Sacred Heart Cathedral - Teachers Graduation

Corpus graduates enter teaching

writer : JYOTI PRATIBHA

Twenty-six Corpus Christi Teachers College students yesterday graduated with a Diploma in Primary Education and a Certificate in Religious Education.
The graduates are expected to take up postings at various schools by the end of this month.
College principal, Pio Manoa said the College needed Government’s support.
“Government would need to recognise our institution and support it. We are training students to become teachers for tomorrow,” Mr Manoa said.
“The Ministry of Education has been assisting us for many years with its education grant.
“This was $100,000 shortly before and up to 2009.
In 2010 and 2011 this was reduced to $80,000,” Mr Manoa said.
This was the second set of students to have graduated with their diplomas.

The graduation ceremony took place at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Suva.

Medical Expert Finds Growing Secular Support For Catholic Teachings

11-November-2011 -- Catholic News Agency

(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=23736)
ROME, ITALY, November 11 (CNA) .- A Catholic medical expert says he finds growing support for Church teachings among non-believers in the field of pediatrics, as shown by a recent secular journal that expresses love and care for the disabled.

The publication-"Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care"-dedicated an entire edition this year to the question of "The Quality of Life of Young Children and Infants with Chronic Medical Problems."

"The edition is beautiful as it expresses in easy words the sense of love and acceptance of the life of the sick and disabled," said Dr. Carlo Bellieni, a consultant for the Pontifical Academy for Life.

"And I think it's particularly important as the articles are largely written by atheists and non-Catholics and yet they express what the Church teaches on abortion, accepting disabled babies and so on."

Bellieni is a Director of the Neonatal Intensive Therapy Unit at Siena University Hospital and is an internationally recognized expert in the field of neo-natal care.

In a Nov. 2 interview, he explained the significance of some of the articles to CNA.

"For instance," he said, "Antoine Payot of the University of Montreal shows that the consequences of being born severely premature are not so disastrous as those who support neo-natal euthanasia say."

Other experts featured in the publication are drawn from the universities at Stanford, Duke, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Kansas.

Professor Felicia Cohn of the University of California wrote about the quality of life enjoyed by her disabled daughter.

"Amanda is now a sweet, smart, giving little girl, who, like others her age, regularly cries 'no fair!' in response to the distribution of toys or dessert," she said.

From her daughter, Cohn said she has learned "what justice might look like-a world in which all children may benefit from medicine as she did and all families are supported in making the difficult decisions about what constitutes that benefit-and that I have an obligation, as a health care professional, to work toward that vision."

Bellieni said he believes the debate in medical ethics has moved on from simply "pro-life" versus "pro-choice."

He said the divide is now between those who believe in "solidarity" and those who prioritize "autonomy." The latter option, he said, is not in fact freedom but merely "a form of loneliness."

"The Church is not only pro-life but also pro-solidarity-a word much loved by John Paul II and Benedict XVI," he said.

A "woman who chooses abortion has been left alone, therefore her decision is not free, and the person who chooses to withdraw treatment from newborn is often alone too," Bellieni explained.

Those "who believe the highest law is autonomy want to leave people alone-they want people to be left alone to choose in loneliness."

"So they would say the answer to the sick baby or sick fetus is to give you a sheet of paper with the option on it for you to put an 'x' next to your choice," he noted. "They call this autonomy but, as I said, this is actually loneliness. We say the true law is love and the true manifestation of that love is solidarity."

Bellieni also highlighted another paper written by Professor Peter Ubel of Duke University, who summarized the arguments running through the edition.

Prof. Ubel observed that the "compelling stories presented here suggest that the real borderline between moral and immoral" is in fact the "space between empathy and obliviousness."

Bellieni said he believes this view reflects a growing trend among medical workers in the Western world. "All this is very encouraging and inspiring, and should be highlighted," he said.

London High Court: Bishops Can Be Held Liable for Priests

11-November-2011 -- ZENIT.org News Agency

Portsmouth Prelate Notes 'Clear Problems' With Ruling

PORTSMOUTH, England, NOV. 10, 2011 (Zenit.org).- The bishop of Portsmouth is pointing out "clear problems" with a High Court ruling this week that a bishop can be automatically liable for the actions of a priest simply by virtue of the fact that he or one of his predecessors appointed the priest.

Bishop Crispian Hollis published a statement today in response to Tuesday's Hight Court decision, which for the first time defined in British law the relationship of a priest to his bishop as similar to that of an employee to an employer.

The Court took up the question of the nature of the diocese's or bishop's relationship with a priest as a preliminary issue in a case of alleged sexual abuse.

Bishop Hollis' statement first clarified the situation of the case itself, in which a 47-year-old woman, known as JGE, alleges she was abused by Father Wilf Baldwin while she was a resident at a children's home.

The bishop clarified, however, that the diocese is defending the case because the priest was based at the other end of the diocese at the time JGE was a resident of the home.

"The Diocese does not therefore accept the Claimant's allegations against Father Baldwin," he wrote. "The Court will have to reach its own conclusion if and when the main issue is heard, which is unlikely to be before next year."

Bishop Hollis further observed, "The Claimant has the benefit of a court order whereby she cannot be identified; unfortunately, the same consideration has not been extended to Father Baldwin, who was a priest of unblemished character until these allegations were made shortly before his death and who had no opportunity to respond to the allegations made against him."

No other organization

Bishop Hollis' statement then turned to the preliminary issue of the bishop's liability for the actions of his priests, the issue that was ruled upon Tuesday.

"I would like to make it clear that the Diocese was not seeking to evade responsibility for the actions of its priests," he said. "The Diocese accepts that where a Bishop has, for example, failed to prevent a priest from committing an act of wrongdoing, he will be liable in negligence. However, this case was not concerned with negligence, it was concerned with whether a Bishop should be automatically liable for the actions of a priest simply by virtue of the fact that he or one of his predecessors appointed the priest. The Diocese is aware of no other organization which can be held liable for the actions of its office holders in this way."

