St. Francis of Assisi: Not a Birkenstock-Clad Hippie But a Converter of Muslims

via lifesitenews.com

By Michael Baggot

The relationship between Muslims and Christians received added attention this past Easter when Pope Benedict XVI publicly baptized Magdi Allam, the most prominent Muslim journalist in Italy. Allam knew that publicly renouncing his Islamic faith would bring attempts on his life from angered Muslims, but expressed conviction that his newfound faith would sustain him through any difficulties.

"You asked me whether I fear for my life, in the awareness that conversion to Christianity will certainly procure for me yet another and much more grave death sentence for apostasy. You are perfectly right. I know what I am headed for but I face my destiny with my head held high, standing upright and with the interior solidity of one who has the certainty of his faith." Allam stated.

"And I will be more so after the courageous and historical gesture of the Pope, who, as soon as he knew of my desire, immediately agreed to personally impart the Christian sacraments of initiation to me. His Holiness has sent an explicit and revolutionary message to a Church that until now has been too prudent in the conversion of Muslims."

Pope Benedict XVI’s action in St. Peter’s on Easter Vigil shows that the Catholic Church’s increased emphasis over the last decades on dialogue and mutual understanding between Christians and Muslims does not exclude efforts to bring Muslims to faith in Jesus Christ.

In December, Catholic author Frank M. Rega released Francis of Assisi and the Conversion of the Muslims; With Concise Biography of the Saint, a book that has received much praise for its biographical portrait of the renowned saint and its highly pertinent focus on St. Francis’s relationship with Muslims of the time.

St. Francis of Assissi and the Sultan al-Kamil.

"If you’re tired of portraits of St. Francis as little more than a Birkenstock-clad hippie, a Peace Corps social worker, or an effeminate tofu-eating Green Party activist, read this book," wrote Dr. Philip Blosser on his blog.

During the Fifth Crusade to Egypt, St. Francis of Assisi walked into a Muslim camp in order to preach Christianity and convert the sultan. Rega’s new book recounts St. Francis’s bold encounter with the sultan and other important events from the life of the man from Assisi some claim more closely imitated Jesus Christ than any other saint in history.

In line with its reporting on major cultural issues, LifeSiteNews interviewed Frank M. Rega about his new book and his perspective about the lessons St. Francis has for the world and Catholic-Muslim relations.

LifeSiteNews: Could you summarize the history of the Fifth Crusade?

Frank Rega: Michael, thank you and LifeSiteNews for inviting me to talk about my book on St. Francis of Assisi and the Conversion of the Muslims. Your first question is very appropriate since it is important to set the stage for this historic encounter.

The Fifth Crusade was first called for by Pope Innocent III in 1215 at the Lateran Council. Innocent personally knew Francis and had approved his Rule in 1209 when Francis and his first followers went to Rome to seek Papal acceptance for his new Order. The crusade got underway in 1217 under Pope Honorius III. It lasted for four years, and was lost by the crusaders.

The goal was to first take Egypt before attempting to reach the Holy Land. In 1219 Francis was present in Egypt at the city of Damietta on the Nile, with some of his friars. That port city was eventually captured by the crusaders and held for over a year. But it was returned to the Muslims in 1221 after a crusader march on Cairo failed miserably, and the Christians gave up the crusade.

It was during a period of truce during the battle over Damietta in September 1219 that Francis preached to the Muslims, crossing over to the Muslim camp with Brother Illuminato, who was probably the interpreter.

LifeSiteNews: Why did St. Francis of Assisi support the Fifth Crusade?

Frank Rega: Francis understood that the Fifth Crusade was part of an ongoing just war in response to Muslim invasions of Christian lands, which included many attacks against Italian city-states all along the peninsula over the course of centuries. For example, in the year 846, Rome itself was sacked by 11,000 Muslims, who desecrated the tombs of Sts. Peter and Paul.

Further, the crusade was called for by the Holy Father, and it is well-known that Francis had perfect loyalty to the Catholic Church, and showed devout respect for priests and all the hierarchy. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, he felt the crusade was justified on spiritual grounds. As mentioned in the book, Francis told the Sultan "It is just that Christians invade the land you inhabit, for you blaspheme the name of Christ and alienate everyone you can from His worship."

LifeSiteNews: What did St. Francis say and do when he entered the Muslim camp?

Frank Rega: It is important here to recognize the bravery of Francis. He preached to armed Muslims who a few days before had won a major skirmish at Damietta, killing about five thousand Christians. The Sultan, al-Malik al-Kamil was also the general of the Muslim army, and ruler of Egypt, Syria and Palestine. Francis first obtained permission from the Papal Legate to cross over the lines during a period of temporary truce. When he reached Muslim territory he and Brother Illuminato were taken prisoner, beaten and put in chains by the sentries.

Here we have an image of St. Francis that is utterly opposed to the statues of a docile friar surrounded by birds and other animals - St. Francis beaten and in chains! He was fully prepared for martyrdom. Upon meeting the saint, al-Malik asked him if he was a messenger from the crusaders. Francis replied that he was indeed a messenger, but a messenger from God. He then proceeded to give witness to his love for Jesus, and said that he wished to save the souls of the Sultan and his men.

LifeSiteNews: How did the sultan and his followers react to St. Francis’s words and deeds?

