VISnews 1/4/2012 Papal Messages

SUMMARY:   - Christmas Means Bringing God's Joy and Light to Others - Papal Message for the World Day of the Sick - Other Pontifical Acts   ___________________________________________________________   CHRISTMAS MEANS BRINGING GOD'S JOY AND LIGHT TO OTHERS   VATICAN CITY, 4 JAN 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father held his weekly general audience this morning in the Paul VI Hall, in the presence of 7,000 pilgrims.     Benedict XVI dedicated his catechesis to the mystery of the Lord's Nativity, noting that "our first reaction to this extraordinary event of God Who becomes a child ... is joy". This "arises from a sense of heartfelt wonder at seeing how God comes close to us and cares for us; how He acts in history. ... It arises from a contemplation of the face of that humble child because we know that it is the Face of God. ... Christmas is a time of joy ... because God - Who is the goodness, life and truth of mankind - comes down to man's level in order to raise man to Himself. God comes so close that we can see and touch Him". For this reason, the Pope explained, "Christmas is the point at which heaven and earth unite. ... In that needy Child ... what God is (eternity, strength, sanctity, life, joy) unites with what we are (weakness, sin, suffering death)".     The phrase "admirabile commercium" is current in the theology and spirituality of the Nativity, used to describe this "admirable exchange between the divine and the human. ... The first act of that exchange comes about in Christ's own humanity. The Word assumed our humanity and, in exchange, human nature was raised to divine dignity. The second act of the exchange consists in our real and intimate involvement in the divine nature of the Word. ... Thus Christmas is the feast in which God comes so close to man as to share the very act of being born, showing men and women their most profound dignity: that of being children of God. Humanity's dream which began in the Garden of Eden - we want to be like God - is realised in an unexpected way, not through the greatness of man, who cannot make himself God, but through the humility of God Who came down among us in His humility, raising us to the true greatness of His being ".     Benedict XVI also turned his attention to another aspect of Christmas, symbolised by light. "Christ's coming dissipates the shadows of the world and fills the holy night with a celestial splendour, spreading the radiance of God the Father over the faces of men, even today", he said. "After having spoken and intervened in history through messengers and signs, 'He appeared', He came out of His inaccessible light in order to illuminate the world". All Christians must be aware of their mission and responsibility to bear witness to the new light of the Gospel, and to bring it to the world. The Church receives the light of Christ "to be illuminated thereby and to spread it in all its splendour. And this must also come about in our own lives".     "Christmas means pausing to contemplate the Child, the Mystery of God Who became man in humility and poverty. Above all it means once again making that Child, Who is Christ the Lord, part of ourselves so as to live our lives from His, so as to make His feelings, His thoughts, His actions our feelings, thoughts and actions. To celebrate Christmas is to express the joy, novelty and light which that Birth brought into our lives, that we too may bring others joy, true novelty and the light of God".     After his catechesis the Holy Father greeted pilgrims in various languages, thanked a number of bands for having enlivened the celebration with their music and imparted his blessing upon those present. AG/                                                                                                   VIS 20120104 (620)   PAPAL MESSAGE FOR THE WORLD DAY OF THE SICK   VATICAN CITY, 4 JAN 2012 (VIS) - Made public yesterday was the Holy Father's Message for the World Day of the Sick which will be held, as is traditional, on 11 February, Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. The message, dated from the Vatican on 20 November 2011, Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ Universal King, has as its title Jesus' words to the leper from the Gospel of St. Luke: "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you".     Extracts from the English-language version of the message are given below.     "I wish to renew my spiritual closeness to all sick people, ... expressing to each one of them the solicitude and the affection of the whole Church. In the generous and loving welcoming of every human life, above all of weak and sick life, a Christian expresses an important aspect of his or her Gospel witness, following the example of Christ, Who bent down before the material and spiritual sufferings of man in order to heal them.     "I would like to place emphasis upon the 'Sacraments of healing', that is to say upon the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation and that of the Anointing of the Sick, which have their natural completion in Eucharistic Communion. The encounter of Jesus with the ten lepers, narrated by the Gospel of St. Luke, ... helps us to become aware of the importance of faith for those who, burdened by suffering and illness, draw near to the Lord. In their encounter with Him they can truly experience that he who believes is never alone! God, indeed, in His Son, does not abandon us to our anguish and sufferings, but is close to us, helps us to bear them, and wishes to heal us in the depths of our hearts.     "The faith of the lone leper who ... immediately went back to Jesus to express his gratitude, enables us to perceive that reacquired health is a sign of something more precious than mere physical healing, it is a sign of the salvation that God gives us through Christ; it finds expression in the words of Jesus: 'your faith has saved you'. He who in suffering and illness prays to the Lord is certain that God's love will never abandon him, and also that the love of the Church, the extension in time of the Lord's saving work, will never fail. Physical healing, an outward expression of the deepest salvation, thus reveals the importance that man - in his entirety of soul and body - has for the Lord".     "The tandem of physical health and renewal after lacerations of the soul thus helps us to understand better the 'Sacraments of healing'".     "The Sacrament of Penance ... consists in restoring us to God's grace, and joining with Him in an intimate friendship'".     "God, 'rich in mercy', like the father in the Gospel parable, does not close His heart to any of His children, but waits for them, looks for them. ... A time of suffering, in which one could be tempted to abandon oneself to discouragement and hopelessness, can thus be transformed into a time of grace so as to return to oneself, and like the prodigal son of the parable, to think anew about one's life, recognizing its errors and failures, longing for the embrace of the Father, and following the pathway to His home. He, in His great love, always and everywhere watches over our lives and awaits us so as to offer to every child that returns to Him the gift of full reconciliation and joy.     "From a reading of the Gospels it emerges clearly that Jesus always showed special concern for sick people. He not only sent out His disciples to tend their wounds but also instituted for them a specific Sacrament: the Anointing of the Sick. The Letter of James attests to the presence of this sacramental act already in the first Christian community: by the Anointing of the Sick, accompanied by the prayer of the elders, the whole of the Church commends the sick to the suffering and glorified Lord so that He may alleviate their sufferings and save them".     "This Sacrament deserves greater consideration today both in theological reflection and in pastoral ministry among the sick. Through a proper appreciation of the content of the liturgical prayers that are adapted to the various human situations connected with illness, and not only when a person is at the end of his or her life. ... Attention to and pastoral care for sick people, while, on the one hand, a sign of God's tenderness towards those who are suffering, on the other brings spiritual advantage to priests and the whole Christian community as well, in the awareness that what is done to the least, is done to Jesus Himself".     "The 'Sacraments of healing' ... are precious instruments of God's grace which help a sick person to conform himself or herself ever more fully to the mystery of the death and resurrection of Christ. Together with these two Sacraments, I would also like to emphasise the importance of the Eucharist. Received at a time of illness, it contributes in a singular way to working this transformation, associating the person who partakes of the Body and Blood of Christ to the offering that He made of Himself to the Father for the salvation of all. The whole ecclesial community, and parish communities in particular, should pay attention to guaranteeing the possibility of frequently receiving Holy Communion, to those people who, for reasons of health or age, cannot go to a place of worship".     "The Eucharist, especially as Viaticum, is - according to the definition of St. Ignatius of Antioch - 'medicine of immortality, the antidote for death'; the Sacrament of the passage from death to life, from this world to the Father, Who awaits everyone in the celestial Jerusalem.     "The theme of this Message for the Twentieth World Day of the Sick, 'Stand up and go; your faith has saved you', also looks forward to the forthcoming Year of Faith which will begin on 11 October 2012. ... I wish to encourage sick people and the suffering always to find a safe anchor in faith, nourished by listening to the Word of God, by personal prayer and by the Sacraments, while I invite pastors to be increasingly ready to celebrate them for the sick. ... Priests should be full of joy, attentive to the weakest, the simple and sinners, expressing the infinite mercy of God with reassuring words of hope.     "To all those who work in the field of health, and to the families who see in their relatives the suffering face of the Lord Jesus, I renew my thanks and that of the Church".     "[May] Mary, Mother of Mercy and Health of the Sick ... accompany and sustain the faith and the hope of every sick and suffering person on the journey of healing for the wounds of body and spirit! I assure you all of a remembrance in my prayers, and I bestow upon each one of you a special Apostolic Blessing". MESS/                                                                      VIS 20120104 (1190)   OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS   VATICAN CITY, 4 JAN 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father:    - Appointed Bishop Cirilo Flores, auxiliary of Orange in California, U.S.A., as coadjutor bishop of San Diego (area 22,942, population 3,118,990, Catholics 981,211, priests 319, permanent deacons 114, religious 384), U.S.A.    - Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of Los Angeles, U.S.A., presented by Bishop Gabino Zavala, in accordance with canons 411 and 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law. NEC:RE/                                                                  VIS 20120104 (80)

