Video: Tridentine Votive Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary

This is a beautiful video of a Votive Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Roman Catholic (SSPX) Priory of St. Pius X in Warsaw, Poland.

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Optional Memorial of the Holy Name of Jesus

Today is the day on which we especially honor the Holy Name of Jesus. Let us meditate on Jesus' name today, the name given by the angels, as we pray the Litany of the Holy Name. See my post from last year.

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St. Gregory Nazianzen

Double (1955 Calendar): May 9

St. Gregory Nazianzen was born in 330 AD. As a young man, he traveled in the pursuit of learning and eventually joined his friend Basil the Great as a hermit. He was later ordained as a priest and then the Bishop of Constantinople in 381. Yet with factions dividing the Church, he returned to Nazianzen, where he died on January 25th 389 or 390 AD. St. Gregory Nazianzen was called theologos because of his outstanding teaching and eloquence. He is a Doctor of the Church.

Traditional Reading at Matins:

Gregory, a Cappadocian noble, surnamed the Theologian, on account of his extraordinary learning in the sacred sciences, was born at Nazianzum in Cappadocia. He went through a complete course of studies at Athens, together with St Basil, after which he applied himself to the study of the sacred Scriptures. The two friends retired to a monastery, where they spent several years over the Scripture, interpreting it not according to their own views, but by the mind and authority of the earlier Fathers. Owing to their reputation for learning and virtue, they were called to the ministry of preaching the Gospel, and became the spiritual fathers of many souls.

After Gregory had returned home, he was made bishop of Sasima, and afterwards administered the church of Nazianzum. Being called later on to govern the Church of Constantinople, which was infected with heresy, he converted it to the Catholic faith. This success, far from gaining him the love of everyone, excited the envy of a great many and caused a division among the bishops, which led the Saint to resign his see. He said to them in the words of the prophet: ' If this tempest be stirred up on my account, cast me into the sea, that you may cease to be tossed.' Whereupon he returned to Nazianzum; and, having secured the appointment of Eulalius, Bishop of that Church, he devoted his whole time to the contemplation of divine things, and to writing treatises upon them.

He wrote much, both in prose and verse, of an admirable piety and eloquence. In the opinion of learned and holy men, there is nothing to be found in his writings which is not conformable to true piety and Catholic faith, or which anyone could reasonably call in question. He was a vigorous defender of the consubstantiality of the Son of God. No one ever led a more saintly life than he; no one was to be compared to him for eloquence. He led the life of a monk, spending his whole time in solitude, occupied in writing and reading. Having reached a venerable old age, he died during the reign of the emperor Theodosius, and entered into the blessed life of heaven.

Prayer written by St. Gregory Nazianzen:

O All-Transcendent God (and what other name could describe you?), what words can hymn your praises? No word does you justice. What mind can probe your secret? No mind can encompass you. You are alone beyond the power of speech, yet all that we speak stems from you. You are alone beyond the power of thought, yet all that we can conceive springs from you. All things proclaim you, those endowed with reason and those bereft of it. All the expectation and pain of the world coalesces in you. All things utter a prayer to you, a silent hymn composed by you. You sustain everything that exists, and all things move together to your orders. You are the goal of all that exists. You are one and you are all, yet you are none of the things that exist - neither a part nor the whole. You can avail yourself of any name; how shall I call you, the only unnameable? All-transcendent God!

Collect:

O God, Who didst give blessed Gregory to Thy people as a minister of eternal salvation: grant, we beseech Thee, that we, who have had him for our teacher on earth, may deserve to have him for our advocate in heaven. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

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Avoid the Neocatechumenal Way

After reading up about the Neocatechumenal Way today, I feel obligated to write about my strong disapproval for the organization. The Neocatechumenal Way or Neocatechumenate is a "Post Baptismal Catechumenate" i.e. a Christian initiation process within the Roman Catholic Church that is dedicated to adult faith formation. However, as part of their regular celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass the Way performs numerous liturgical abuses and engages in teachings that are, at their core, not Catholic.  Not only have they lost the Liturgy but their actions call into question their foundation in solid Catholic doctrine.

I found an abundance of information on the doctrinal errors of the Neocatechumenal Way from the faithful magazine "Christian Order," specifically a 1995 article. Here is some information from that magazine relating to the doctrinal errors of Neocatechumenal Way.  And here is an additional source written by Fr. Zoffoli on the problems in the Way.

THESE STATEMENTS DO NOT LIE.  THE WAY DOES NOT TEACH CATHOLIC DOCTRINE.  AVOID THEM AT ALL COST NO MATTER WHICH BISHOPS OR PRIESTS MIGHT SUPPORT THEM.  THEY ARE NOT CATHOLIC

* * * *


1. SIN: man cannot avoid committing it, in the same way as he can neither accomplish good nor acquire merits for himself;

- conversion is possible only as recognition, by everyone, of their own moral poverty, not as a determined wish to correct one’s
- sin cannot offend God, and man does not incur the duty to expiate it by satisfying the requirements of His justice.