Frank Rega: Initially the Sultan was taken aback by Francis’ boldness. After all, the Muslims had just defeated the Christians in a pitched battle, and now one of them dares to state that the Muslims must convert to Christianity. However, the love flowing from Francis began to move the Sultan, and according to one contemporary writer, "that cruel beast became sweetness himself." However, the advisers to al-Malik, the imams, were not so impressed, and demanded that Francis and Illuminato should be beheaded in accordance with Islamic law.

Francis and his companion remained in the Muslim camp for many days, and parted on excellent terms with the Sultan. There is a story in the early Franciscan literature, described in my book, that al-Malik converted to the True Faith on his deathbed.

LifeSiteNews: Is a crusade against Islam needed today? If so, how should it be conducted?

Frank Rega: A traditional crusade by definition cannot be conducted today because it was a movement within Christendom to defend and counter-attack Muslim invasions of Christian lands. It was sponsored by the Church and relied on the support of Christian rulers and Kings. Without the backing of a strong Christendom, which no longer exists, a crusade as such would be impossible.

Furthermore, today an armed religious war would not be fruitful since the real battle is a "cold war" so to speak. It is a war of persuasion, conversion, and diplomatic dialog, since the Muslims have already launched their peaceful "invasion" of what was once Christian Europe. Of course I am only addressing the religious aspects here, and not the war on terrorism, which is in the secular domain.

LifeSiteNews: Do you think that Christian-Muslim dialogues have helped relations between the two groups or have they simply obscured the Christian mandate to go into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature?

Frank Rega: There is no doubt that ecumenism since Vatican II has diluted and weakened the efforts at evangelization. On the other hand, diplomatic dialog is quite necessary; for example, in negotiating to have the Saudi’s allow Catholic worship and churches in their nation. But the pendulum is swinging towards the more traditional view of converting unbelievers rather than only dialoging for the sake of mutual understanding. One indication of the paradigm shift is the very public reception of Magdi Christiano Allam into the Church by the Holy Father himself.

Also, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a document last December reminding Catholics that ecumenical efforts should not cause us to neglect the gospel mandate to seek the conversion of others to Christ. This must be accomplished without coercion, but rather by a dialog of conversion. This is what Francis did in his conversations with the Sultan.

The problem arises with a certain philosophy of ecumenism that seeks some type of indefinite mutual coexistence of differing religions, or worse yet, that would strive for a for "pan-religion" by the merging of religious traditions. This approach is a denial that the Catholic Religion is the one true faith founded by Jesus Christ.

LifeSiteNews: What can St. Francis teach Christians of today about relating to Muslims?

Frank Rega: First, I think it is important to realize that St. Francis did not openly attack the Muslim religion or Mohammed. He was not armed with a copy of the Koran in one hand and the Catholic Catechism in the other. In fact there is no indication that he ever instructed his friars who undertook such a mission to study the Koran or the tenets of Islam. His goal was to carry to the unbelievers the very presence of Christ, and the essence of God’s love, mercy, forgiveness and salvation.

This brings up a second point, the necessity to be strong in the basics of our Faith. One cannot relate as a Catholic to another religion while being hesitant, for example, about the truth of Christ’s Resurrection from the dead on Easter.

Finally, Francis shows us that we must keep it simple. Simplicity was one of the hallmarks of his personality and of his approach to Christianity. Spiritual strength flows from the simple understanding and belief that Jesus is God, that he founded a Church to transmit the grace of salvation in His Name, and that Church is the Roman Catholic Church.

See previous LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Message of the Pope’s Baptism of Prominent Muslim: Be Not Afraid to Acknowledge Christianity as The Truth:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/mar/08032509.html

The Implications of Fundamental Islamic Expansion in North America
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/mar/08030504.html

Jesus and Muhammad’s Words, Actions, Teachings Contrasted
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/mar/080305a.html

Abandonment of Judeo/Christian Heritage Has Left West Vulnerable to Fundamental Islam
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/mar/08030613.html

Multiculturism a Factor Turning Moderate Muslims Radical?
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/mar/080306a.html

Visit the site for Rega’s latest book:
http://members.aol.com/fmrega7/francisandconversion.htm

Visit Rega’s site:
http://members.aol.com/frankmrega/

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[Videos] Who are our Guardian Angels / Pope's Angelus:

Who are our guardian angels? More

Pope's Angelus: The Lord is close to everyone through guardian angels

After leaving his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo, the pope has returned to St. Peter's Square where he deliver his Sunday Angelus. More

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Thousands walk for Jesus, Mary

Thousands of high school students and Marian devotees attended the Walk for Jesus and Mary that opened the celebration of October as the month of the Holy Rosary Saturday, at the Lamberto Macias Sports Complex in Dumaguete City.

The celebration was highlighted by the visit of Mary’ Meal Ambassador Milona Von Habsburg-De Ramburez from Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina, who has been serving in Medjugorje as interpreter of the visionaries during the apparitions of the Our Lady of Medjugorje.

The ambassador who wants to be called Milona said she is elated with the support and devotion of young people to Mother Mary. She said the world is in need of young people who religiously and sincerely pray the Holy Rosary since the competition for the secular world is very strong.

Milona has been serving in Medjugorje for 27 years and also receiving the message of the Holy Mother. She added that the Mary’s Meal program, through the effort of the Medjugorje Peace Center of Virginia Villahermosa, is a gift for the hungry children in Dumaguete City.

She also shared the message of Our Lady during the 8:15 a.m. Sunday mass at the Dumaguete Cathedral Church where she emphasized that Mother Mary is asking everyone to pray the rosary daily for the conversion of sinners and healing of the world.