Bishop Hollis thus stated that the there are "clear problems with the judgment of the High Court in this case," but that the diocese has not made a decision on whether to appeal.

"A decision will be taken following receipt of legal advice," he said, "and bearing in mind the sensitivities of these issues for those who have suffered abuse perpetrated by a Catholic priest."

Pope Calls Religious Leaders to Promote Justice in Holy Land

11-November-2011 -- ZENIT.org News Agency

Israeli Interreligious Group Meets With Benedict XVI

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 10, 2011 (Zenit.org).- At a meeting with religious leaders from Israel today, Benedict XVI affirmed that a rightly lived relationship with God is a force for peace.

A delegation of Israel's Council of Religious Communities met with the Pope at the Vatican today, representing Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Druze communities.

The council was established in 2007 and the Holy Father met with members of the group when he visited the Holy Land in 2009.

"We share a grave responsibility to educate the members of our respective religious communities, with a view to nurturing a deeper understanding of each other and developing an openness towards cooperation with people of religious traditions other than our own," the Pontiff told them. "Unfortunately, the reality of our world is often fragmentary and flawed, even in the Holy Land. All of us are called to commit ourselves anew to the promotion of greater justice and dignity, in order to enrich our world and to give it a fully human dimension.

"Justice, together with truth, love and freedom, is a fundamental requirement for lasting and secure peace in the world. Movement towards reconciliation requires courage and vision, as well as the trust that it is God himself who will show us the way. We cannot achieve our goals if God does not give us the strength to do so."

A statement from the Council at the end of the meeting reiterated the participants' commitment to protecting the Holy Land.

"We inherited the Holy Sites from our forebears, and we are required to preserve their religious sanctity and cultural significance," the statement noted. "(...) The unity and special character of the Holy Sites must be protected from all violence and desecration. It is the responsibility of the religious leaders to strengthen this approach and to call on their communities to ensure that the Holy Sites of other religious communities are not harmed."

Companies praised for halting discrimination against marriage supporters

10-November-2011 -- EWTNews Feature

The National Organization for Marriage applauded Bank of America and Cisco Systems, Inc. for saying they will no longer discriminate against employees who express opposition to gay "marriage."
"We're grateful these two companies have made it clear they will not tolerate discrimination against employees or vendors based on their views on same-sex marriage," said Jonathan Baker, director of the organization's Corporate Fairness Project, on Nov. 7.
The announcements came in response to an outcry over the recent dismissal of Frank Turek, who is employed by both companies.
Turek, a leadership seminar speaker, lost his contract with Bank of America and Cisco after human relations employees were informed that he had written a book arguing against the redefinition of marriage to include same-sex couples.
In response, the National Organization for Marriage started a consumer complaint campaign in Charlotte, N.C., where Bank of America's headquarters is located.
Baker explained that the organization reached out to Bank of America customers in the Charlotte area and asked them to call the corporate complaint line to express their disapproval.
More than 1,400 people called to complain.
Baker said that the organization also wrote to the boards of both companies asking if their policies permit employees to be punished for expressing views on public issues.
Mark Chandler, Cisco's senior vice president for legal services, responded in a Nov. 4 letter acknowledging that "Cisco was incorrect in dealing with Dr. Turek."
The National Organization for Marriage said that Cisco has "taken steps to ensure it does not happen again" and clarified that it is not company policy to discriminate against employees who, outside the context of work, voice their support for marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
A senior human resources employee at Bank of America has also said that Turek is a vendor in good standing and that the company has "taken the appropriate measures" to address the issue.
Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, said the victory is not the end, but rather the beginning of a "campaign to make sure decent law abiding people who believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman are not treated as outcasts or racists."
"We respect the work of corporations like Cisco and Bank of America, which should not be dragged into cultural or political wars," said Brown.
However, he added, "we also believe corporations should respect the rights of each of its employees, vendors and customers to have their own views."
Read more: http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/US.php?id=4323#ixzz1dPe8fycB 

A 13.5-month Year-long Love Story

11-November-2011 -- ZENIT.org News Agency

Pope Calls Christians to Live Year of Faith With Hearts and Lips

By Kevin M. Clarke

SAN DIEGO, California, NOV. 10, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Well, we knew after his encyclicals on love and on hope -- "Deus Caritas Est" and "Spe Salvi" -- that something was coming with regard to faith. But who could have foreseen that we would be given a whole year? And that's exactly what Catholics throughout the world will have, says Benedict XVI in "Porta Fidei." The "year" itself will begin Oct. 11, 2012, and continue until Nov. 24, 2013. A 13.5-month year! Is it not great to be Catholic?

The Year of Faith and the Second Vatican Council

The dates bookending the year of faith are significant in themselves -- the first marks the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Second Vatican Council, the second, the feast of Christ the King, the "pioneer and perfecter of our faith" (PF, 13, cf. Hebrews 12:2). The Pope has also convoked for next October a General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, to be focused on "The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith" (cf. PF, 4).

As the Pope points out, this is not the first "Year of Faith" in recent memory. Pope Paul VI declared a year of faith in 1967 to commemorate the witness of Sts. Peter and Paul, but also as a "consequence and a necessity of the postconciliar period" (General Audience, June 14, 1967).

Pope Benedict sees the coming year of faith in continuity with that of Paul VI; indeed, in putting it forward, he is affirming the continued relevance of the Second Vatican Council. Renewal through the new evangelization involves Vatican II and its right interpretation. He writes:

"I would also like to emphasize strongly what I had occasion to say concerning the Council a few months after my election as Successor of Peter: 'if we interpret and implement it guided by a right hermeneutic, it can be and can become increasingly powerful for the ever necessary renewal of the Church'" (PF, 5; cf. Address to Roman Curia, Dec. 22, 2005).