2. REDEMPTION: Jesus has not brought this about by liberating man from his faults and reconciling him with God;

- the passion and death of Christ has not been a true sacrifice offered to the Father in order to remedy sin and to redeem man;
- Jesus saved the world by virtue of His Resurrection: in order to enjoy the fruits of His work it is enough to confess to be sinners and to believe in the power of the risen Christ.


3. THE CHURCH was not founded by Christ as his only Sheepfold: it is also possible to save oneself by following other religions;

- the Church is not a juridical and hierarchical society, but a spiritual, charismatic one;
- in it there is not found a priesthood derived from the sacrament of the Order - as it is sufficient to have the Baptism which, incorporating all the believers in Christ, makes them participants of His priestly dignity.

4. THE MASS is not a “sacrifice”: the Church, at the altar, does not offer to God any Victim;

- in place of the altar, there is nothing but the table, which in the Eucharist allows a festive party to be celebrated among brothers united by the same faith in the Resurrection;
- the consecrated bread and wine are only the symbol of the presence of the risen Christ which unites the fellow-guests by communicating their own spirit, thus making them participants in his triumph over death;
- the Mass, thus conceived, is not celebrated by the priest, but by the Assembly, from which “springs the Eucharist.”

5. EUCHARISTIC WORSHIP does not have any meaning, it negates the true, real and substantial presence of Christ under the sacramental species. Acts of faith such as genuflections before the Tabernacle, frequent Communions, hours of adoration, benedictions, processions, congresses, etc. are not therefore justified.

6. CONFESSION is reduced to the sacrament of Baptism: their distinction does not go back to the primitive Church:

- the Church “gestates and leads to the conversion.” “The important thing is not the absolution” of the priest, because the value of the confession is essentially its community and ecclesial nature;
- in the “passages” and in the, “scrutinies” the acknowledgement of one’s transgressions, including the serious ones, is public, as can still be the case during the “redditio.”

7. THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, as a voluntary effort of self-discipline, and therefore an exercise and progress in virtue, is an illusion;

- everyone remains intrinsically a sinner, incapable of obtaining true justice as a perfection of the love of God and of one’s fellow creatures;

- on the other hand, Jesus has not been presented to anyone as a “model” to be imitated;
- He has commanded that we should actually hate our parents, brothers, relatives etc, not just, if necessary, to be prepared to prefer Him to them;

- in order to follow Christ, we need to sell our own goods; but, once this renunciation has been accomplished, it is permissible to acquire others and to enjoy all the pleasures of life. “Poverty” as understood by St. Francis, is inspired by the “natural religion,” and was also practised by the pagans: it is not a Christian virtue;

- Jesus, having suffered for us, has made our sufferings superfluous, therefore the austerities of the ascetics, the slow martyrdom of the Saints and the religious life itself, involving the effective practice of the evangelical counsels, are not justifiable;

- eternal salvation is offered freely to all by the mercy of God, who forgives everything. Hell should not exist, nor should one speak of Purgatory, of prayers and of indulgences for the dead.

Sacrilegious Holy Communion

8. THE HISTORY of the true Church founded by Christ comes to an end with the Pax Constantinia and does not resume its course until the 20th century with the Second Vatican Council, having remained frozen for about 1,600 years ... ;

- in this long interval, the exercise of the triple power of the hierarchical Church (teaching, sanctification, guidance) would have been improper, illegitimate ... ; and in particular the Council of Trent would be responsible for the paralysis of the Church, determined to fix formulae of faith, liturgical rites, disciplinary, rules ... ;
- the interpretation of the Word of God is not reserved for the Hierarchy, it is possible for all believers: “the Bible is explained by itself.” This freedom of examination in the exegesis excludes the ecclesiastical Teaching, the tradition of the Elders and the doctrine of the theologies.

* * * *

The above statements are heresy. The Neocatechumenal Way does not refer to the Altar as anything more than a "table" when it is a symbol of our Lord Jesus Christ and one of the holiest objects on Earth. Here is a comment concerning liturgical abuses performed by the Neocatechumenal Way on EWTN's Catholic Q and A:

"This group engages in various practices within their special liturgy that are regularly considered abuses, such as standing at the Consecration, decorating the Altar with flowers, dancing around the Altar, or 'Table' as they call it, after Mass, accompanying the chanting of the Eucharistic Prayer with guitars, to name a few." I found a picture of a Baptism done by a deacon instead of a priest via Yahoo Images. It is done very differently than in a typical parish. Also, notice the flowers on the altar, which should not be there as this is a violation of the laws of the Church.