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[video] St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

The Lot of Mortals Reflection for 1/4/12 www.apostleshipofprayer.org More

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Three Resolutions

Dear Friend in Christ,

The new year means time to make some resolutions! Instead of focusing on the temporal, check out these resolutions that will help your eternal welfare. Please watch this episode of The Vortex and pass it on to as many people as you know.

GOD Bless you and your loved ones,

Michael Voris
~senior executive producer at RealCatholicTV.com

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TAKE FIVE FOR FAITH: Daily renewal for busy Catholics 1/3/2012

Citing of the Week

"Do we see predicaments so much that we fail to see the imprint of the Creator in the first place? Or will we look to the grace and gift that is in something, its strengths and new possibilities?"

--© Bryan Froehle, 2011, Pastoral Trends, PrepareTheWord.com

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via interspire.truequest.biz

What’s in a name?
How you talk about someone by name shows the regard—or lack of it—you have for them. God gave the Israelites the commandment: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” Honoring the name of God, though, means more than not using it casually. It also involves showing respect for whom the name represents. That there is a feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus should come as no surprise. Devotion to Jesus’ name goes back many centuries, and the Franciscan saints Bernardine of Siena and John of Capistrano helped to make it popular. Honoring the name honors Jesus the person and his presence in your everyday life.

TODAY’S READINGS: 1 John 2:29; John 1:29-34 (206)
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”

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[MaryVitamin] Holy Name

 

Mary Vitamin for January 3rd

 

Topic: The Holy Name of Jesus  (January 3)

 

Quote:

"Then the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High..."