What is faith? Involving the heart and the lips

The Pope hopes that the year of faith will bring a rediscovery of the riches of the Creed. In the early Church, he states, believers had to not only memorize the Creed, but be so imbued with it that they "watch over it" even while sleeping! (PF, 9)

In the letter to the Romans, St. Paul writes, "Man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved" (Romans 10:10). Belief transforms a person and changes him deep in his heart, the Pope explains. But belief is not merely boxed off into the private realm, as confession with the lips follows the transformation of heart. St. Paul here "indicates in turn that faith implies public testimony and commitment" (PF, 10).

Heart? Lips? Sounds like a love story. It is. The mutual love of Christ and Christian. But the love story also involves the Christian and his fellow man. In fact, the love of Christ in the heart "impels us to evangelize" (PF, 7).

In his third encyclical, "Caritas in Veritate," Pope Benedict established the integral link between charity and truth. In the motu proprio, he establishes the one between charity and faith. Without charity, faith would be fruitless; without faith, charity would be "a sentiment constantly at the mercy of doubt" (PF, 14). He synthesizes much of Paul's thought on the union of faith and love when he writes, "'Faith working through love' (Galatians 5:6) becomes a new criterion of understanding and action that changes the whole of man's life" (PF, 6; cf. Romans 12:2; Colossians 3:9-10; Ephesians 4:20-29; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

The role of the Catechism in the Year of Faith

The starting of the year of faith also commemorates the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict calls the Catechism itself "a precious and indispensable tool" for knowledge of the faith, and "one of the most important fruits" of Vatican II. He echoes Blessed John Paul II who called the Catechism a "sure norm" for passing on the faith.

Many aids to the Catechism have been published since its release -- commentaries, the Compendium to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and most recently the Youcat. But it is the Catechism itself that the Pope puts forward in "Porta Fidei": "the Year of Faith will have to see a concerted effort to rediscover and study the fundamental content of the faith that receives its systematic and organic synthesis in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. ... In its very structure, the Catechism of the Catholic Church follows the development of the faith right up to the great themes of daily life. On page after page, we find that what is presented here is no theory, but an encounter with a Person who lives within the Church" (PF, 11).

The Pope also has asked the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith "to draw up a Note" to give Christians "some guidelines on how to live this Year of Faith in the most effective and appropriate ways, at the service of belief and evangelization" (PF, 12). Thus, it seems that one more document on faith and living the Year of Faith is coming by next October.

By faith: plugging today's Christians into his story of salvation

The Pope is continuing to foster the growth of the new evangelization, asking for "stronger ecclesial commitment ... in order to rediscover the joy of believing and the enthusiasm for communicating the faith" (PF, 7). New evangelization is a frequent topic for this Pontiff, particularly since the establishment of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization.

As the moral climate of the West is becoming increasingly hostile to the creed and witness of Christians, as the persecutions in the East threaten religious freedom, and as global conditions grow volatile over dissatisfaction with the state of the economy, the prophetic charism of the Pope's office challenges the reader of "Porta Fidei." It is apparent that the Holy Spirit, who gives strength to bear witness and prepares believers for mission (cf. PF, 10), is preparing the faithful for giving testimony in various ways all throughout the world. In the document, the Pope invited the bishops of the world to join him in seeking to bear fruit during this year, saying, "Reflection on the faith will have to be intensified, so as to help all believers in Christ to acquire a more conscious and vigorous adherence to the Gospel, especially at a time of profound change such as humanity is currently experiencing" (PF, 8).

What specific challenges does the Pope envision for the Christians of this present age? That question is difficult to answer. But it is clear in this document that the bishops are being called to play a strong role in readying their flocks. In preparing the bishops to prepare the people, the Pontiff hopes to guide Christians of modern times into the story of faith history.

He demonstrates this as he closes the motu proprio with a wonderful allusion to the Letter to the Hebrews. In fact, the Pope uses the same anaphora that the sacred author used, "By faith." In Hebrews 11, it is written, "By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice ... By faith Noah, ... By faith Abraham ..." and so on (cf. Hebrews 11:1-40).

And so Pope Benedict writes, "By faith, Mary accepted the Angel's word and believed ... By faith, the Apostles ... By faith, the disciples ... By faith, the martyrs ... By faith, we too live ..."

The similarity with the style in Hebrews shows the great continuity in all of history, between those figures of the Old Covenant and those of the New. The men and women of the former covenant were those "of whom the world was not worthy!" But God has foreseen something better for the saints of the New Covenant (cf. Hebrews 11:38-40).

And so Christians are never bystanders in the story of salvation history. In fact, "retracing the history of our faith" will be "of decisive importance" in this year (PF, 13).

"Porta Fidei" is Pope Benedict's invitation to the faithful of our time to enter into that "great cloud of witnesses" with "our gaze fixed upon Jesus Christ, the 'pioneer and perfecter of our faith'" (PF, 13; cf. Hebrews 12:1-2).

It should be a very good year, a great 13.5 months to be Catholic.

* * *

Kevin M. Clarke is an adjunct professor at John Paul the Great Catholic University in San Diego, California, and a teacher at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano. He is the author of a chapter on Benedict XVI's Mariology in "De Maria Numquam Satis: The Significance of the Catholic Doctrines on the Blessed Virgin Mary for All People" (University Press of America, 2009), and is a recent contributor to the New Catholic Encyclopedia.