Comments (Updated 2011):

I would like to highlight the comment by Rob which I share below:

Thank you for posting the article "Avoid The Neocatechumenal Way". Four years worth of comments - Wow. I just included the following in my comment and hope you'll consider it. 

"The four years worth of comments here are mostly tantrums of the teenage angst vein - "you don't understand me" - instead of intelligent discussion. There are a couple really great comments though and it would be helpful if the original poster would stick in a P.S. to advise all new commentors to at least read these two before they post their own. 

1. - two part post beginning February 24, 2010 - 12:42 AM
2. - seven part post beginning July 18, 2010 - 3:18 PM"

Update: August 13, 2011

First and foremost, to those of you who say that the Neocatechumenal Way is to be accepted because the Holy Father has approved its decrees, you are mistaken. Read carefully: "Blind obedience is not Catholic; nobody is exempt from responsibility for having obeyed man rather than God if he accepts orders from a higher authority, even the Pope when these are contrary to the Will of God as it is known with certainty from Tradition. It is true that one cannot envisage such an eventuality when the papal infallibility is engaged, but this happens only in a limited number of cases. It is an error to think that every word uttered by the Pope is infallible" (Open Letter to Confused Catholics)

The problem with our modern times is that modernism and errors have affected even the Holy Father. He is not sinless. And, if I might say, he is incorrect to approve the Neocatechumenal Way which at its core is not Catholic. It is protestant for the reasons aforementioned in this post.

You might say, how is the Holy Father in error? Unfortunately, even he has fallen into some of the snares of liberal Catholics. I'd encourage you to read my post outlining the six errors of liberal Catholics with an analysis on how the hierarchy no longer believes "outside the Church, there is no salvation." From this fundamental error, liberalism has infected the Church and has begun to pollute the Liturgy. The NeoCat Way is nothing more than a protestant infection in the Church founded by Jesus Christ.

Update: January 23, 2012

From the Catholic News Agency after news items claim that the Neocatechumenal Way has received approval for their Celebration of the Mass.  The Vatican clarifies.

The Vatican’s approval of the Neo-Catechumenal Way’s forms of “celebration” only applies to non-liturgical prayers within their catechesis and not to the Mass or other liturgies of the Church. 

“With respect to the celebrations of the Holy Mass and the other liturgies of the Church,” communities of the Neo-Catechumenal Way must “follow the norms of the Church as indicated in the liturgical books – to do otherwise must be understood to be a liturgical abuse,” a Vatican official told CNA on Jan. 21. 

Pope Benedict XVI met with around 7000 members of the movement in the Vatican’s Paul VI Audience Hall on Jan. 20 for an annual event to send families on mission destinations worldwide. 

The invitation issued by the movement to bishops for yesterday’s event stated that “the purpose of this meeting is that His Holiness will sign a Decree from the Congregation of Divine Worship recognizing the full approval of the liturgies of the Neo-Catechumenal Way.” 

However, the approval for non-liturgical practices of the group came by way of another source. It was Pontifical Council for the Laity that issued a decree of approval – after having consulted the Congregation for Divine Worship – for those “celebrations” present in their Catechetical Directory. 

In this process, “the Neocatechumenal Way obtained no new permissions whatsoever,” said the official, who is familiar with the approval process for prayers and liturgies.

“Essentially, the Pontifical Council is only approving these things that are found in the Catechetical Directory of the Neocatechumenal Way, and in no way touches those things contained in the liturgical books.”

Update (November 2015):

Taken from Tradition in Action which summarizes many of the issues with the Way

According to the founders’ thinking, the Passion and Death of Christ plays no role in man’s redemption. Therefore, the Mass is not a renewal of His Sacrifice, and not an altar but a table is where the banquet feast is held. This is quite similar to the Protestant doctrine so dear to Archbishop Bugnini.  

Argüello and Hernandez justify all their changes with the “profound renewal of the liturgy that came at Vatican II.” Indeed, many of the neocatechumenal practices are common in Novus Ordo Masses.  

Other Protestant-inspired changes  

For many years, the teachings of Argüello and Hernandez were kept away from the public. But during the Vatican process of approval, some of their texts were published. These texts, taken from The Neocatecumenate, A Christian Initiative for Adults, (3) clearly reveal the Protestant thinking that inspires the movement: 

It justifies Luther’s revolt: “It is understandable why Luther emerged making a clean break with everything he believed was a purely human addition or tradition.”
It promotes Luther’s teaching on justification: “Man is not saved by good works … Jesus Christ did not come to give us a model of life, an example. … The Holy Spirit does not lead us to perfection, to good works … God freely forgives the sins of those who believe that Jesus is the Savior.”  

