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On the Feast of the Holy Family, December 29, 2013, Pope Francis invited all Catholics to pray for families as the Church prepares for an Extraordinary Synod to examine the troubling disconnect between Church teaching and the reality of modern family life. In his  Angelus address  given to the crowds in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis recited for the first time his new Prayer to the Holy Family. (Full text available  here .) The prayer seeks the help of the Holy Family while at the same time revealing Pope Francis' vision of the family as it is and as it could be. It paints an ideal portrait of family life and yet acknowledges the severe difficulties faced by many. It concludes with a heart-felt petition for the renewal of the sacredness and inviolability of the family. Pope Francis' prayer is a short primer on the theology of the family and deserves careful contemplation. Let's see what he says. The Splendor of True Love Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in you we cont...

Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning  from the sky ."  Luke 10:18  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We know that the devil's sin was pride that caused him to fall for all time.  Let us examine this.  Lucifer is an Angelic intelligence.  Before the fall he was constantly before the face of God, so he knew God, and he knew all God's attributes.  Lucifer knew that God's justice was perfect, if God said it was so, it was right and just. Lucifer new that the will of God was perfect, that if God willed something it was perfect and right.  Lucifer knew God and he knew the love of God.  Yes, God loved Lucifer, His light bearer. The angels have free will just like we do, the danger came when in being God's light bearer, that Lucifer saw himself as having the attributes of God.  He thought because he bore the light, he was the light.  Lucifer also thought God could not do without him.  Lucifer was the light bearer, only ...

Annunciation , El Greco, painted 1596-1600 Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel Luke 1:26-38 (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. He went in and said to her, 'Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.' She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, 'Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.' Mary said to the angel, 'But how can ...