Bachmann: America's future depends on rights of family

11-November-2011 -- EWTNews Feature

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann said that America has no future unless the rights of the family are defended.
"If family is rendered meaningless in the United States, then we will be on the road to ruin," Bachmann said at a Nov. 7 talk at Family Research Council headquarters in Washington, D.C.
For Bachmann, protecting "the rights of parents, the family and the institution of marriage" are the values that shape all of her political views. "Those are at the core of my conviction, and these principles form the basis of a civilized nation and the backbone of a healthy society," she said.
In her speech, Bachmann emphasized the need for the family unit to function without unnecessary external regulation and insisted that "there are jurisdictional areas that only the family can solve."
She pointed to United Nations agreements and bureaucratic agencies as prime suspects for encroaching on the rights of the family through excessive regulation.
Recalling the years that she and her husband spent as foster parents, Bachmann argued that "children are best served when they are raised in a home with a mom and a dad."
Bachmann also criticized President Barack Obama, claiming that he has ignored the Constitution and abused his executive power by choosing not to uphold the Defense of Marriage Act.
If elected president, she said that she would "work to protect the American family from activist judges who are trying to dismantle marriage as a legal institution solely between one man and one woman."
She voiced her support for a federal marriage amendment "so the courts cannot impose their will on the people of this country."
Bachmann also warned of the ongoing threat of abortion being funded through the new health care law. She explained that although the details on abortion funding are not found within the health care bill itself, they can be seen "in the reams of bureaucratic rules that have only now begun to emerge from the Secretary of Health and Human Services."
The GOP hopeful emphasized that respect for life is one of the nation's foundational principles.
"I believe that every child has the right to life because I believe that every child is made in the image and likeness of a holy God," she said.
"This is an unalienable right that is guaranteed to us through our Declaration of Independence, and if we don't respect and protect those who are born and unborn, then our morals and our values will be without meaning in the future."
Bachmann stressed the need for people to participate in the upcoming election, explaining that next November, voters across the country will decide "whether the United States of America as we know it will survive."
"I believe this election is the last exit ramp to our national survival," she said. "We have one chance."
Read more: http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/US.php?id=4336#ixzz1dPR75Y9F 

Pope set to visit Mexico and Cuba in spring 2012

10-November-2011 -- EWTNews Feature

Pope Benedict XVI is expected to visit both Mexico and Cuba in the spring of 2012.
"The nuncios in Mexico and Cuba have been instructed to inform the highest civil and religious authorities that the Pope is examining concrete plans to visit those states, in response to invitations he has received," papal spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., said on Nov 10.
Fr. Lombardi said it is "well-known that expectations among people in Mexico are high," while "Cuba also has great desire to see the Pope, having never forgotten the historic visit of John Paul II," back in 1998.
This would be Pope Benedict's first visit to the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America, but it would not be his first trip to South America. He visited Brazil in 2007 and hopes to return there for World Youth Day in 2013.
Mexico "wished for a visit of their own," explained Fr. Lombardi, adding that it's something the Pope is well aware of "and is happy to be able to respond."
Meanwhile, relations between the Catholic Church and the communist regime in Cuba have steadily improved since Pope John Paul's visit 13 years ago. This has increasingly been the case under the somewhat less authoritarian rule of President Raúl Castro - the brother of the country's former leader Fidel - who came to power in 2006.
Fr. Lombardi highlighted this "particularly important moment" in Cuba's history and said that "the Pope's visit will be a great encouragement," especially for its people, who will be celebrating the 400th anniversary of the discovery the statue of Our Lady of Charity of Cobre. The Marian statue was found four centuries ago by three young boys after a storm in the Bay of Nipe, which is on the southeastern shores of the island. She is now Cuba's patroness.
Given the proximity of both countries, Fr. Lombardi said "it would seem more logical to visit these two countries in a single, though necessarily long journey." The itinerary being considered "would not have many stages" but would instead focus on a few stops that would carry "great symbolic and pastoral importance."
The overarching reason given for the visit is the continuation of the "great continental mission of evangelization," that was launched at the 2007 gathering of Latin American and Carribean bishops in Aparecida, Brazil, as well as to assist "preparations for the celebration of the Year of Faith," which begins in October 2012.

Unemployment Undermines Human Dignity

10-November-2011 -- Vatican Information Service

VATICAN CITY, 10 NOV 2011 (VIS) - Made public this morning was a Message from the Holy Father to Archbishop Antonio Arregui Yarza of Guayaquil and president of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference, for the second Ecuadorian National Family Congress, which began yesterday and is due to close on 12 November. The congress, which has as its theme "The Ecuadorian Family on Mission: work and rest at the service of the individual and of the common good" is taking place in the context of the Continental Mission promoted by the Episcopate of Latin America and the Caribbean, and in preparation for the seventh World Meeting of Families, due to be held in Milan, Italy, in June 2012.
"The family", writes Benedict XVI, "born of a covenant of love and of complete and sincere commitment between a man and woman in marriage, is not a private entity enclosed in itself. By its vocation it makes a wonderful and decisive contribution to the common good of society and the mission of the Church. Society is not a mere aggregation of individuals, but the outcome of relationships between people - husband and wife, parents and children, siblings - the foundation of which is to be found in family life and in the bonds of affection deriving therefrom. Each family, through its children, gives society its own experience of human richness. We can well say that the health and value of relationships within a society depend upon the health and value of relationships within families".
"Work and rest are particularly associated with the life of families: they affect the choices families make, influence relations between spouses and among parents and children, and affect the ties of families with society and with the Church".
"Through work man comes to see himself as a participant in God's plan of creation. This is why unemployment or precarious work undermine man's dignity, creating not just situations of injustice and poverty which frequently degenerate into desperation, criminality and violence, but also crises of identity. It is, then, vital that serious, effective and judicious measures be taken on all sides, accompanied by an indissoluble and forthright will to find ways to ensure that everyone has access to dignified, stable and well paid employment, through which they may seek sanctity and participate actively in the development of society, combining intense and responsible labour with adequate time for a rich, fruitful and harmonious family life".
"A serene and constructive home environment, with its duties and its affections, is the first school of work and the best place in which a person may discover his potential, nurture his ambitions, and foster his most noble aspirations. Moreover, family life teaches us to overcome selfishness, to nourish solidarity, not to disdain sacrifice for another's happiness, to value what is good and true, and to apply ourselves with conviction and generosity in the name of our joint wellbeing and reciprocal good, showing responsibility towards ourselves, others and the environment".
"Rest makes our time more human, opening it to the encounter with God, with others and with nature. For this reason families need to rediscover the genuine significance of rest, and especially of Sunday, the Day of God and man. In the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist, families experience the real presence of the Risen Lord in the here and now, they receive new life, welcome the gift of the Spirit, increase their love for the Church, listen to the Divine Word, share the Eucharistic bread and open to fraternal love". 