Luke 1:30-32

 

Meditation:

Our Lady was the first to revere the Holy Name of Jesus. She began to do this as soon as the angel revealed the Sacred Name. All during the arduous journey into the hill country ofJudah, on her errand of charity, She kept the Sacred Name within Her heart. When Our Lady arrived at the house of Zecharias and greeted Elizabeth, Our Lady,  revealed the secret Her Immaculate heart pondered during the journey:

 

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord

And my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour

Holy is His name.

Magnificat Luke 1:46-55

 

Resolution:

 Today when I pray the rosary, I will take extra care in saying the Holy Name of Jesus. I will think of Our Lady in Her journey who said the Holy name of Jesus over and over again, lovingly and reverently.

 

Marian Vow:

 St. Isaac Jogues carved the Holy Name of Jesus into the trees around His mission house in upstate New York, in deference to the power of the Holy Name over the devils. By virtue of my Marian Vow, Our Lady Herself will etch the Holy Name upon my heart. I will ask for this grace in the rosary and remember my vow.

 

I give this resolution to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

 

Thanks be to God for graces received.

 

Related sites: Castle of the Immaculate & AirMaria

 

__._,_.___

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"In the new year, justice for the victims of the massacres in Orissa are needed"

ASIA/INDIA - Christians: "In the new year, justice for the victims of the massacres in Orissa are needed"

Bhubaneshwar (Agenzia Fides) - The new year should bring an important priority: justice for the victims of the anti-Christian massacres that occurred in Orissa: This is what the Indian Christians gathered in the All India Christian Council (AICC), an organization committed to the defense of rights of believers in India demand. Figures provided by the local Church in Orissa speak for

Location of Orissa in India. Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

themselves: more than 3,500 complaints presented after the massacres of 2008, 827 cases registered by the police. The number of final reports submitted to the courts after the surveys are 315 cases and those which "ended with a sentence" are only 68, with 412 people sentenced with a minimum punishment. The cases closed with an acquittal were 140 people and in all 1,900 were acquitted. The cases still awaiting trial, three years after the tragic events, are 304.
The figures say that "justice is still a huge problem for some 56,000 Christians for whom life has changed dramatically since August 2008", says John Dayal, AICC Executive Secretary in a statement sent to Fides. "Aggressors - he recalls - asked them to convert to Hinduism and burn a Bible as a sign. They did not do it and chose to escape. In 400villages the Christian presence was completely cancelled, more than 5,600 homes and about 295 churches were burned, hundreds of deaths, some women, including at least one nun, were raped".
Tension remains high in Orissa today, aggravated by the murder of a legal assistant, and former Catholic catechist, Rabindra Parichha, who was involved in then protection of witnesses. Violence continues: before Christmas, in the village of Bujlimendi, Kaleswar Digal's house, a 45-year-old Christian with a wife and three children, was burned down shortly after midnight. Now the 25 Christian families in the village with 100 houses live in fear.Rabindra Parichha is the third Christian leader to be killed in 2011, after the murder of two Protestant pastors, Saul Pradhan from Banjamaha (Raikia) and Minoketan Nayak from Midiakia (Baliguda).
According to eyewitnesses, Manoj Pradhan, a member of the 

Burnt down Christian church. Image via Wikipedia

legislative Assembly of the state of Orissa, and the first defendant in several cases of murder, went from one village to another instigating anti-social elements to "eliminate all the Christian leaders of Kandhamal". The police - the AICC denounces - is also deaf to the complaints of hate speech, that regularly occurr during demonstrations on behalf of Hindu extremist groups.
"The saddest thing in Orissa today is the lack of dispensation of justice, especially in the courts, where not a single person was previously convicted of murder, especially because the witnesses were forced to remain silent and the police presented little evidence, after shoddy investigation", concludes Dayal. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 02/01/2012)

 

Zemanta helped me add links & pictures to this email. It can do it for you too.

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Holy Name of Jesus [video]

The Name Above All Names Reflection for 1/3/12 www.apostleshipofprayer.org More

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Make sure you search for your mission in life.

via spiritdaily.com

USING THE GIFTS WE ARE GIVEN TO SERVE CAUSE OF GOD IS WHAT BRINGS US TRUE, LASTING PEACE

It takes prayer. We repeat this often. A new year is a good time to start it. Let this year be another step away from materialism. Use your gifts from God. Remember to never focus on money.
Often we see wealthy people and wonder why they have been so greatly “rewarded” for ventures that, in some cases, are purely selfish. On the surface it is almost miraculous. They have a power that we don’t. They can send their kids to the Ivy League. They can afford to travel whenever they feel the urge. Cars are toys to them. They seem to have it all. They don’t worry about paying the electric bill. It seems like a charmed life.
But when wealth has been achieved wrongly (at the expense of others), it is a burden, even a curse. When used for selfish purposes it puts us out of touch with the Plan of God, and the life of someone who is out of God’s plan is a life of “wonders” that are superficial. All of what we have and are belongs to God, and in some way must be made to serve Him. How we handle our money affects how much God will bless us. “If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth,” says Scripture, “who will trust you with true riches?”
Forget about trying to be a cross between holy and worldly.
When God reviews your life and asks what you have done, He won’t be very impressed if you say, “Well, I took the money and bought myself a mansion. I also bought myself a Bentley. I bought the largest yacht and parked it in front of another mansion that was my summer home.”
Can you imagine how God will respond to that, and how the billionaire will feel when the Lord explains that the money had been earmarked for God’s purposes? In Heaven, there are no "real housewives" who wallow in all the glitters. (The glamour of evil is purged in purgatory.)
Read more here: http://www.spiritdaily.com/Godmiraclesbaggage.htm