She also said that Our Lady is encouraging Roman Catholic believers not to criticize the priests and those serving the Lord.

It is better to offer prayer and fasting out of love for the priest because only God can judge them, she said.

The visit of the Mary’s Meal Ambassador was through the invitation of the Villahermosa from the Medjugorje Peace Center who celebrated the 10th anniversary of the television program at Fil Products Service television.

Bishop John Du of the Diocese of Dumaguete thanked Milona and the Medujogorje Peace Center for inspiring the people through the messages of Mother Mary. He said it is challenged to sustain a religious program and it is a blessing to keep the spirit of service and evangelization.*MA

 

 

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Bishop John Du

Milona de Rambures

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St. Francis Borgia [Video]

St. Francis Borgia Reflection for 10/3/11 www.apostleshipofprayer.org More
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From Mark Mallett: The Song of God

via markmallett.com

I think we’ve got the whole "saint thing" wrong in our generation. Many think that becoming a Saint is this extraordinary ideal that only a handful of souls will ever be capable of achieving. That sanctity is a pious thought far out of reach. That as long as one avoids mortal sin and keeps his nose clean, he’ll still "make it" to Heaven—and that is good enough.

But in truth, friends, that is a terrible lie that keeps the children of God in bondage, that keeps souls in a state of unhappiness and dysfunction. It’s as big a lie as telling a goose that it cannot migrate.

THE LAW OF CREATION

All around us is the "key" to becoming a saint, and it lies within creation. Each morning, the sun rises, and it’s powerful rays bring health to all living things. Each year, the seasons come and go, renewing, restoring, bringing to death, and creating again as the planet follows its set course, tilting and rotating to a perfect degree. Within all of this, the animals and sea creatures move according to their God-given instinct. They mate and reproduce; they migrate and hibernate at the appointed hour. The plants grow and produce in their appointed season, then die or lie dormant as they await the hour to bear life again.

There is this incredible obedience within creation according to the laws of nature, the rules of the cosmos. Like a finely tuned piano, each "note" in creation plays at its appointed time, harmonizing with the rest of the living world. They do so by instinct and design, a law written within their being and nature.

Now men and women are the very pinnacle of God’s creation. But we are different. We are made in His very image.

Being in the image of God the human individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just something, but someone. —Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 357

THE PINNACLE

As such, we have been given two very important functions in the role of creation. One is to have "dominion" over all that God has created, to be its steward.1 The second function, however, is what separates us from all of creation. Since we are made in God’s image, we are made by Love to love and be loved. This vocation is in fact as natural to who we are as all the other functions of our body. At least, it is supposed to be.

You see, Adam and Eve rose each day with the golden dawn, and moved with the morning breeze among lions, wolves, and tigers. They walked in the garden with their God who walked with them. Their whole beings were devoted to loving Him, one another, and the beauty that was placed beneath their charge. They did not strive for holiness—it was to them as natural as breathing.

Enter sin. My brothers and sisters, we often see sin as a mere action rather than a state of being. Sin, one could say, is the state of losing harmony with creation, and above all, the Creator. Think of a beautiful concerto played upon a piano… and one single note played wrong. Suddenly, the entire song is off-balance to the ear, and the sweetness of the music turns bitter. This is why sin is not only personal in the sense that it affects just me. It affects the entire song of creation!

For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God… that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now…(Rom 8:19-22)

What is this mysterious passage saying? That creation is awaiting for the children of God to take their place once again in God’s garden. For man to simply be who he is, living fully in the image in which he was created. Another way to say it is that creation is awaiting for us to become saints. But being saints is in fact the norm, what should be normal to all of us, for that is what we were created to be.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

The question arises then, how do I live this norm? The key, the answer, lies in creation. It is "obedient" to its design. The trees unfold their leaves in the spring, not the fall. The planet pivots upon the solstice, not before or after. The tides ebb and flow, obeying their boundaries, while the animals function within the rythms of their delicate ecosystem. If anyone of these aspects of creation were to "disobey", then the balance, the harmony of the song is thrown into chaos.

Jesus came not only announcing the message of salvation to us (for man also has a rational mind through which the will operates according not to instinct, but truth and the choices it presents). But He also showed us the pattern to find our way back to our place in the song of God.

Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. (Phil 2:5-8)

Obedience was the pattern Christ laid down for us (as disobedience was the sin of Lucifer, and thus, the sin of Adam and Eve who followed Satan’s pattern, not their Father’s.) But more than following God’s will, Jesus showed us that obedience finds its fullest expression in love. Not a romantic feeling, eros, but a giving totally of oneself, agape. This is what Adam and Eve did moment by moment within creation, breathing in love, breathing out love. Because they were made in God’s image, they did not live by instinct—the law of the creature—but by a higher law: the rule of love. Thus, Jesus came to show us this way again, which is guided by truth, and leads to life. The fullness of life!

A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

Either Christ’s words are true or they are not. Either Jesus came with the intention and true possibility for us to live normally (that is, to be a saint), or not. It is therefore up to us to believe in His promise—or accept the lie of the one who continues to steal, slaughter, and destroy the incredible vocation that lies before each of us: to be a saint, which again is "merely" to become who we are meant to be.