Pope Receives Members Of The Israeli Religious Council

10-November-2011 -- Vatican Information Service

VATICAN CITY, 10 NOV 2011 (VIS) - "In our troubled times, dialogue between different religions is becoming ever more important in the generation of an atmosphere of mutual understanding and respect that can lead to friendship and solid trust in each other. This is pressing for the religious leaders of the Holy Land who, while living in a place full of memories sacred to our traditions, are tested daily by the difficulties of living together in harmony".
With these words Benedict XVI greeted members of the Israeli Religious Council, whom he received in audience this morning in the Vatican. The Council brings together leaders of the main religious communities in Israel, as well as representatives from other institutions and organisations. This was the first meeting of its kind in the history of relations between the Israel and the Holy See.
"As I remarked in my recent meeting with religious leaders at Assisi", said the Pope continuing his English-language remarks, "today we find ourselves confronted by two kinds of violence: on the one hand, the use of violence in the name of religion and, on the other, the violence that is the consequence of the denial of God which often characterises life in modern society. In this situation, as religious leaders we are called to reaffirm that the rightly lived relationship of man to God is a force for peace. This is a truth that must become ever more visible in the way in which we live with each other on a daily basis. Hence, I wish to encourage you to foster a climate of trust and dialogue among the leaders and members of all the religious traditions present in the Holy Land.
"We share a grave responsibility to educate the members of our respective religious communities", he added, "with a view to nurturing a deeper understanding of each other and developing an openness towards cooperation with people of religious traditions other than our own. ... Justice, together with truth, love and freedom, is a fundamental requirement for lasting and secure peace in the world. Movement towards reconciliation requires courage and vision, as well as the trust that it is God Himself Who will show us the way. We cannot achieve our goals if God does not give us the strength to do so.
"When I visited Jerusalem in May 2009, I stood in front of the Western Wall and, in my written prayer placed between the stones of the Wall, I asked God for peace in the Holy Land. I wrote: 'God of all ages, on my visit to Jerusalem, the City of Peace, spiritual home to Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, I bring before You the joys, the hopes and the inspirations, the trials, the suffering and the pain of all Your people throughout the world. God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, hear the cry of the afflicted, the fearful, the bereft; send Your peace upon this Holy Land, upon the Middle East, upon the entire human family; stir the hearts of all who call upon Your name to walk humbly in the path of justice and compassion. 'The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him!'
"May the Lord hear my prayer for Jerusalem today and fill your hearts with joy during your visit to Rome. May He hear the prayer of all men and women who ask him for the peace of Jerusalem. Indeed, let us never cease praying for the peace of the Holy Land, with confidence in God Who Himself is our peace and consolation". 

Alphabet Psalm Gives Guide to Happiness, Says Pope

10-November-2011 -- ZENIT.org News Agency

Affirms God's Word Bestows Joy and Life
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 9, 2011 (Zenit.org).- God's law is not a yoke of slavery, but rather the path to happiness, Benedict XVI affirmed today as he offered a reflection on Psalm 119.

The Pope continued at today's general audience with his series of catecheses on prayer, taking up the "acrostic" psalm for a meditation on God's Word.

He explained how this psalm is unique in that it is constructed according to the Hebrew alphabet, which is made up of 22 letters. Each of its 22 stanzas corresponds to a letter of that alphabet, and with this letter the first word of the stanza's eight verses begins.

"It is an original and very demanding literary construction in which the psalm's author had to employ all his skill," the Holy Father observed.

"And this psalm is wholly pervaded by love for God's Word," he continued. "It extols its beauty, its saving power, and its capacity to bestow joy and life. For the divine Law is not a heavy yoke of slavery but a gift of grace that liberates and leads to happiness."

"As the center of life, God's Law asks for the heart's listening -- a listening carried out in an obedience that is not servile but filial, trusting and mindful. Hearing the Word is a personal encounter with the Lord of life, an encounter that must be translated into concrete choices," the Pontiff added.

Inheritance

He went on to reflect on just one verse of the psalm's 176 verses: Verse 57: "The Lord is my portion; I promise to keep thy words."

Benedict XVI noted that various other psalms refer to this same idea of the Lord as portion.

"The word 'portion' evokes the event of the apportionment of the Promised Land among the tribes of Israel, when the Levites were assigned no portion of the territory, because their 'portion' was the Lord himself," he explained.

"The priests, who belonged to the tribe of Levi, could not be proprietors of land in the Land that God was giving as an inheritance to his people," he continued. "(...) Wholly given to the Lord, they must live from him alone, abandoned to his provident love and to the generosity of the brethren, without having an inheritance -- since God is their portion of the inheritance, God is their land, who makes them live in fullness."

The one who prays Psalm 119 applies this to himself, such that "this is the psalmist's happiness: To him, as to the Levites, the Word of God was given as his portion of the inheritance."

The Holy Father drew from this a lesson for priests, "who are called to live only from the Lord and from his Word, without other securities, having him as their only good and only source of true life."

"But these verses are also important for all the faithful, the People of God who belong to him alone, 'a kingdom of priests' for the Lord," he added. "(...) The Lord and his Word: these are the 'land' we live in, in communion and in joy.

"Let us therefore allow the Lord to place within our hearts this love for his Word, and may he grant us always to have him and his will as the center of our lives."

Pope Remembers His Mother's Stories

10-November-2011 -- ZENIT.org News Agency

Named Honorary Citizen of His Grandmother's Birthplace

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 9, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI today reminisced about the stories told him by his mother, as he was awarded honorary citizenship of a northern Italian town where his grandmother and great-grandmother were born.

At the end of today's general audience, a delegation from Natz-Schabs (Naz-Siaves), located in the Italian province of Bolzano, conferred honorary citizenship upon the Pope.