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[video] Anglicans Welcomed

Anglicans in the U.S welcomed to join the Catholic Church under a "Personal Ordinariate" More

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Christmas in Jail, on Mount Athos

Under arrest in Greece, the abbot of the most important monastery of the holy mountain. The patriarch of Moscow calls for his release. The patriarch of Constantinople is silent. The rivalry between the two rekindled by the voyage in Russia of a relic of the Virgin Mary 

by Sandro Magister

ROME, January 2, 2012 – A bitter Christmas on Mount Athos. Regular readers of www.chiesa are familiar with the holy mountain, since every year, on Pentecost, this site presents this account:

Read more here: http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1350134?eng=y

 

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VISnews 1/2/2012 POPE TO FAMILIES: STRENGTHEN THE FAITH IN YOUR HOMES

SUMMARY: 31 DECEMBER 2011 - 2 JANUARY 2012   - Pope to Families: Strengthen the Faith in Your Homes - Te Deum: Entrust Tragedies and Hopes of the World to God - Importance of Educating Young People in Justice and Peace - Angelus: Praying That the New Year May Be a Time of Peace - Other Pontifical Acts   ___________________________________________________________   POPE TO FAMILIES: STRENGTHEN THE FAITH IN YOUR HOMES   VATICAN CITY, 31 DEC 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father has sent a message to Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, archbishop of Madrid, Spain, for the Feast of the Holy Family. The message, dated 27 December, was read out yesterday at the beginning of a Mass for families celebrated by Cardinal Rouco Varela in Madrid's Plaza de Colon.     "I invite everyone to consider this celebration as a continuation of Christmas", the Pope writes. "Jesus became man in order to bring the world the goodness and love of God, and He did so in that place where human beings are most disposed to want the best for others, ready to do anything for them and to place love above all other interests. ... The family is, so to speak, the door by which the Saviour of humankind entered the world. At the same time it gives domestic love and communion the greatness of being a special reflection of the Trinitarian mystery of God.     "This greatness is also a splendid and decisive vocation for families", the Holy Father adds. "I encourage you ... to be aware that God is at your side and to invoke Him always so as to ensure He gives you the help you need to overcome your difficulties; this help is certain and has its foundation in the grace of the Sacrament of Marriage. Allow yourselves to be guided by the Church, which Christ entrusted with the mission of spreading the good news of salvation down the centuries, and do not surrender to the many worldly powers threatening the great treasure of the family, which you must protect day after day".     "It is in the family that we learn to live together, that faith is transmitted, values are strengthened and freedom is channelled to ensure that one day children will be fully aware of their own vocation and dignity, and that of others. The warmth of the home and domestic example can teach much more than words can say. This educational dimension of the family may receive particular encouragement in the Year of Faith, due to begin in a few months time. For this reason, I invite you to revitalise the faith in your homes and to become increasingly aware of the Creed we profess".     "I pray to God ... that (young people) may not cease to thank Him for the gift of the family, that they may be grateful to their parents and undertake to defend and promote the authentic dignity of this institution, so vital for society and the Church". MESS/                                                                                                         VIS 20120102 (440)   TE DEUM: ENTRUST TRAGEDIES AND HOPES OF THE WORLD TO GOD   VATICAN CITY, 31 DEC 2011 (VIS) - In the Vatican Basilica at 5 p.m. today, the Pop Image via Wikipedia e presided at first Vespers for the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God. This was followed by the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the singing of the traditional "Te Deum" of thanksgiving for the conclusion of the year, and the Eucharistic blessing.     Extracts from Benedict XVI's homily are given below:     "Another year is drawing to a close, as we await the start of a new one: with some trepidation, with our perennial desires and expectations. Reflecting on our life experience, we are continually astonished by how ultimately short and ephemeral life is. So we often find ourselves asking: what meaning can we give to our days? What meaning, in particular, can we give to the days of toil and grief? This is a question that ... runs through the heart of every generation and every individual. But there is an answer: it is written on the face of a Child Who was born in Bethlehem two thousand years ago, and is today the Living One, risen for ever from the dead. From within the fabric of humanity, rent asunder by so much injustice, wickedness and violence, there bursts forth in an unforeseen way the joyful and liberating novelty of Christ our Saviour, Who leads us to contemplate the goodness and tenderness of God through the mystery of His Incarnation and Birth".     "Since the Day of the Lord's Nativity, the fullness of time has reached us. So there is no more room for anxiety in the face of time that passes, never to return; now there is room for unlimited trust in God, by Whom we know we are loved. ... Since the Saviour came down from heaven, man has ceased to be the slave of time that passes to no avail, marked by toil, sadness and pain. Man is son of a God Who has entered time so as to redeem it from meaninglessness and negativity, a God Who has redeemed all humanity, giving it everlasting love as a new perspective of life.     "The Church lives and professes this truth and intends to proclaim it today with fresh spiritual vigour. ... Christ's disciples are called to reawaken in themselves and in others the longing for God and the joy of living Him and bearing witness to Him. ... We must give primacy to truth, seeing the combination of faith and reason as two wings with which the human spirit can rise to the contemplation of the Truth; we must ensure that the dialogue between Christianity and modern culture bears fruit; we must see to it that the beauty and contemporary relevance of the faith is rediscovered, ... as a constant orientation, affecting even the simplest choices, establishing a profound unity within the person, so that he becomes just, hard-working, generous and good. What is needed is to give new life to a faith that can serve as a basis for a new humanism, one that is able to generate culture and social commitment".     "To proclaim faith in the Word made flesh is ... at the heart of the Church's mission, and the entire ecclesial community needs to rediscover this indispensable task with renewed missionary zeal. Young generations have an especially keen sense of the present disorientation, magnified by the crisis in economic affairs which is also a crisis of values, and so they in particular need to recognise in Jesus Christ 'the key, the centre and the purpose of the whole of human history'".     "Ever since God sent His only-begotten Son, so that we might obtain adoptive sonship, we can have no greater task than to be totally at the service of God's plan".     "'Te Deum laudamus!' We praise you, O God! The Church suggests that we should not end the year without expressing our thanks to the Lord for all His benefits. It is in God that our last hour must come to a close, the last hour of time and history. To overlook this goal of our lives would be to fall into the void, to live without meaning. Hence the Church places on our lips the ancient hymn 'Te Deum'. It is a hymn filled with the wisdom of many Christian generations, who feel the need to address on high their heart's desires, knowing that all of us are in the Lord's merciful hands".     "With hearts full of thanksgiving, let us prepare to cross the threshold of 2012, remembering that the Lord is watching over us and guarding us. To Him this evening we wish to entrust the whole world. Let us place in His hands the tragedies of this world and let us also offer Him our hopes for a brighter future". HML/                                                                                                VIS 20120102 (810)   IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATING YOUNG PEOPLE IN JUSTICE AND PEACE   VATICAN CITY, 1 JAN 2012 (VIS) - In the Vatican Basilica this morning, Benedict XVI presided at a Eucharistic celebration for the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God. The Mass was concelebrated by Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B.; Cardinal Peter Kodwo Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace; Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciu, substitute for General Affairs; Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States; Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, and Bishop Mario Toso S.D.B., secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. The ceremony also marked today's forty-fifth World Day of Peace, which has as its theme: "Educating Young People in Justice and Peace".     