It rejects transubstantiation: “Luther, who never doubted the real presence of Christ in the eucharist, rejected ‘transubstantiation,’ because it was bound to Aristotelian-Thomistic concept of substance, which is foreign to the Church of the Apostles and the Fathers”  

It rejects the Council of Trent: “The rigidity and fixity of the Council of Trent generated a static mentality in the liturgy, which has persisted to our day.” 

After a serious study on the Neocatechumenal Way, theologian Fr. Enrico Zoffoli did not hesitate to accuse the movement of being heretical in an article that can be read here.
Fr. Zoffoli also expressed grave concern for the fact that these errors are taught in the 78 Redemptoris Mater seminaries of the Neocatechumenal Way, which have already ordained 12,000 priests in the last 20 years. (4)

Given its Lutheran inspiration and the solid study of Fr. Zoffoli, one can legitimately question whether the “celebrations” of the Neocatechumenal Way are actually valid Masses. Do their priests intend to do what the Church does, offer a propitious sacrifice, when their founders explicitly deny that the Mass is a sacrifice?  

Notwithstanding these doctrinal errors, at the recent papal audience, Benedict XVI approved the movement and encouraged its members to continue their work and "offer your original contribution to the cause of the Gospel."  

Unorthodox liturgical practices  

The liturgy of the Neocatechumenal Way was shaped by Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández based, they claim, squarely on the new teachings of Vatican II. It pretends to return to the practices of the early Church, which were allegedly warped and deviated from the true path for centuries until the Council. One of the movement’s early mentors and supporters was none other than Archbishop Annibale Bugnini, the main architect of the New Mass. 

Dancing and singing around the table, a regular part of the Neocatechumenal celebration
Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernandez say that the original emphasis on the resurrection of Christ in the Mass was lost in the Constantine era and an erroneous sacrificial tone was inserted in its place. Their liturgy calls for paschal exultation at a table, not a sacrifice at an altar.  

The members of the Neocatechumenal Way, make their “celebrations” (they do not call them masses) on Saturday night. The small community – ideally no more than 20 or 30 - gathers in chairs around a table (never an altar, which suggests sacrifice) in the center of one of the parish buildings (which they prefer to churches). There they perform their “celebration” sitting and standing, never kneeling or genuflecting. For the Consecration the whole community stands.  

Communion is received standing. Each member receives in his hands a piece of the bread broken from a huge loaf – baked by the members themselves according to Argüello’s specific instructions. Then the celebrant sits and waits for all the faithful to receive the bread. After the presbyter says, “Body of Christ, bring us everlasting life,” the whole congregation consumes the loaf together. Then the cup is shared by all. The presbyter is supposed to carry it around, but often the members pass it from hand to hand, to give the sense of eating and drinking around a dinner table.  

Since, according to their doctrine, the interpretation of the Word of God is not reserved for the Hierarchy, before the sermon anyone present can give his witness.  

Participants dance or process around the table, chanting songs written by Argüello and accompanied by guitar, defined as the instrument “closest to the ancient Hebrew psalter.” There are no hymns or special devotion to Our Lady and the Saints.  

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Solemnity of the Mother of God

Today is the Octave Day of Christmas as well as the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. See my post from last year for more information.

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Happy New Year

A Blessed and Happy New Year!

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Editing of My Page on the Mass

Today I sat down and added a lot of information to my post on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. I did this in hopes that it will be a good resource to educate non-Catholics. I would appreciate any feedback on the editions to that page.

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Catholic Resolutions 2007

With today being New Years Eve, it's time for me to reflect on my Catholic Resolutions for 2006 and make mine for 2007. As I posted about last year...

2006 Catholic Resolutions:
1) Pray the Morning prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours each weekday
2) Pray the Rosary at least once a week
3) Visit other Catholic churches around me and meet other priests and people
4) Read the entire Bible in 1 year
5) Read the readings for Mass each morning

2006 Resolution Results:

1) This is the one that I focused most on, and I've exceeded beyond my previous goal. This past June I purchased "Christian Prayer", which made praying the Liturgy of the Hours so easy. Now I do not just pray Morning Prayer but also Evening Prayer and sometimes Night Prayer. With my desire to become a priest, this was a great preparation, so I'm excited that I've exceeded on this goal. I've kept a calendar where I wrote each time I pray the Liturgy of the Hours. After I purchased "Chrisitian Prayer", one can see how much more I can pray the Liturgy of the Hours. Now I can leave the computer screen and pray outside, in the chapel, etc. I will certainly keep praying morning and evening prayer each day now.

2) I did fairly well with this. I didn't pray the Rosary very often during Autumn this year because of classes, but I prayed it last week. In the summer I prayed it each day especially when I started my 54-day Rosary this past year. It was a great success! Overall, I would say that I succeeded in this Resolution

3) I did an excellent job with this. On the Feastday of St. Blase I visited a beautiful church near me. This past June I was honored to spend time at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Missouri. In November I toured the Cathedral in St. Paul, Minnesota, which is the most beautiful church I've ever seen. Even this past Christmas, I assisted as an altar server at midnight Mass. I definitely succeeded in this Resolution

4) I was able to read all of the First five books of the Old Testament (The Pentateuch), but I didn't get any further than that. Perhaps I should try this again in 2007.