Benedict XVI's great-grandmother, Elisabeth Maria Tauber, and his grandmother, Maria Tauber-Peintner, were both born in that town, respectively, in 1832 and 1855.

Vatican Radio reported the Holy Father's words, which he gave completely without a script.

"South Tyrol is a special country and is rooted in my heart through the stories that I heard from my mother," he said. "I never knew my great grandmother nor my grandmother -- my grandmother died when I was 3 -- but I heard many of her stories, above all that throughout her life, she was nostalgic for South Tyrol and never really integrated in Bavaria. During her last illness she said: 'If only I could get a bucket of water from my homeland, I would surely be cured.'"

The 84-year-old Pontiff continued, "Thinking of this I am reminded of another little story. As a girl, my mother worked for a family from Kufstein, and there she made a friend, who then married a baker. I myself as a child even met him. He was kind to my mother and would often say: 'Maretl you must remember one thing: the Tyrol was made by the angels!' [dialect in the original]. And my mother kept this as a kind of testament that she then passed on to us. She was convinced, in her inner heart, that it was true."

The Pontiff recalled that at age 13, he and his two siblings went on a cycling tour of the region, and, he said, "We could see that it was really true that it had been made by the angels."

"Then, in the 50s," he added, "I went to South Tyrol where I could feel the special closeness of God that is expressed in the beauty of these lands. But not only through Creation. It was beautiful because men have responded to God: if we think of the Gothic towers, the beautiful houses, the warmth and the kindness of people, the beautiful music, we know that men responded, and from this collaboration -- between the Creator, his angels and men -- a beautiful land was born, a land of extraordinary beauty. And I am proud and happy to be part of it, one way or another."

Benedict XVI expressed his hopes that South Tyrol remain as it is, that "nature, creation and the life of men" continue to form "a single melody," that faith is the "bearer of joy and help to overcome difficult situations."

Pope: Psalm 119 Shows Depth Of Man's Relationship With God

10-November-2011 -- Catholic News Agency

(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=23719)

VATICAN CITY, November 9 (CNA/EWTN News) .- Pope Benedict XVI spoke today about Psalm 119 as a wonderful discourse on the breadth and depth of man's relationship with God.

The psalmist's song "voices the range of sentiments which fill the hearts of those who pray: praise, thanksgiving, trust, supplication and lament, all within the context of a heartfelt openness to the Lord's word," the Pope said.

He explained to the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square for the Nov. 9 general audience that the psalm is "an acrostic" - an ancient poetic structure in which each stanza contains eight verses and begins with a different letter from the 22-word Hebrew alphabet. These 22 stanzas also make the psalm the longest in the Bible.

"This is a very challenging and original literary construction, in which the author of
Psalm had to deploy all his skills," said the Pope, "but what is more important for us is the central theme of this Psalm."

This theme was the Psalmist's proclamation of "his love for God's Law, which brings light, life and salvation," recounted in his "solemn celebration of the Torah, the Law of the Lord."

It is a psalm, "pervaded by the certainty of divine grace and the power of the Word of God," such that even the verses most marked by suffering and darkness remain "open to hope and are permeated with faith."

"The Psalmist's faithfulness arises from listening to the Word, from keeping it in his heart, meditating upon it," the Pope taught, drawing a parallel with the Virign Mary, who "'treasured in her heart' the words addressed to her, the marvellous events in which God revealed Himself and asked for her response of faith."

When Christians pray this psalm, they see Mary as the model of the same "loving docility to God's will, and in Jesus the fulfilment of the Law," said the Pope.

This is a dynamic relationship, he explained, where the Word of God is "listened to with obedience but not servility, with filial trust and awareness," which brings about a "personal encounter with the Lord of life."

As an example of such an encounter, the Pope focused in on the psalm's verse 57, which proclaims, "The Lord is my portion; I promise to keep your words."

He explained how the term "portion" refers to "the partition of the Promised Land among the tribes of Israel, when the Levites were given no part of the territory because their 'portion' was the Lord Himself." Among the 12 tribes of Israel, only the tribe of Levi, could not own land because it was tasked with specific religious duties.

These verses, said the Pope, have particular resonance today for Catholic priests "who are called to live from the Lord and from His Word alone, with no other guarantees, no other wealth, and having Him as their one source of true life."

"It is in this light," he said, "that we can understand the free choice of celibacy for the Kingdom of Heaven, which must be rediscovered in all its beauty and power."

At the same time, the psalm speaks to all the Christian faithful, who are "called to experience the radical nature of the Gospel, to be witnesses of the life brought by Christ, the new and definitive 'High Priest,'" Pope Benedict said.

This morning's ceremonies concluded with Pope Benedict being given honorary citizenship in the village of Naz-Siaves, the birthplace of his great-grandmother, Elisabeth Maria Tauber, and his grandmother, Maria Tauber-Peintner. The small, German-speaking village is situated in the northern Italian province of Bolzana, near to the Austrian and Swiss borders.

Thanksgiving Prayer after Mass

Thanksgiving Prayer after Mass Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas

I thank you, holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, who deigned to feast me, sinful and unworthy servant, with the precious body and blood of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, not for any merit of mine, but only because of your merciful goodness. And I pray that this Holy Communion, far from condemning me to punishment, may bring about my pardon and salvation, encompassing me with the armor of faith and the shield of a good will. By it let my vices be done away, all lustful desires extinguished. May it advance me in charity, patience, humility, obedience, and every other virtue. Let it be strong defense against the wiles of all my enemies, visible and invisible, allaying for me every disturbance of flesh and spirit, binding me firmly to you, the one true God, and bringing my last hour to a happy close. I pray, too, that it may be your pleasure to call my sinful self one day to that banquet, wonderful past all telling, where you, with your Son and the Holy Spirit, feast your saints with the vision of yourself, who are true light, the fulfillment of all desires, the joy that knows no ending, gladness unalloyed, and perfect bliss: through the same Christ our Lord.Amen.