Extracts from Benedict XVI's homily are given below:     "On the first day of the year, the liturgy resounds in the Church throughout the world with the ancient priestly blessing that we heard during today's first reading: 'The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace'. ... In order to be blessed, we have to stand in God's presence, take His Name upon us and remain ... in a space lit up by His gaze, diffusing grace and peace".     "The shepherds of Bethlehem had ... the experience of standing in God's presence, they received His blessing ... in a stable, before a 'babe lying in a manger'. From this child, a new light issues forth, shining in the darkness of the night. ... Henceforth, it is from Him that blessing comes, from His name - Jesus, meaning 'God saves' - and from His human face, in which God, the almighty Lord of heaven and earth, chose to become incarnate, concealing His glory under the veil of our flesh, so as to reveal fully to us His goodness.     "The first to be swept up by this blessing was Mary the virgin. ... Her whole life was spent in the light of the Lord, within the radius of His name and of the face of God incarnate in Jesus, the 'blessed fruit of her womb'. ... The mystery of her divine motherhood that we celebrate today contains in superabundant measure the gift of grace that all human motherhood bears within it. ... The Mother of God is the first of the blessed, and it is she who bears the blessing; she is the woman who received Jesus into herself and brought Him forth for the whole human family".     "Mary is the mother and model of the Church. ... The Church also participates in the mystery of divine motherhood, through preaching, which sows the seed of the Gospel throughout the world, and through the Sacraments, which communicate grace and divine life to men. ... Like Mary, the Church is the mediator of God's blessing for the world: she receives it in receiving Jesus and she transmits it in bearing Jesus. He is the mercy and the peace that the world, of itself, cannot give, and which it needs always, at least as much as bread".   Jesus Christ, the path of peace     "The Church too, on the first day of the year, invokes this supreme good in a special way; she does so, like the Virgin Mary, by revealing Jesus to all, for as St. Paul says, 'He is our peace', and at the same time the 'way' by which individuals and peoples can reach this goal to which we all aspire".     "'Educating Young People in Justice and Peace' is a task for every generation, and thanks be to God, after the tragedies of the two great world wars, the human family has shown increasing awareness of it, as we can witness, on the one hand, from international statements and initiatives, and on the other, from the emergence among young people themselves, in recent decades, of many different forms of social commitment in this field. For the ecclesial community, educating men and women in peace is part of the mission received from Christ, it is an integral part of evangelisation, because the Gospel of Christ is also the Gospel of justice and peace".     "In the face of the shadows that obscure the horizon of today's world, to assume responsibility for educating young people in knowledge of the truth, in fundamental values and virtues, is to look to the future with hope. And in this commitment to a holistic education, formation in justice and peace has a place. Boys and girls today are growing up in a world that has, so to speak, become smaller, where contacts between different cultures and traditions, even if not always direct, are constant. For them, now more than ever, it is indispensable to learn the importance and the art of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, dialogue and understanding. Young people by their nature are open to these attitudes, but the social reality in which they grow up can lead them to think and act in the opposite way, even to be intolerant and violent. Only a solid education of their consciences can protect them from these risks and make them capable of carrying on the fight, depending always and solely on the power of truth and good. This education begins in the family and is developed at school and in other formative experiences. It is essentially about helping infants, children and adolescents to develop a personality that combines a profound sense of justice with respect for their neighbour, with a capacity to address conflicts without arrogance, with the inner strength to bear witness to good, even when it involves sacrifice, with forgiveness and reconciliation. Thus they will be able to become people of peace and builders of peace.     "In this task of educating young generations, a particular responsibility lies with religious communities. Every pathway of authentic religious formation guides the person, from the most tender age, to know God, to love Him and to do His will. God is love, He is just and peaceable, and anyone wishing to honour Him must first of all act like a child following his father's example. ... In God, justice and mercy come together perfectly, as Jesus showed us through the testimony of His life. ... Jesus is a way that can be travelled, open to everyone. He is the path of peace. Today the Virgin Mary points Him out to us, she shows us the Way: let us walk in it!". HML/                                                                                                VIS 20120102 (1090)   ANGELUS: PRAYING THAT THE NEW YEAR MAY BE A TIME OF PEACE   VATICAN CITY, 1 JAN 2012 (VIS) - At the end of this morning's Mass for the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, Benedict XVI appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to pray the Angelus with faithful and pilgrims gathered below in St. Peter's Square.     "The Face of God ... was revealed in Jesus", he said in his remarks to them. "He is the visible image of the invisible God, thanks also to the Virgin Mary whom we celebrate today under her most exalted title, by virtue of which she plays a unique role in the history of salvation: Mother of God. In her womb the Son of the Most High took on our flesh, that we might contemplate His glory and feel His presence as God-with-us.     "Thus do we begin the new year 2012 with our gaze fixed on the Face of God, revealed in the Child of Bethlehem, and on His Mother Mary, who with humble submission accepted the divine plan", the Pope added. "Thanks to her generous 'yes' the true light which enlightens everyone came into the world, and the path of peace was reopened".     "Today we celebrate the forty-fifth World Day of Peace", he went on. "In my message, which has as its theme 'Educating Young People in Justice and Peace' and is addressed to heads of State, leaders of nations and all men and women of good will, I underline the importance of giving young generations an adequate education in order to ensure the integral formation of the person, including the moral and spiritual dimension, ... and the values of justice and peace".     "I invite everyone to have the patience and constancy to seek out justice and peace, to cultivate a taste for what is just and true. Peace is never a quality that can be fully achieved, but a goal to which we must all aspire and for which we must all work".     "Let us pray that the leaders of nations may renew their willingness and commitment to accept and support this irrepressible desire of humanity. We entrust these hopes to the intercession of the Mother of the 'King of Peace', that the year now beginning may be a time of hope and of peaceful coexistence for the whole world".     Following the Angelus, Benedict XVI greeted pilgrims in various languages, expressing his thanks for the many expressions of good wishes he had received over this period, and his appreciation for the prayers for today's World Day of Peace. ANG/                                                                                                VIS 20120102 (440)   OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS   VATICAN CITY, 1 JAN 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Jeffrey Steenson as the first ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter. The Ordinariate was today erected on the territory of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, under the terms of the Apostolic Constitution "Anglicanorum coetibus".     On Saturday 31 December it was made public that the Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Lublin, Poland, presented by Bishop Ryszard Karpinski, upon having reached the age limit. NA:RE/                                                                                            VIS 20120102 (110)