5) I did a decent job at this Resolution especially over the summer. With classes that began in September, I was unable to keep doing this. But, thankfully the daily Mass readings are now on podcasts. I downloaded it to I-Tunes a few weeks ago and listened to them everyday that I didn't get a chance to go to Mass. I've did a good job with this Resolution.

2007 Catholic Resolutions:

1) Finish my application process to enter a seminary, get accepted by my diocese, and start at a college seminary in the fall of 2007.
2) Pray the 15 Prayers of St. Bridget each day or as often as possible
3) Find and purchase a Traditional Catholic Prayer Book and a 1962 Roman Missal
4) Attend my first Tridentine Mass
5) Seek to grow spiritually and avoid all of the sins that I have committed often in the past
6) Read classic spirituality books including "Story of a Soul" by St. Therese of Lisieux
7) Read all of the New Testament

I hope my readers will also create Catholic Resolutions, not just New Years Resolutions.

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Prayer to Prevent One Mortal Sin

I suggest praying this each day

O Mary, Immaculate Mother of Jesus, we beseech thee, offer to the Eternal Father the Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, to prevent at least one mortal sin from being committed somewhere in the world today. Amen.

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Pray for the Soul of Fr. Carlo Ly

I ask for your prayers for the repose of the soul of Fr. Carlo Ly (1925 - 2006), who was said to be a very holy priest.

Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei. Requiescat in pace. Amen.

Image Source: Photo of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Believed to be in the Public Domain

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New Years Indulgences

If you don't know what an indulgence is or how to get one, please view my Indulgences post.

December 31 Indulgence: A PLENARY INDULGENCE is granted when the Te Deum is recited publicly on the last day of the year. Otherwise a partial indulgence is granted to those who recite the Te Deum in thanksgiving.

January 1 Indulgence: A PLENARY INDULGENCE is granted when the Veni, Creator Spiritus is recited on the first of January or Pentecost.

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Saint for the Year Update

With the Christmas and New Years Celebrations, I have not been able to recently contact the person who is kind enough to pull the saints for the Saint for the Year Devotion. I appreciate everyone's patience. I hope to have more results in the next few days. Thank you for understanding.

Also, this is my 2000th post to this blog! This is a terrific milestone!

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Pope St. Anicetus

Simple (1955 Calendar): April 17

Pope St. Anicetus was the 11th pope, who reigned from c. 154 - c. 167 AD. St. Anicetus' papacy was marked by a conflict with the Christians under St. Polycarp of Smyrna, who wanted to celebrate Easter three days after Passover. The Church since the time of St. Peter had instead always ensured the celebration of Easter would be on a Sunday. To alleviate the situation, Pope St. Anicetus allowed the Christians under St. Polycarp to celebrate Easter their way. They continued to do so until the Council of Nicea, which suppressed such practices.

Pope St. Anicetus also forbade priests from having long hair because the Gnostics at this time were characterized by their long hair. It was a decree that allowed the faithful to recognize the difference between the Gnostics and true Christians.

Also in the papacy of St. Anicetus, Montanism was finally condemned. It was a heresy of the time with many differences with Catholicism - Catholicism is the original and true form of Christianity. Most notable of all the adherents to Montanism was Tertullian, the famous Early Christian writer who fell into such heresy later in his life.

Pope St. Anicetus died in c. 167 AD and his feastday is April 17.

Prayer:

Look forgivingly on Thy flock, Eternal Shepherd, and keep it in Thy constant protection, by the intercession of blessed Anicetus, Thy Martyr and Sovereign Pontiff, who Thou didst constitute Shepherd of the whole Church. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

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Feast of the Holy Innocents

Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents and the 4th Day of Christmas. It is a great time to start a novena for the unborn. For more information on today's feastday, see my post from last year.

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Words of Inspiration: December 28, 2006

"Jesus calls the poor and simple shepherds by means of angels to manifest Himself to them. He calls the learned men by means of their science. And all of them moved interiorly by grace hasten to adore Him. He calls all of us with divine inspirations and He communicates Himself to us with His Grace. How many times has He not lovingly invited us also? And with what promptitude have we replied? My God I blush and am filled with confusion at having to reply to such a question" (St. Padre Pio)

PS: I would like to ask all readers to pray for a special intention of mine. God knows what it is. I would appreciate your prayers. Thank you.