Prayer in Preparation for Mass

Prayer for Preparation for Mass Prayer of St. Ambrose

Lord, Jesus Christ, I approach your banquet table in fear and trembling, for I am a sinner, and dare not rely on my own worth but only on your goodness and mercy. I am defiled by many sins in body and soul, and by my unguarded thoughts and words. Gracious God of majesty and awe, I seek your protection, I look for your healing, poor troubled sinner that I am, I appeal to you, the fountain of all mercy. I cannot bear your judgment, but I trust in your salvation. Lord, I show my wounds to you and uncover my shame before you. I know my sins are many and great, and they fill me with fear, but I hope in your mercies, for they cannot be numbered. Lord Jesus Christ, eternal King, God and man, crucified for mankind, look upon me with mercy and hear my prayer, for I trust in you. Have mercy on me, full of sorrow and sin, for the depth of your compassion never ends. Praise to you, saving sacrifice, offered on the wood of the cross for me and for all mankind. Praise to the noble and precious blood, flowing from the wounds of my crucified Lord Jesus Christ and washing away the sins of the whole world. Remember, Lord, your creature, whom you have redeemed with your blood. I repent my sins, and I long to put right what I have done. Merciful Father, take away all my offenses and sins; purify me in body and soul, and make me worthy to taste the holy of holies. May your body and blood, which I intend to receive, although I am unworthy, be for me the remission of my sins, the washing away of my guilt, the end of my evil thoughts, and the rebirth of my better instincts. May it incite me to do the works pleasing to you and profitable to my health in body and soul, and be a firm defense against the wiles of my enemies.Amen.

November 2011 - Daily Readings and Homily

Tuesday, November 01, 2011 All Saints (Solemnity)

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 Psalm 24:1-6 1 John 3:1-3 Matthew 5:1-12 The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist. -- Pope St. Gregory the Great

Wednesday, November 02, 2011 The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel: Wisdom 3:1-9 Psalm 27:1, 4, 7-9, 13-14 Romans 5:5-11 John 11:17-27 The devil will try to upset you by accusing you of being unworthy of the blessings that you have received. Simply remain cheerful and do your best to ignore the devil's nagging. If need be even laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Satan, the epitome of sin itself, accuses you of unworthiness! When the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future! -- St. Theresa of Avila

Thursday, November 03, 2011 St. Martin de Porres, Religious (Optional Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Romans 14:7-12 Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14 Luke 15:1-10 The crosses with which our path through life is strewn associate us with Jesus in the mystery of His crucifixion. -- St. John Eudes

Friday, November 04, 2011 St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Romans 15:14-21 Psalm 98:1-4 Luke 16:1-8 "Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven." -- St Ephraem

Saturday, November 05, 2011 Commemoration of All the Deceased of the Seraphic Order (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Wisdom 3:1-9 Psalm 23:1-6 John 6:37-40 Occupy your minds with good thoughts, or the enemy will fill them with bad ones. Unoccupied, they cannot be. -- St Thomas More

Sunday, November 06, 2011 Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel: Wisdom 6:12-16 Psalm 63:2-8 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 or 4:13-14 Matthew 25:1-13 Your first task is to be dissatisfied with yourself, fight sin, and transform yourself into something better. Your second task is to put up with the trials and temptations of this world that will be brought on by the change in your life and to persevere to the very end in the midst of these things. -- St. Augustine

Monday, November 07, 2011 Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Wisdom 1:1-7 Psalm 139:1-10 Luke 17:1-6 Stretch forth your hand towards God as an infant towards its father to be conducted by Him. -- St. Francis de Sales

Tuesday, November 08, 2011 Blessed John Duns Scotus (Optional Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Wisdom 2:23 -- 3:9 Psalm 34:2-3, 16-19 Luke 17:7-10 Let my soul live as if separated from my body. -- St. John of the Cross

Wednesday, November 09, 2011 The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica (Feast)

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel: Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12 Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17 John 2:13-22 So, you will ask me, who then are the people most tempted? They are these, my friends; note them carefully. The people most tempted are those who are ready, with the grace of God, to sacrifice everything for the salvation of their poor souls, who renounce all those things which most people eagerly seek. It is not one devil only who tempts them, but millions seek to entrap them. -- St. John Vianney

Thursday, November 10, 2011 St. Leo the Great, Pope, Doctor of the Church (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Wisdom 7:22 -- 8:1 Psalm 119:89-91, 130, 135, 175 Luke 17:20-25 When our hands have touched spices, they give fragrance to all they handle. Let us make our prayers pass through the hands of the Blessed Virgin. She will make them fragrant. -- St. John Vianney

Friday, November 11, 2011 St. Martin of Tours, Bishop (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Wisdom 13:1-9 Psalm 19:2-5 Luke 17:26-37 Certainly nothing can so effectually humble us before the mercy of God as the multitude of his benefits. Nor can anything so much humble us before His justices as the enormity of our innumerable offences. Let us consider what He has done for us and what we have done against Him. -- St. Francis de Sales

Saturday, November 12, 2011 St. Josaphat, Bishop, Martyr (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Wisdom 18:14-16; 19:6-9 Psalm 105:2-3, 36-37, 42-43 Luke 18:1-8 By giving yourself to God, you not only receive Himself in exchange, but eternal life as well. -- St Francis de Sales

Sunday, November 13, 2011 Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel: Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31 Psalm 128:1-5 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 Matthew 25:14-30 or 25:14-15, 19-21 It is not particularly difficult to find thousands who will spend two or three hours a day in exercising, but if you ask them to bend their knees to God in five minutes of prayer, they protest that it is too long. -- Bishop Fulton Sheen

Monday, November 14, 2011 St. Nicholas Tavelic, OFM, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: 1 Maccabees 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63 Psalm 119:53, 61, 134, 150, 155, 158 Luke 18:35-43 It is never true that we have no time to meditate; the less one thinks of God, the less time there will always be for Him. The time one has for anything depends on how much we value it. Thinking determines the use of time; time does not rule over thinking! The problem of spirituality is never, then, a question of time; it is a problem of thought. For it does not require much time to make us saints; it requires only much love. -- Bishop Fulton Sheen