TRUST

What caused Adam and Eve to fall out of harmony with God and creation? The answer is that they did not trust. In words that have moved me deeply and convicted me of my own woundedness, Jesus said once to St. Faustina:

My Heart is sorrowful… because even chosen souls do not understand the greatness of My mercy. Their relationship [with Me] is, in certain ways, imbued with mistrust. Oh, how much that wounds My Heart. Remember My Passion, and if you do not believe My words, at least believe My wounds. —Divine Mercy in My Soul, Jesus to St. Faustina, Diary, n.379

Brothers and sisters, a library of books has been written over the centuries on how to become holy, the interior life, the stages of purgation, illumination, union, contemplative prayer, meditation, abandonment, and so forth. Sometimes the very sight of all these books is enough to discourage the soul. But it can all be simplified into one word, trust. Jesus did not say the kingdom of heaven belongs to only those who follow this technique or that, this spirituality or that, per se, but:

Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these… unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 19:14; 18:3-4)

To become like a little child means two things: to trust like a child, and second, to be obedient as a child must.

Now, lest I be accused of minimizing how great is the struggle to become "normal", to become simply who we are in His image (which is to be a saint), one need only understand the other, darker, message of the Cross. And that is how awful and destructive sin is. Sin has shipwrecked human nature to such a degree that the very act of simply trusting our Father has become painfully difficult. But even then, Christ has sent us One who to help us in our weakness: the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and guide. Moreover, if we enter into a personal relationship with God, then the Sacraments, our relationship with Mother Mary, the Saints in Heaven, and with our brothers and sisters in Christ here, they will aid us as we journey back to holiness. To sainthood. To our part in the great song of God.

Rather than think of being a saint as someone who dazzles others by his or her sanctity, stupendous miracles, and mesmerizing wisdom, let us more humbly consider that it is simply to be who we are created to be. You have a precious dignity! Living anything less is to diminish that dignity in which you were created. And to be who are is to live by the rule of love, following God’s will without compromise, and trusting in Him with our whole hearts. He showed us the way, and now remains with us to help us get there.

May the world be filled with such saints.

————————————-

I AM preparing to leave for France right away to attend the First Sacred Heart World Congress in Paray-le-Monial where the revelations of the Sacred Heart were given to St. Margaret Mary. There will be an enthronement of the Sacred Heart to the world by the local ordinary. It was here, as I have written before, that Jesus revealed to the world through St. Margaret Mary that devotion to His Sacred Heart would be…

…the last effort of His love that He would grant to men in these latter ages, in order to withdraw them from the empire of Satan which He desired to destroy so as to introduce them into the sweet liberty of the rule of His love, which He wished to restore in the hearts of all those who should embrace this devotion. —St. Margaret Mary, www.sacredheartdevotion.com

What Jesus is speaking of here is an era to come in which the Church will live according to this "rule of His love." The Church Fathers have spoken of this period, the popes have prayed for it, and the signs of the times all around suggest that such a new springtime is approaching as we live out the final throes of "winter" in our world.

The Era of Peace, the "thousand year" reign prophesied by St. John that we hope for is simply this: when creation will once again harmonize with its Creator as men and women embrace in trust and obedience their role in creation. Albeit in an imperfect state, the words of the prophet Isaiah and St. John (Rev 204-6) will be fulfilled:

For Isaiah spake thus concerning this space of a thousand years: "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and be glad in My people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of My people be, and My chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD and their children with them. Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, says the LORD. —St. Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, Chapters LXXXI; cf. Is. 65:17-25

Please pray for all of us making this pilgrimage in France. I will bring each of you before our Lord when I am there.

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My 'granddaddy' John Wayne, actor and Catholic convert By David Kerr

Fr. Matthew Muñoz

Image via Wikipedia

Rome, Italy, Oct 1, 2011 / 12:29 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- John Wayne, for many, was a Hollywood legend who symbolized true masculinity and American values. To Fr. Matthew Muñoz, though, he was simply “granddaddy.”

“When we were little we’d go to his house and we’d simply hang out with granddaddy and we’d play and we’d have fun: a very different image from what most people have of him,”  Fr. Muñoz told CNA on a recent visit to Rome.

Image via Wikipedia

Fr. Muñoz was 14 years old when his grandfather died of cancer in 1979. In his lifetime, “The Duke” won three Oscars, the Congressional Gold Medal and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Of all those achievements, though, Fr. Muñoz is most proud of just one – his grandfather’s conversion to the Catholic faith.

“My grandmother, Josephine Wayne Saenz, had a wonderful influence on his life and introduced him to the Catholic world,” said 46-year-old Fr. Muñoz, a priest of the Diocese of Orange in California.  

“He was constantly at Church events and fundraisers that she was always dragging him to and I think that, after a while, he kind of got a sense that the common secular vision of what Catholics are and what his own experience actually was, were becoming two greatly different things.”

Fr. Muñoz’s grandparents married in 1933 and had four children, the youngest of whom – Melinda – is his mother. The couple civilly divorced in 1945 although, as a Catholic, Josephine did not re-marry until after John Wayne’s death. She also never stopped praying for her husband’s conversion – a prayer which was answered in 1978.

“He was a great friend of the Archbishop of Panama, Archbishop Tomas Clavel, and he kept encouraging him and finally my granddaddy said, 'Okay, I’m ready.'”

As a result of a change in Panamanian leadership, Archbishop Clavel was exiled from his native land in 1968. Three years later, Cardinal Timothy Manning, then the Archbishop of Los Angeles, invited Archbishop Clavel to Orange County, where he served as pastoral leader to half of Orange County's 600,000 Latinos.

By the time of Wayne's request, however, Archbishop Clavel was too ill to make the journey to the film star's residence.

“So Archbishop Clavel called Archbishop McGrath,” Fr. Muñoz said, explaining that Archbishop McGrath was the successor to Archbishop Clavel in the Archdiocese of Panama. 