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Review: Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace

I have just read and greating enjoyed "Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace: My Spiritual Journey in Opus Dei" by Scott Hahn, which is about Opus Dei. Opus Dei is currently the only personal prelate of the Church. Opus Dei's spiritual foundation is divine filiation, the theological term is based off of 1 John 3:2 meaning "We are God's children". Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is also God Himself. Yet, through divine filiation we have a share in His sonship. We share not an eternal sonship like Jesus but rather one created by the grace of God through our baptism.

Page 17 states the central concept very well: "This seems paradoxical: the finite contains the infinite. But it is God Himself who made this possible, by assuming human flesh in Jesus Christ. In doing so, He humanized His divinity, but He also divinized humanity, and thus sanctified - made holy - everything that fills up a human life: friendship, meals, family, travel, study, and work."

Thus, Opus Dei is about the sanctification of all aspects of our daily lives. Through a deep prayer like that includes the Mass, Rosary, Liturgy of the Hours, etc along with doing all things in great love, we grow closer to God. For Jesus taught us an example to follow, and we should realize that He too worked continuously to proclaim the Gospel. Work is something that can be made holy.

This book is highly recommended to those interested in Opus Dei.  I have read both positive and negative things on Opus Dei. Please do not base all of your opinions about the organization solely on this book. Several books concerning Opus Dei have already been added to the comment box below by readers. I suggest reading other books on the subject before coming to a conclusion on the organziation.

Note: This book has a Nihil Obstat by Reverend Michael F. Hull, STD, Censor Librorum. It has an Imprimatur by Most Reverend Robert A. Brucato.

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Feastday of St. John

Today is the Feast of St. John the Evangelist as well as the 3rd day in the Octave of Christmas. See my post from last year for more information.

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Feast of St. Stephen

Today is the Second Day in the Octave of Christmas as well as the Feast of St. Stephen. See my post on St. Stephen for prayers and more information.

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Christmas 2006: Urbi et Orbi

Here is the text of Pope Benedict XVI's Urbi et Orbi Address, which is given on Christmas Day and Easter each year by the Holy Father:

"Salvator noster natus est in mundo" (Roman Missal)

"Our Saviour is born to the world!" During the night, in our Churches, we again heard this message that, notwithstanding the passage of the centuries, remains ever new. It is the heavenly message that tells us to fear not, for "a great joy" has come "to all the people" (Lk 1:10). It is a message of hope, for it tells us that, on that night over two thousand years ago, there "was born in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord" (Lk 2:11). The Angel of Christmas announced it then to the shepherds out on the hills of Bethlehem; today the Angel repeats it to us, to all who dwell in our world: "The Saviour is born; he is born for you! Come, come, let us adore him!".

But does a "Saviour" still have any value and meaning for the men and women of the third millennium ? Is a "Saviour" still needed by a humanity which has reached the moon and Mars and is prepared to conquer the universe; for a humanity which knows no limits in its pursuit of nature’s secrets and which has succeeded even in deciphering the marvellous codes of the human genome? Is a Saviour needed by a humanity which has invented interactive communication, which navigates in the virtual ocean of the internet and, thanks to the most advanced modern communications technologies, has now made the Earth, our great common home, a global village? This humanity of the twenty-first century appears as a sure and self-sufficient master of its own destiny, the avid proponent of uncontested triumphs.

So it would seem, yet this is not the case. People continue to die of hunger and thirst, disease and poverty, in this age of plenty and of unbridled consumerism. Some people remain enslaved, exploited and stripped of their dignity; others are victims of racial and religious hatred, hampered by intolerance and discrimination, and by political interference and physical or moral coercion with regard to the free profession of their faith. Others see their own bodies and those of their dear ones, particularly their children, maimed by weaponry, by terrorism and by all sorts of violence, at a time when everyone invokes and acclaims progress, solidarity and peace for all. And what of those who, bereft of hope, are forced to leave their homes and countries in order to find humane living conditions elsewhere? How can we help those who are misled by facile prophets of happiness, those who struggle with relationships and are incapable of accepting responsibility for their present and future, those who are trapped in the tunnel of loneliness and who often end up enslaved to alcohol or drugs? What are we to think of those who choose death in the belief that they are celebrating life?

How can we not hear, from the very depths of this humanity, at once joyful and anguished, a heart-rending cry for help? It is Christmas: today "the true light that enlightens every man" (Jn 1:9) came into the world. "The word became flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn 1:14), proclaims the Evangelist John. Today, this very day, Christ comes once more "unto his own", and to those who receive him he gives "the power to become children of God"; in a word, he offers them the opportunity to see God’s glory and to share the joy of that Love which became incarnate for us in Bethlehem. Today "our Saviour is born to the world", for he knows that even today we need him. Despite humanity’s many advances, man has always been the same: a freedom poised between good and evil, between life and death. It is there, in the very depths of his being, in what the Bible calls his "heart", that man always needs to be "saved". And, in this post-modern age, perhaps he needs a Saviour all the more, since the society in which he lives has become more complex and the threats to his personal and moral integrity have become more insidious. Who can defend him, if not the One who loves him to the point of sacrificing on the Cross his only-begotten Son as the Saviour of the world?