Tuesday, November 15, 2011 Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: 2 Maccabees 6:18-31 Psalm 3:2-7 Luke 19:1-10 This very moment I may, if I desire, become the friend of God. -- St. Augustine

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: 2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31 Psalm 17:1, 5-6, 8, 15 Luke 19:11-28 God gave Himself to you: give yourself to God. -- Blessed Robert Southwell

Thursday, November 17, 2011 St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Patroness of the Third Order (Feast)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Sirach 26:1-3, 15-18, 24 or 1 Timothy 5:3-10 Psalm 31:4-5, 8-9, 20, 24-25 Matthew 25:31-40 You cannot please both God and the world at the same time. They are utterly opposed to each other in their thoughts, their desires, and their actions. -- St. John Mary Vianney

Friday, November 18, 2011 Dedication of the Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul (Optional Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Acts 28:11-16, 30-31 Psalm 98:1-6 Matthew 14:22-33 Burning the candle at both ends for God's sake may be foolishness to the world, but it is a profitable Christian exercise-for so much better the light. Only one thing in life matters. Being found worthy of the Light of the World in the hour of His visitation. We need have no undue fear for our health if we work hard for the kingdom of God; God will take care of our health if we take care of His cause. In any case it is better to burn out than to rust out. -- Bishop Fulton Sheen

Saturday, November 19, 2011 Saturday Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: 1 Maccabees 6:1-13 Psalm 9:2-4, 6, 16, 19 Luke 20:27-40 Father, you guide your people with kindness and govern us with love. By the prayers of Saint Gregory give the spirit of wisdom to those you have called to lead your Church. May the growth of Your people in holiness be the eternal joy of our shepherds. -- Liturgy of the Hours

Sunday, November 20, 2011 Christ the King (Solemnity)

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel: Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17 Psalm 23:1-3, 5-6 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28 Matthew 25:31-46 All of us can attain to Christian virtue and holiness, no matter in what condition of life we live and no matter what our life work may be -- St Francis de Sales

Monday, November 21, 2011 The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20 Daniel 3:52-56 Luke 21:1-4 O God, who in the heart of Thy Son, wounded by our transgressions, dost mercifully vouchsafe to bestow upon us the infinite wealth of your love; grant, we beseech Thee, that revering it with meet devotion, we may make a worthy reparation for our sins. -- Collect, Feast of the Sacred Heart - 1945 Missal

Tuesday, November 22, 2011 St. Cecilia, Virgin, Martyr (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Daniel 2:31-45 Daniel 3:57-61 Luke 21:5-11 Disorder in society is the result of disorder in the family. -- St Angela Merici

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro, Priest, Martyr (Optional Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28 Daniel 3:62-67 Luke 21:12-19 Christ, like a skillful physician, understands the weakness of men. He loves to teach the ignorant and the erring he turns again to his own true way. He is easily found by those who live by faith and to those of pure eye and holy heart, who desire to knock at the door, he opens immediately. -- St. Hyppolytus (Treatise on Christ and Antichrist)

Thursday, November 24, 2011 St. Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest, Martyr and Companions, Martyrs (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Daniel 6:12-28 Daniel 3:68-74 Luke 21:20-28 Your life consists in drawing nearer to God. To do this you must endeavor to detach yourself from visible things and remember that in a short time they will be taken from you. -- Blessed John of Avila

Friday, November 25, 2011 Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Daniel 7:2-14 Daniel 3:75-81 Luke 21:29-33 Necessity urges us to pray for ourselves. Fraternal Charity obliges us to pray for others. God finds the prayer motivated by charity to be more meritorious than the prayer motivated by necessity. -- St. John Chrysostom

Saturday, November 26, 2011 St. Leonard of Port Maurice, OFM, Priest (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Daniel 7:15-27 Daniel 3:82-87 Luke 21:34-36 Now that we are reborn, as I have said, in the likeness of our Lord, and have indeed been adopted by God as his children, let us put on the complete image of our Creator so as to be wholly like him, not in the glory that he alone possesses, but in innocence, simplicity, gentleness, patience, humility, mercy, harmony, those qualities in which he chose to become, and to be, one with us. -- St Peter Chrysologus

Sunday, November 27, 2011 First Sunday of Advent

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel: Isaiah 63:16-17, 19; 64:2-7 Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Mark 13:33-37 We know we are traveling together. If our pace is slow, go on ahead of us. We won't envy you but rather will seek to catch up with you. However, if you consider us capable of a quicker pace, run along with us. There is only one goal, and we are all anxious to reach it....some at a slow pace and others at a fast pace. Let everyone's sighs be uttered in longing for Christ. Let us run to Him and cry out for Him. -- St Augustine

Monday, November 28, 2011 St. James of the Marsh, Priest (Optional Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Isaiah 2:1-5 Psalm 122:1-9 Matthew 8:5-11 If I wish to please God, I must do His Will and not my own. -- St Alphonsus de Liguori

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 All Saints of the Seraphic Order (Feast)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Sirach 44:1, 10-15 Psalm 24:1-6 Mark 10:17-21 You people of Vitebsk want to put me to death. You make ambushes for me everywhere, in the streets, on the bridges, on the highways, and in the marketplace. I am here among you as a shepherd and you ought to know that I should be happy to give my life for you. I am ready to die for the holy union, for the supremacy of St. Peter and of his successor the Supreme Pontiff. -- St Josaphat

Wednesday, November 30, 2011 St. Andrew, Apostle (Feast)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Romans 10:9-18 Psalm 19:8-11 Matthew 4:18-22 Humility is the safeguard of chastity. In the matter of purity, there is no greater danger than not fearing danger. When a person puts himself in an occasion of sin, saying, " I shall not fall", it is almost an infallible sign that he will fall, and with great injury to his soul. We must specifically and regularly pray for God's assistance and not rely on our own strength. -- St. Phillip Neri