The theme of my Lenten Message for this year is the Gospel text: "Jesus, at the sight of the crowds, was moved with pity." We too are called to be attentive to the needs of our suffering brothers and sisters as part of our Lenten observance. Through prayer, fasting and almsgiving, may we be purified and renewed, as we prepare to celebrate the great feast of Easter."
Thursday, March 2, 2006
Recently a group of 55 Catholic Democrats from the House of Representatives signed a "Statement of Principles." This Statement states that they "agree with the Catholic Church about the value of human life and the undesirability of abortion, we do not celebrate its practice." However, these lawmakers are doing nothing else than playing politics. The Catholic Church was the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. It will not be swayed by these Catholics who claim they can be pro-choice and Catholic - that is heresy.
Catholic League president William Donohue commented, "The House Catholic Democrats who signed this statement - and 17 of them did not - are trying to convince the public, and especially Catholics, that one can be a good Catholic and differ with the Catholic Church on abortion."
These are the 55 Democracts:
Rosa L. DeLauro
David R. ObeyCatholic League president William Donohue commented, "The House Catholic Democrats who signed this statement - and 17 of them did not - are trying to convince the public, and especially Catholics, that one can be a good Catholic and differ with the Catholic Church on abortion."
These are the 55 Democracts:
Rosa L. DeLauro
Wm. Lacy Clay
Hilda L. Solis
James R. Langevin
Bart Stupak
Anna Eshoo
Bill Pascrell
Betty McCollum
Gene Taylor
Raul M. Grijalva
Carolyn McCarthy
John B. Larson
Ed Pastor
Joe Baca
William Delahunt
Tim Ryan
Silvestre Reyes
Mike Thompson
Linda T. Sanchez
Charles A. Gonzalez
Xavier Becerra
Diane Watson
Michael H. Michaud
Nydia Velazquez
Jim Marshall
Frank Pallone
John T. Salazar
James P. McGovern
George Miller
Tim Holden
James L. Oberstar
Dale E. Kildee
Patrick J. Kennedy
Cynthia McKinney
James P. Moran
Michael Capuano
Richard E. Neal
Mike Doyle
Peter A. DeFazio
Maurice Hinchey
Dennis A. Cardoza
Joseph Crowley
Jim Costa
Lucille Roybal-Allard
Loretta Sanchez
Robert Brady
Marty Meehan
Grace Napolitano
Luis V. Gutierrez
Jose Serrano
Stephen Lynch
Edward J. Markey
Nancy Pelosi
Lane Evans
Read their "Statement" here. Let us pray that these Catholics will one day embrace the Church again and realize that one cannot be pro-choice and Catholic.
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