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TAKE FIVE FOR FAITH: Daily renewal for busy Catholics 1/2/2012

Citing of the Week

"Do we see predicaments so much that we fail to see the imprint of the Creator in the first place? Or will we look to the grace and gift that is in something, its strengths and new possibilities?"

--© Bryan Froehle, 2011, Pastoral Trends, PrepareTheWord.com

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Monday, January 2
FEAST OF BASIL THE GREAT AND GREGORY NAZIANZEN, BISHOPS, DOCTORS OF THE CHURCH

There is strength in numbers
After finishing his education, Saint Basil went on a tour of the desert dwelling places of the first Christian hermits. While he admired their holiness, it seemed like a good idea to him for such people to have a common life together, sharing work, study, and prayer in obedience to a superior. So when he was done with his trip, he and his friend Saint Gregory began what was one of the first monastic communities. Basil recognized long ago that two—or more—Christians can do more than one. Your local church community offers many ways to participate in the living Body of Christ.

TODAY’S READINGS: 1 John 2:22-28; John 1:19-28 (205)
“Now, children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence.”

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Our Lady's 2nd of the Month Message 1/2/2012

via medjugorje.com

The following is Our Lady of Medjugorje's January 2, 2012 monthly message on the day for nonbelievers through Mirjana:

"Dear children; As with motherly concern I look in your hearts, in them I see pain and suffering; I see a wounded past and an incessant search; I see my children who desire to be happy but do not know how. Open yourselves to the Father. That is the way to happiness, the way by which I desire to lead you. God the Father never leaves His children alone, especially not in pain and despair. When you comprehend and accept this, you will be happy. Your search will end. You will love and you will not be afraid. Your life will be hope and truth which is my Son. Thank you. I implore you, pray for those whom my Son has chosen. Do not judge because you will all be judged."

Mirjana said that Our Lady was very decided today.