“My mom and my uncle were there when he came. So there’s no question about whether or not he was baptized. He wanted to become baptized and become Catholic,” Fr. Muñoz said. “It was wonderful to see him come to the faith and to leave that witness for our whole family.”

Fr. Muñoz also said that his grandfather’s expressed a degree of regret about not becoming a Catholic earlier in life, explaining “that was one of the sentiment he expressed before he passed on,” blaming “a busy life.”

Prior to his conversion to Catholicism, though, John Wayne’s life was far from irreligious.

“From an early age he had a good sense of what was right and what is wrong. He was raised with a lot of Christian principles and kind of a 'Bible faith' that, I think, had a strong impact upon him,” said Fr. Muñoz recalling that his grandfather often wrote handwritten notes to the Almighty.

“He wrote beautiful love letters to God, and they were prayers. And they were very childlike and they were very simple but also very profound at the same time,” he said.

“And sometimes that simplicity was looked at as naivety but I think there was a profound wisdom in his simplicity.”

Fr. Muñoz summed up the hierarchy of his grandfather’s values as “God coming first, then family, then country.” It’s a triumvirate he sees repeatedly reflected in his grandfather’s films. He believes those values are much needed in Hollywood today and, if “the Duke” were still here he’d be leading the charge.

“My grandfather was a fighter. I think there would be a lot of things he’d be disappointed and saddened over. But I don’t think he would lose hope. I think he would look at the current time as a moment of faith. People are in crisis and they’re looking for something more meaningful, more real,” Fr. Muñoz said. 

“So I think he would look at the situation and say – don’t get discouraged! I think he would say get involved. Don’t go hiding in a shell and getting on the defensive from Hollywood. Get involved and be an agent for the good. I think he would do that. That’s what he did in his time.”

 

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October 2, 2011 A.D.

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Our Lady Queen of Peace of Medjugorje’s
October 2, 2011 Message
Given to Mirjana on the Day for Non-Believers

As night fell upon the Blue Cross Saturday evening October 1,2011 at the base of Podbrdo in Medjugorje where the apparition would take place early Sunday morning October 2nd, the moon appeared on the horizon of Cross Mountain. Those who were spending the night peacefully watched as the moon slipped behind the rocky slope and out of sight. The stars in the sky grew brighter and the Big Dipper was spotted again, cradling the whole valley same as last month. The Church of St. James too was visible, illuminated by electric lighting.

Small groups of pilgrims began to gather at the Blue Cross; some were prepared to spend the night, others to pray for a few minutes and then leave. By 9:00 pm when a group of Caritas pilgrims went to spend the night praying and waiting for Our Lady, there were already several hundred pilgrims around the Cross. They found their spots and waited with no expectations other than being in the presence of Our Lady. They were rewarded the next morning as most of them were able to see Mirjana as Our Lady appeared to her. They were able to look into the eyes that beheld the Mother of God. There were petitions and rosaries placed at the base of the statue through out the night and up to apparition time. During the apparition there were many pilgrims on their knees imploring Our Lady’s intercession and we could hear the sounds of weeping around us. It seemed to be a very intense experience for the pilgrims gathered. The crowds were still descending from the Blue Cross well after 11:00 am Sunday morning. What a gift to be in the presence of Our Lady during the Time of Grace.

“Dear children; Also today my motherly heart calls you to prayer, to your personal relationship with God the Father, to the joy of prayer in Him. God the Father is not far away from you and He is not unknown to you. He revealed Himself to you through my Son and gave you Life that is my Son. Therefore, my children, do not give in to temptations that want to separate you from God the Father. Pray! Do not attempt to have families and societies without Him. Pray! Pray that your hearts may be flooded by the goodness which comes only from my Son, Who is sincere goodness. Only hearts filled with goodness can comprehend and accept God the Father. I will continue to lead you. In a special way I implore you not to judge your shepherds. My children, are you forgetting that God the Father called them? Pray! Thank you.”

Mirjana said: “I have never said anything before, but are you aware, brothers, that the Mother of God was with us? Each of us should ask himself: ‘Are you worthy of this?’ I am saying this because it is difficult for me to see Her (Our Lady) in pain, because each of us is seeking a miracle, but does not want to work a miracle in himself.”

 

He Is Not Unknown to You

A Friend of Medjugorje

Vicka has said that what is in the heart will eventually manifest itself in a physical way. Evils, images, hate, etc., allowed in the heart manifests out of the heart into physical behavior. Hate in the heart breaks out in war through the individual, into the family, into the nation and leads nation against nation. Vicka was speaking about the war in Yugoslavia that took place in the early years of 1990. She said hatred in the heart manifests into war. Our Lady says that goodness which is God, when accepted in the heart, manifests into families and societies causing societies to prosper. However, that is not what is manifesting out of the heart of man today.

Where does one see prosperity today? Rather, families and societies are without God. Man’s heart is filled with darkness and evils, and evil is prevailing throughout societies. In the Bible, in Scripture, in the Word of God, it is written clearly of God’s way when man goes totally away from Him. In the Book of Romans, in the 1st chapter, verses 18-32, God’s Word is revealed to us and tells us that when goodness is not in the heart, man’s heart is darkened by God. Man’s heart darkened then does what is unseemly.