"Salvator noster": Christ is also the Saviour of men and women today. Who will make this message of hope resound, in a credible way, in every corner of the earth? Who will work to ensure the recognition, protection and promotion of the integral good of the human person as the condition for peace, respecting each man and every woman and their proper dignity? Who will help us to realize that with good will, reasonableness and moderation it is possible to avoid aggravating conflicts and instead to find fair solutions? With deep apprehension I think, on this festive day, of the Middle East, marked by so many grave crises and conflicts, and I express my hope that the way will be opened to a just and lasting peace, with respect for the inalienable rights of the peoples living there. I place in the hands of the divine Child of Bethlehem the indications of a resumption of dialogue between the Israelis and Palestinians, which we have witnessed in recent days, and the hope of further encouraging developments. I am confident that, after so many victims, destruction and uncertainty, a democratic Lebanon, open to others and in dialogue with different cultures and religions, will survive and progress. I appeal to all those who hold in their hands the fate of Iraq, that there will be an end to the brutal violence that has brought so much bloodshed to the country, and that every one of its inhabitants will be safe to lead a normal life. I pray to God that in Sri Lanka the parties in conflict will heed the desire of the people for a future of brotherhood and solidarity; that in Darfur and throughout Africa there will be an end to fratricidal conflicts, that the open wounds in that continent will quickly heal and that the steps being made towards reconciliation, democracy and development will be consolidated. May the Divine Child, the Prince of Peace, grant an end to the outbreaks of tension that make uncertain the future of other parts of the world, in Europe and in Latin America.

"Salvator noster": this is our hope; this is the message that the Church proclaims once again this Christmas day. With the Incarnation, as the Second Vatican Council stated, the Son of God has in some way united himself with each man and women (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 22). The birth of the Head is also the birth of the body, as Pope Saint Leo the Great noted. In Bethlehem the Christian people was born, Christ’s mystical body, in which each member is closely joined to the others in total solidarity. Our Saviour is born for all. We must proclaim this not only in words, but by our entire life, giving the world a witness of united, open communities where fraternity and forgiveness reign, along with acceptance and mutual service, truth, justice and love.

A community saved by Christ. This is the true nature of the Church, which draws her nourishment from his Word and his Eucharistic Body. Only by rediscovering the gift she has received can the Church bear witness to Christ the Saviour before all people. She does this with passionate enthusiasm, with full respect for all cultural and religious traditions; she does so joyfully, knowing that the One she proclaims takes away nothing that is authentically human, but instead brings it to fulfilment. In truth, Christ comes to destroy only evil, only sin; everything else, all the rest, he elevates and perfects. Christ does not save us from our humanity, but through it; he does not save us from the world, but came into the world, so that through him the world might be saved (cf. Jn 3:17).

Dear brothers and sisters, wherever you may be, may this message of joy and hope reach your ears: God became man in Jesus Christ, he was born of the Virgin Mary and today he is reborn in the Church. He brings to all the love of the Father in heaven. He is the Saviour of the world! Do not be afraid, open your hearts to him and receive him, so that his Kingdom of love and peace may become the common legacy of each man and woman. Happy Christmas!

Source: Vatican

Image Source: REUTERS/Osservatore Romano/Handout

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Pope Benedict XVI celebrates Midnight Mass

Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his second Midnight Mass for Christmas as Pope this year. Here is the text of his homily:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We have just heard in the Gospel the message given by the angels to the shepherds during that Holy Night, a message which the Church now proclaims to us: "To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger" (Lk 2:11-12). Nothing miraculous, nothing extraordinary, nothing magnificent is given to the shepherds as a sign. All they will see is a child wrapped in swaddling clothes, one who, like all children, needs a mother's care; a child born in a stable, who therefore lies not in a cradle but in a manger. God's sign is the baby in need of help and in poverty. Only in their hearts will the shepherds be able to see that this baby fulfills the promise of the prophet Isaiah, which we heard in the first reading: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder" (Is 9:5). Exactly the same sign has been given to us. We too are invited by the angel of God, through the message of the Gospel, to set out in our hearts to see the child lying in the manger.