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Catholic Prayer Life Daily Reflections

Jan 2, Daily Reflections On Scripture Readings That Will Nourish Your Soul Short daily reflections have been posted for this week. Read these daily Catholic reflections on scripture readings, much like a devotional.

Jan 2, God Is So Great & Good I am so grateful and only God knows what I need and he really provides and has always been with me in all my trials and tribulations. He granted me very

Jan 1, Prayer Requests New Prayer Requests here. Be sure to leave your prayer requests as well. All who visit can pray for you and your prayer intentions.

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[video] Spiritual Exercises

The Work of the Holy Spirit Reflection for 1/2/12 www.apostleshipofprayer.org More

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Mary TV Daily Reflection 1/2/2012

(c)Mary TV 2011 Granddaughter Emelia's Baptism in September!

January 2, 2012 St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen   Dear Family of Mary!   "Dear children! Also today, in my arms I am carrying my Son Jesus to you, for Him to give you His peace. Pray, little children, and witness so that in every heart, not human but God's peace may prevail, which no one can destroy. It is that peace in the heart which God gives to those whom He loves. By your Baptism you are all, in a special way, called and loved, therefore witness and pray that you may be my extended hands to this world which yearns for God and peace. Thank you for having responded to my call." (December 25, 2011)   This message is so beautiful. I am especially intrigued by Our Lady's reference to our Baptism, and that we are called and loved in Baptism. It may be that many of us who are baptized really take our Baptism for granted. Many of us were baptized as little babies. We were anointed and washed in the waters of Baptism but our parents and God parents made all the promises for us at that time. We may not even hear the words of consecration and promise until we go to our own children's Baptisms. But we truly are called at Baptism.   God calls us into His family at Baptism. We are made adopted sons and daughters of the Father, through the redemption of Christ. It is a call from the Father addressed to each of us individually. We are called to live our lives in communion with the Trinity through Baptism. What an invitation!   In the Catechism of the Catholic Church I found a quote from St. Gregory Nazianzen about Baptism. Since it is his feast day today, let's listen to his words about Baptism:    "Baptism is God's most beautiful and magnificent gift...We call it gift, grace, anointing, enlightenment, garment of immortality, bath of rebirth, seal, and most precious gift. It is calledgift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own; grace since it is given even to the guilty; Baptism because sin is buried in the water; anointing for it is priestly and royal as are those who are anointed; enlightenment because it radiates light; clothing since it veils our shame; bath because it washes; and seal as it is our guard and the sign of God's Lordship." (St. Gregory of Nasiansuz, Oratio 40, 3-4; PG36, 351C)   Each of these titles tell us something of the call we receive in Baptism. We are called to receive the gift of salvation from God. We are called to accept the grace of forgiveness even while we are still in sin. We are called to be buried in the water and rise again. We are called to be anointed as priestly people. We are called to be bathed in Jesus' blood, which washes us clean. We are called to be sealed with the promise of God through Jesus Christ! We are called to be the most blessed of people on earth, called into the Family of God!   May we enter 2012 with the joy of this radical and fundamental call from God, the call to be His own children!   In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan

 

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January - dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus

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J.M.J.

Novena to the Holy Name of Jesus
Second Day.
Sweetness of the Name of Jesus

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(Taken from "The Incarnation Birth and Infancy of Jesus Christ" by
St. Alphonsus Liguori)

 Consider, devout soul, that there is no name in the world that is
equal to the name of Jesus in sweetness. "Nothing is sweeter to
chant," says St. Bernard, "nothing more agreeable to hear, nothing
more charming to think of, than the name of Jesus, the Son of God"
(Office of the Holy Name). To preach it, is to give light to the
understanding, is to inflame the will; to think of it, is to feed the
soul, is to excite its fervor; to call on it, is to win grace and
unction. In fact, we see that if a Christian find himself weighed
down by sadness, whether through the artifice of our common enemy or
in consequence of some misfortune that has befallen him, as soon as
the name of Jesus passes from his heart to his tongue, by the light
of this divine name, darkness is dispersed, the mind becomes calm,
the heart strengthened, the faculties brighten up, and everything
returns to life. This is the reason why St. Paul, as soon as he
received from the divine Word himself the commission to publish His
glorious name, began to repeat it so often, not only in his
discourses, but also in the Epistles that he addressed to the
Corinthians, Galatians, Colossians, Hebrews, and to all other
nations. He knew by experience how sweet is the name of Jesus, what
is its virtue to dispel the darkness of error and bring back men to
the happy paths of perfect belief. Oh, how happy shall we be if in
all our trials, on all sorrowful occasions, we take care to invoke
the glorious name of Jesus, and while invoking it with our lips to

Image by angelofsweetbitter2009 via Flickr

consecrate our hearts to it! Then our soul will taste an ineffable
sweetness, which we can never find here below.

 Most amiable Jesus, Thou art the master of the angels, the Creator
of the world, the sovereign of the universe. Thou art my Lord and my
God ("Dominus meus et Deus meus." -- John , xx. 28.). I thank Thee
for having wished to take this most holy name for our consolation,
for our encouragement, and for our salvation; and as, in this valley
of tears, we have recourse in our needs to Thy glorious name by
sweetly invoking it, grant that we may finish our lives in peace
while saying, Live Jesus! Live our Saviour!