Many people today in society do not want to accept Romans 1:18-32. Our Lady says, “…Do not attempt to have families and society without Him…” Many reject what God has to say. Many have come to accept what God rejects. But man has what is good, the Word, the Christ, yet man has “attempted to have family and society without Him.” He has wandered off to darkness, a darkness that will bring a death sentence to all societies whose institutions and peoples have accepted what is unseemly. This is not man’s judgment. It is God’s Word.

Do you accept the truth of Romans 1:18:32 or do you not? One cannot mitigate the words of Romans 1:18:32 in order to inordinately tolerate what is unseemly and without God. These behaviors are being tolerated and therefore, are being inculturalized into societies. They are even being taught to our children in schools, in daily programming on television and commercials, are constantly being spoken about in the media, etc., and they lead to the heart’s acceptance, which leads to the inculturalization of these behaviors in our societies which can be described as nothing less than the total absence of God.

Our Lady spoke of judgment today. Yes, we are to leave judgment to God, because God’s judgment is a horrible fate for hearts without goodness, and a beautiful fate for those who possess goodness. But what we are responsible to use in our discretion of right and wrong, is God’s Word. With God’s Word we are to judge what is right or what is unseemly. However, the judgment of one’s fate is God’s alone. Many Christians have grown in acceptance of so many errors and false beliefs that we cannot judge anything. This is a false understanding of judging. We do not, cannot, know how God will judge a soul, because we do not know what circumstances led him to commit error. So this is God’s domain.

Man’s domain is to judge what is good and what is bad. It is our duty and responsibility not only to live God’s ways, but, to preserve society; to pass laws based on God’s 10 Commandments, to make judgments on what is not of God and reject it throughout society. This is the future in which goodness will prevail in society. It will not come through reform. When enough souls put goodness in their hearts, it will result in new cultures arising, new societies filled with God based upon the Christian principles of the Son of God, the creation of new societies through the messages of His Mother. We, therefore, will see the destruction of present society, not a transfiguration of society. Good will attract those of good will. The rest of society—that which has abandoned God—will be so errored it will collapse.

The verdict given to society today is God turning man over to himself to self-destruct. Now is the moment, a moment to seize, to be a part of the new society, a result of inculturalizing the messages into life which will not restore present society, rather will rise up a new culture where family and society thrive and flourishes through goodness. As St. Padre Pio said, “It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do so without the Holy Mass.” Families, likewise, cannot be family without God. Society, therefore, cannot survive without the family. Families with goodness can comprehend and accept God the Father. These families will have the grace for a personal relationship with God the Father. Today, families have wed themselves to wrong, and have divorced right. Societies are not only in decline, they are in destruction mode by God’s judgment. A new society will replace it, not built out of its rubble, rather built upon the messages of Our Lady.

With Love for the Family of God and
Those Who Do Not Comprehend Him,

P.S. A major addition to this writing is still yet to be posted. You won’t want to miss it. So be sure to check back later today. And don't forget Radio WAVE, which will broadcast tomorrow night, October 3, 7:00 PM Central Time USA. To listen live and for your local time click to visit here.

 

Pictures from the Apparition October 2, 2011 A.D.

Mirjana spreads her arms out and greets Our Lady with a smile this morning at her apparition at the Blue Cross, October 2, 2011. For more than 30 years, Our Lady has come to help us to see what kind of world we are creating, and to help us go a different path. Our Lady relays to us that God the Father is revealed through Her Son. It is She, Herself, who now reveals Her Son to modern man who knows Him yet, puts Him far away from himself.

This morning, October 2, 2011, Mirjana is visibly moved to sorrow in seeing, as she said later, Our Lady in pain. As A Friend of Medjugorje has often written over the years, the problems of our world today do not stem from the nonbelievers, but rather from believers who live their Christianity without conviction, passion, and real love for God which is expressed through obedience to the Commandments of God. Our Lady has told the Medjugorje visionaries that if Christians truly lived their faith—the whole world would become Christian.

“When the rich man came to Jesus, he asked what he must do to enter the Kingdom. Jesus told him to obey the Commandments; he responded he had kept them since childhood. He would have been better off to say nothing, for Jesus’ next words placed him under conviction to do more and he rejected it. Today it is the same with Our Lady. Many of Her children go only three-fourths of the way, wishing no more conversion. Many Christians today live a mediocre Christianity. Today there is not much which distinguishes pagans from Christians, watching the same TV shows, commercials, movies, seeking comforts, going to court, bickering, gossiping, immodest talking and dressing. It is not a wonder why we have a crisis in faith. Our Lady tells us faith is so low, it is on the verge of extinction.

Spring, 1982

“…My children, have you not observed that faith began to extinguish itself?...”

Like the rich man, we, coming to Our Lady, are held more accountable.”

From the booklet Modesty by A Friend of Medjugorje

Mirjana reacts to Our Lady’s sorrow in speaking of the direction the world is taking which is away from Her Son.

“The love of the world teaches us to serve ourselves, to attend to our needs first or at least as equally as we tend to others’ needs. This selfish love is not the love Our Lady wishes us to receive. Our Lady and Jesus want us to receive Divine Love to be able to give of ourselves without limit and carry our crosses. We can understand what this means before the crucifix and we will be able to receive Divine love in the proportion to which we understand it. Our Lady says:

“You will be able to receive Divine Love only in proportion to when you understand that, on the cross, God offers you His immense love.”

Our Lady tells us to die out of love as Jesus did. She wants us to let our selfishness, wants, and desires die, to be only love, and to give completely everything through love of God. She is not necessarily referring to material things or money as this may be easy, but rather to giving oneself. This is the highest degree of love.”