God's sign is simplicity. God's sign is the baby. God's sign is that he makes himself small for us. This is how he reigns. He does not come with power and outward splendor. He comes as a baby defenseless and in need of our help. He does not want to overwhelm us with his strength. He takes away our fear of his greatness. He asks for our love: so he makes himself a child. He wants nothing other from us than our love, through which we spontaneously learn to enter into his feelings, his thoughts and his will we learn to live with him and to practice with him that humility of renunciation that belongs to the very essence of love. God made himself small so that we could understand him, welcome him, and love him. The Fathers of the Church, in their Greek translation of the Old Testament, found a passage from the prophet Isaiah that Paul also quotes in order to show how God's new ways had already been foretold in the Old Testament. There we read: "God made his Word short, he abbreviated it" (Is 10:23; Rom 9:28). The Fathers interpreted this in two ways. The Son himself is the Word, the Logos; the eternal Word became small enough to fit into a manger. He became a child, so that the Word could be grasped by us. In this way God teaches us to love the little ones. In this way he teaches us to love the weak. In this way he teaches us respect for children. The child of Bethlehem directs our gaze toward all children who suffer and are abused in the world, the born and the unborn. Toward children who are placed as soldiers in a violent world; toward children who have to beg; toward children who suffer deprivation and hunger; toward children who are unloved. In all of these it is the Child of Bethlehem who is crying out to us; it is the God who has become small who appeals to us. Let us pray this night that the brightness of God's love may enfold all these children. Let us ask God to help us do our part so that the dignity of children may be respected. May they all experience the light of love, which mankind needs so much more than the material necessities of life.

And so we come to the second meaning that the Fathers saw in the phrase: "God made his Word short". The Word which God speaks to us in Sacred Scripture had become long in the course of the centuries. It became long and complex, not just for the simple and unlettered, but even more so for those versed in Sacred Scripture, for the experts who evidently became entangled in details and in particular problems, almost to the extent of losing an overall perspective. Jesus "abbreviated" the Word he showed us once more its deeper simplicity and unity. Everything taught by the Law and the Prophets is summed up, he says, in the command: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Mt 22:37-40). This is everything the whole faith is contained in this one act of love which embraces God and humanity. Yet now further questions arise: how are we to love God with all our mind, when our intellect can barely reach him? How are we to love him with all our heart and soul, when our heart can only catch a glimpse of him from afar, when there are so many contradictions in the world that would hide his face from us? This is where the two ways in which God has "abbreviated" his Word come together. He is no longer distant. He is no longer unknown. He is no longer beyond the reach of our heart. He has become a child for us, and in so doing he has dispelled all doubt. He has become our neighbor, restoring in this way the image of man, whom we often find so hard to love. For us, God has become a gift. He has given himself. He has entered time for us. He who is the Eternal One, above time, he has assumed our time and raised it to himself on high. Christmas has become the Feast of gifts in imitation of God who has given himself to us. Let us allow our heart, our soul and our mind to be touched by this fact! Among the many gifts that we buy and receive, let us not forget the true gift: to give each other something of ourselves, to give each other something of our time, to open our time to God. In this way anxiety disappears, joy is born, and the feast is created. During the festive meals of these days let us remember the Lord's words: "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite those who will invite you in return, but invite those whom no one invites and who are not able to invite you" (cf. Lk 14:12-14). This also means: when you give gifts for Christmas, do not give only to those who will give to you in return, but give to those who receive from no one and who cannot give you anything back. This is what God has done: he invites us to his wedding feast, something which we cannot reciprocate, but can only receive with joy. Let us imitate him! Let us love God and, starting from him, let us also love man, so that, starting from man, we can then rediscover God in a new way!

And so, finally, we find yet a third meaning in the saying that the Word became "brief" and "small". The shepherds were told that they would find the child in a manger for animals, who were the rightful occupants of the stable. Reading Isaiah (1:3), the Fathers concluded that beside the manger of Bethlehem there stood an ox and an ass. At the same time they interpreted the text as symbolizing the Jews and the pagans and thus all humanity who, each in their own way, have need of a Savior: the God who became a child. Man, in order to live, needs bread, the fruit of the earth and of his labor. But he does not live by bread alone. He needs nourishment for his soul: he needs meaning that can fill his life. Thus, for the Fathers, the manger of the animals became the symbol of the altar, on which lies the Bread which is Christ himself: the true food for our hearts. Once again we see how he became small: in the humble appearance of the host, in a small piece of bread, he gives us himself.

All this is conveyed by the sign that was given to the shepherds and is given also to us: the child born for us, the child in whom God became small for us. Let us ask the Lord to grant us the grace of looking upon the crib this night with the simplicity of the shepherds, so as to receive the joy with which they returned home (cf. Lk 2:20). Let us ask him to give us the humility and the faith with which Saint Joseph looked upon the child that Mary had conceived by the Holy Spirit. Let us ask the Lord to let us look upon him with that same love with which Mary saw him. And let us pray that in this way the light that the shepherds saw will shine upon us too, and that what the angels sang that night will be accomplished throughout the world: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased." Amen!

Copyright Vatican Publishing House

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REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi (VATICAN)

Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters

REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi (VATICAN)

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