----------------------------

"Respect His Holy Name" cards are available in our Store
(http://olrl.org/mm5/merchant.mvc) for 2 cents ea. Order a good
quantity to distribute this month of January -- dedicated to the Most
Holy Name of Jesus!

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January 1, 2012 Monthly Message

via dfot.infusionsoft.com

On the first of every month, our Lord gives Anne a new message about His call to service.

January 1, 2012

Jesus

May the peace of heaven continually surround each of my beloved apostles. My friends, there are times when the peace of heaven must pursue you, because, despite its best efforts, you elude peace. My peace then follows you, waiting for you to pause long enough to accept it. When you bring yourself into My presence, then My peace can absorb you and saturate you so that where you go, it can follow. If you are alert to Me, you will see that others are blessed by Me through you. Dear apostles, please accept that this is happening and be reverent about what I am seeking to do. Are you with Me in this effort of renewal? Do you seriously consider that I am determined to bring light to others through you? If you will accept this more fully, I can work more freely. If you move too quickly through your days, convinced that you are not achieving as many actions and tasks as you would like, then you may be missing what is obvious to heaven, that is, that you are surrounded by grace and protected by light. When you rest into this reality, you will see how effectively I am serving the world through you. Truly, I am loving people and comforting them through your soul because each day, Heaven moves into the world through the souls of those who are willing to serve. Allow Me please, to continue, and allow Me please, to sustain you personally. It is not My plan that you become dispirited and hopeless. It is My plan that if you suffer, you suffer peacefully, confident about My presence in your cross. I want you to work calmly, confident of My effectiveness in your work. You must be brave enough to love completely, confident of the benefit the world feels because of your decision to serve Me in whatever place you have found yourself on each day. Rejoice, dear apostles. Look forward with Me to greater holiness. I will protect My plan for you, but you must make a decision to accept heaven's peace.

Direction for Our Times

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Pope's Angelus Message Today

You need to be patient and constant to achieve peace "It is hard to fully achieve peace, but it is a goal to which we all must aspire to and for which we must all work." That was Pope Benedicts reflection at the Angelus on Sunday. On the day when the Church celebrates the greatest title of Virgin Mary, Mother of God, the Pope recalled that "thanks to her generous 'yes' there appeared in the world the true light that enlightens every man." And it is 'thanks to this humble girl that we can contemplate the face of God who has revealed himself in Jesus. The Pope invited all "to have the patience and perseverance to seek justice and peace, and to cultivate a taste for what is right and true. " Pope Benedict also addressed a special thought to young people ... More

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TAKE FIVE FOR FAITH: Daily renewal for busy Catholics 1/1/2012

Citing of the Week

"Do we see predicaments so much that we fail to see the imprint of the Creator in the first place? Or will we look to the grace and gift that is in something, its strengths and new possibilities?"

--© Bryan Froehle, 2011, Pastoral Trends, PrepareTheWord.com

Promote vocations

Send spiritual seekers to VisionGuide.org or VocationMatch.com for more inspiration and information.

Sign up others
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Take Five Daily

Know others who would enjoy Take Five Daily? Send them to the sign up page or feel free to sign them up yourself. They can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of each day's reflection.

 

 

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Sunday, January 1
SOLEMNITY OF MARY, THE MOTHER OF GOD

Make a free and fresh beginning
Turning a new page on the calendar always invites a fresh perspective—even more so when it’s a brand new calendar! So lose your chains. You’re invited today to let go of the old year, both “what we have done” and “what we have failed to do.” Time to give and receive pardon for offenses. Time to craft resolutions and adopt new habits. Time to become people of justice and peace. On this eighth and final day of Christmas, accept the gift of your true identity: a free child of God, heir to a land of relentless hope.

TODAY’S READINGS: Numbers 6:22-27; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21 (18)
“You are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.”

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Happy New Year! Mary TV Daily Reflection 1/1/2012

January 1, 2012

Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

 

Dear Family,

 

"Dear children! I, your Mother, love you and wish to urge you to prayer. I am tireless, dear children, and I am calling you even then, when you are far away from my heart. I am a Mother, and even though I feel pain for each one who goes astray, I forgive easily and am happy for every child who returns to me. Thank you for having responded to my call."(November 14, 1985)

 

This beautiful feast gives us a chance to thank the Father for giving us such a beautiful Mother! We can also thank Jesus for sharing her with us! And of course, we must thank the Holy Spirit for making it all possible! What a beautiful God we have!!!

 

Truly, it is our greatest joy to live every day with our Mother, Mary! She is tireless because her love is endless. As her children, we can rely on her love in all situations. Our hearts can rest in the knowledge that she is always with us, praying for us, loving us, and compassionating with us.

 

Thanks be to God for giving us such a Mother!

 

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

Cathy Nolan

 

PS. This is New Year's Day, and many of us have the tradition to pick a saint for the New Year to accompany us on our journey. We have posted a list of saints on our website,http://www.marytv.tv/MaryTV/saints-list. If you click on the PDF link you can print it out and cut up and put into a container. The family then can pray and draw a saint for the year from the container. It is wonderful to have such a companion!

 

Have a wonderful New Year!! Blessings and love to all!

 

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Happy New Year [video] The Mother of Peace

The Mother of Peace Reflection for 1/1/12 www.apostleshipofprayer.org More

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