From the booklet, In Front of the Crucifix with Our Lady, by A Friend of Medjugorje

Mirjana’s face lights up once more as She sees Our Lady leaving. It gives hope, despite the sadness of Our Lady that Mirjana saw today, because despite everything, Our Lady is still amongst us and She promises for those who follow Her, that we will see the healing of our families and societies. Today, October 2, is the 8th day of the novena for families—the fourth novena in a series of seven novenas that are offered each year to Our Lady for the Reconciling of Ourselves, Our Families and Our Nation Back to God. These novenas, written by A Friend of Medjugorje, have been prayed for 19 consecutive years by the Community of Caritas and tens of thousands of supporters of Caritas’ mission, and are a pleading to God to bring about the conversion of our own individual hearts, the heart of our families, and finally our nation. Each novena has a thought that captures the essence of what grace is being requested of Our Lady, followed by a message of Our Lady read daily. The following is taken from the Novena for the Family:

 

THOUGHT: Our Lady’s call for the conversion of the world for the salvation of mankind is through the family. It is through the family that She wishes many of the future fruits of Her plans to be fulfilled. She wishes to present these families as petals of a flower to God…

May 1, 1986

“Dear children, I beseech you to start changing your life in the family. Let the family be a harmonious flower that I wish to give to Jesus. Dear children, let every family be active in prayer for I wish that the fruits in the family be seen one day. Only that way shall I give all, like petals, as a gift to Jesus in fulfillment of God’s plans. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

We are grateful to have been praying this novena for these days leading up to October 2, and the words of Our Lady—to have been active in prayer for the very intentions that Our Lady asked from us today. If you have not been participating in this novena, we invite you to begin it today. It can be found on the homepage of Medjugojre.com. Click here for the Novena Prayers for the Family.

This is the street just below the site of the Blue Cross just after Mirjana had her apparition this morning, October 2, 2011. What propelled Mirjana to speak to the crowd today? What does she see in so many of the pilgrims coming to Medjugorje? It was an anguished cry to awaken something deeper into the hearts of those gathered. Mirjana is often asked what Our Lady means by “unbelievers.” This is how she once replied to that question:

“Our Lady says from time to time even her most faithful children are unbelievers. We all have our moments during the day, during each day of our life, where even the most faithful among us do not believe. So Our Lady prays for each of us too. Many of us who think we believe have many parts of ourselves that really do not believe. Our Lady repeats this plea to her faithful ones: ‘Please pray for unbelievers every day. They know not what awaits them.’ She recognizes sadly that many of her children throughout the world go to church or places of worship just because it is a tradition, but they are unbelievers because they do not really know and love God. They only go to places of worship as a social custom. The Blessed Mother says they need much prayer so that they, too, can, believe.”

 

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Hilarion in Rome

 

The end of state atheism in Russia in 1991 and the return to Christian faith in that country, at least in a modest way, in the years since -- opinions on the extent of Russia's religious renewal are sharply divided -- seemed something impossible in the 1960s, 1970, 1980s...

 

Pope John Paul II fervently desired that change so that Europe might regain its spiritual health and "breathe with two lungs" -- Eastern as well as Western, Greek as well as Latin, Orthodox as well as Catholic... despite all the centuries of division and mistrust since the "Great Schism" of 1054.

 

In the long process of this new "breathing" a special moment occurred on September 29 at Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome.

 

 

On the morning of September 29, Benedict XVI welcomed the Orthodox Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Patriarchate of Moscow’s Department for External Church Relations -- the equivalent of the "Foreign Minister" of the Russian Orthodox Church (photo above).
 
It was the third meeting between the Pope and the Metropolitan, following Hilarion’s election as the Department’s leader.

 

Hilarion gave Benedict as a gift an icon of St. Benedict of Norcia, who is of course Pope Benedict's patron saint (because the Pope's name is Benedict), and the Pope received the icon with pleasure.

 

A remarkable video

 

Here is a remarkable video which shows the Pope meeting with Hialrion and greeting his entourage. It is worth the 60 seconds it takes to view it:

 

 

(The Russian delegation on the terrace of the papal palace at Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome after meeting with Pope Benedict.)

 

During his visit to Rome on September 28, Hilarion met with Cardinal President Kurt Koch at the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, to discuss the future of cooperation between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
 
During the meeting, “the protection of Christians and the overcoming of Christianophobia” were discussed.

 

Obstacles remain
 

After the meeting with Pope Benedict, Hilarion gave an interview to Vatican Radio where he outlined some of the problems that continue to remain preventing the full reunion of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches -- the "two lungs" which Pope John Paul hoped would soon "breathe together."

 

One problem is that the Orthodox themselves are divided into 16 different Churches, and have not settled certain internal questions of authority.

 

One special date to note: May 2013, when celebrations are scheduled recalling the end of the decades of terrible persecution of Christianity in the Roman Empire 1,700 years ago. In 313, the Emperor Constantine issued his "Edict of Milan" declaring the Christian faith legal in the Roman Empire. (There were no more Roman governmental persecutions after that, except briefly under the rule of Julian the Apostate in 360 A.D.)

 

The Orthodox are planning a great gathering in 2013 in Nis, Serbia, to commemorate the Edict of Milan, because Nis is the birthplace of the Emperor Constantine.

 

And there is some talk -- not confirmed -- that the Orthodox may invite Pope Benedict to attend that celebration, which would then become the first meeting ever between a Roman Pope and a Russian Orthodox Patriarch.

 

This would be a symbolic moment, in a world which is turning once again against Christianity, with legal restrictions against the teachings of the faith rising in the West, and persecutions occurring in various places around the world.

 

So let's keep watch for developments on this front.

 

[Excerpted from an email sent to me from Robert Moynihan]

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October 2nd Message from Medjugorje

October 2, 2011

 

Dear Family of Mary!

 

The October 2, 2011 Message through Mirjana:

 

"Dear children; Also today my motherly heart calls you to prayer, to your personal relationship with God the Father, to the joy of prayer in Him. God the Father is not far away from you and He is not unknown to you. He revealed Himself to you through my Son and gave you Life that is my Son. Therefore, my children, do not give in to temptations that want to separate you from God the Father. Pray! Do not attempt to have families and societies without Him. Pray! Pray that your hearts may be flooded with the goodness which comes only from my Son, Who is sincere goodness. Only hearts filled with goodness can comprehend and accept God the Father. I will continue to lead you. In a special way I implore you not to judge your shepherds. My children, are you forgetting that God the Father called them? Pray ! Thank you."

 

[After the apparition] Mirjana said: I have never said anything before, but are you aware, brothers and sisters, that the Mother of God was with us? Each of us should ask himself: 'Are you worthy of this?' I am saying this because it is difficult for me to see her (Our Lady) in pain, because each of us is seeking a miracle, but does not want to work a miracle in himself.

 

In Jesus and Mary!

Cathy Nolan

 

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No Anxiety [Video]

Have No Anxiety At All Reflection for 10/2/11 www.apostleshipofprayer.org More

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Monthly message from Anne, a lay apostle

Follow us | Tweet this Join us | Share this October 1, 2011 Monthly Message On the first of every month, our Lord gives Anne a new message about His call to service. October 1, 2011 Jesus All is well, dear apostles. Does this statement console you, even as you look at the changes occurring in the world? Why do I tell you that all is well when you can see clearly that difficulties have arisen in many areas? I hear the prayers of My children asking that I send relief from the sufferings that afflict them and cause them to question their security and even their faith. How often I have to teach mankind that I am the only true security and that reliance on Me will bring peace and all possible benefit to each man and to the intentions of each man. In heaven's eyes, all is well, even as many suffer. Are God's children suffering with the benefit of the truth? Do they understand that I am with them and that I have overcome even death? My friends, if there are those remaining who do not understand the extent of My love, then your work is not finished. If there are those remaining who do not understand that joy is possible, even in suffering, and indeed especially in suffering, then your work is not finished. If there are times when you are afraid, then you must come to Me. I will protect you from anything that is outside of My will for you and for your work. Will you be overcome? Consider My authority, dear apostles, and do not consider the extent of your weakness. Never be distracted by the strength of your enemy because the enemy's strength is an illusion and even the illusion is fleeting. Be assured that I will compensate for your weaknesses as I compensate for your beautiful humanity which so endears you to Me. Where you are weak, I am strong. Where you are frail in your humanity, I add my divinity and what goes out from you is blessed and protected, but only if you are relying on Me. You will know when you are relying on yourself because you will be afraid. Consider how I conducted Myself on earth. I trusted the Father and I was gentle, going about My tasks in the day with conviction. If the Father willed it for Me, then I accepted it and saw to it as best I could. When I was rejected, I quietly moved on. When I was accepted, I offered the Father's love and gave to the fullest extent of the Father's will. Do the same, beloved ones. Do the same. I am with you and all is well. Follow us | Tweet this Join us |   Direction For Our Times relies on donations to supplement the cost of publishing the messages. Currently, only 40% of the publishing cost is covered by the sale of the books. Thank you for your prayerful consideration. Direction for Our Times (DFOT) is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to spreading God's messages as revealed in the Volumes.

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SPIRITUAL GEMS - THE MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT

The Most Blessed Sacrament      "The Immaculate Heart of Mary has the key to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  She opens it at her will in order to let us enter and drink at the very fountain of grace.  St. Bonaventure liked to say that the Heart of the King is in the hands of the Immaculate Queen.  She can incline it in any direction, win its favors and insure God’s mercy for whom she intercedes.  Have no fear of attributing too great a power over the Heart of her Son. Beyond all comprehension, she is Queen of the Merciful Heart of God, and thus does Jesus love to honor His Mother.  The greatest grace our dear Mother can obtain for us through her Immaculate Heart is love and devotion for the Sacred Heart of her Son beating in the Most Blessed Sacrament.     Each day when you pray the Hail Mary, ask your Mother to obtain a greater love of the Sacred Heart of her Son in the Divine Eucharist, then go spend 15 minutes and tell the Prisoner of Love in the Eucharist how much you love Him.  He is so often left alone!"     Fr. Andre Prevot You can receive complimentary materials to make your Consecration to God through Mary’s Immaculate Heart ( important spiritual protection at this time in salvation history) at myconsecration.org... where you can also learn about Our Lady of Las Lajas. You can learn more about our Lady of Fatima at www.wafusa.org. God Bless you and your work,   Mike   Tony       Michael La Corte   Anthony Mullen Executive Director   MyConsecration.org World Apostolate of Fatima, USA   222 S. Manoa Road A Pontifical Association of the Faithful   Havertown, PA 19083 visit us at: www.wafusa.org   visit us at: www.myconsecration.org

 

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Saint Therese of Lisieux [Video]

The Story of a Soul Reflection for 10/1/11 www.apostleshipofprayer.org More

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