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Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee , Rembrandt, 1633, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston [ Web Gallery of Art ] We begin Year C, which highlights St Luke's Gospel. Gospel Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 (New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, Canada) Jesus said to his disciples “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of

Christ Healing the Blind , Nicolas  Colombel,1682 [ Web Gallery ]   Gospel Mark 10:46-52 (NRSV, CatholicEdition, Can) They came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. +++ Fr John Burger is an American Columban served as a member

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (6 April 1901 - 4 July 1925) Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all. Gospel   Mark 9:30-37  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Can,)  They went on from there and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone  to know it;   for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.”   But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him. Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?”   But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest.   He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”   Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them

+JMJ+ AMDG "Dear young people, you bring us the joy of Faith and you tell us that we must live the Faith with a young heart." ~ Pope Francis Bl Chiara "Luce" Badano Blessed Chiara died in 1990 at the age of eighteen from a form of bone cancer.  When she was diagnosed with the illness, she united her sufferings to Christ's Passion, declaring quietly, "It's for You, Jesus; if You want it, I want it, too."  She fought her illness for two years, always smiling and comforting others ~ truly radiating Christ. When asked how her eyes were so luminous, she responded simply, "I try to love Jesus as much as I can." Before her death, Chiara told her mother, "Y oung people…they are the future. You see, I can’t run anymore, but how I would like to pass on to them the torch, like in the Olympics! Young people have only one life and it’s worthwhile to spend it well." "Verso l'alto" - "ever higher" &qu

I have always loved the writings of our Holy Father. In fact, I just bought his I nfancy Narratives as an audiobook. I wish that those who criticize the man  - within our Church as well as outside the Church - would read his words without preconception. Keep Reading...

With the upcoming October 7th announcement that Pope Benedict XVI will pronounce that 12th century German mystic St. Hildegard of Bingen is a doctor of the church—as well as announcing that same honor being bestowed upon St. John of Avila—there is a renewed interest in the understanding of “mysticism” with our church. The church’s history with mystics actually goes back to the Jewish roots of the faith. Mysticism itself can best be explained as man’s need to connect with God in ways that transcend his mere day-to-day experiences. Man wants to know God intimately, deeply, privately—to fill that place within his heart which God created for His own indwelling. St. Augustine perfectly captured this earthly feeling when he said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest with Thee.” Augustine’s life (354-386), as told in his Confessions, reflects the ways in which man experiences earthly restlessness and pursues Divine intimacy.  Jewish mysticism, which dates back thousands of years, has a

Pope Benedict's Prayer Intentions for August 2012 General Intention Prisoners.   That prisoners may be treated with justice and respect for their human dignity. Missionary Intention Youth Witness to Christ.   That young people, called to follow Christ, may be willing to proclaim and bear witness to the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Posted by  Fr Seán Coyle  at  11:46      

Pope Benedict's Prayer Intentions for July 2012 From the  website  of the Apostleship of  Prayer General Intention - Work Security   That everyone may have work in safe and secure conditions. Mission Intention - Christian Volunteers That Christian volunteers in mission territories may witness to the love of Christ.

The Daughters of St Paul are a religious congregation with a particular mission to evanglising through the media. In the past, this has been typically the print media and then audio-visual media. Nowadays it includes the electronic media. One of their sisters in the United States has a blog which reflects their engagement with electronic media:  Windows to the Soul Blog . I have in the past found it an interesting blog because of posts offering reviews of films or observations about how films, sometimes unexpected films, provide a way of exploring questions of a spiritual nature. Another of their sisters has written a reflection on silence to mark the World Communications Day: The Sounding Silence . I was particularly taken by this paragraph, referring to Pope Benedict's message 2012 World Communications Day entitled Silence and Word: Path for Evangelisation : The Pope wrote exclusively about silence as it relates to interpersonal communication and the sharing of “advice, ideas

Toward the end of my daily commute to work, as I head 40 miles an hour down a state highway,  I have often seen a white Volvo parked at the edge of a driveway, its motor running and lights on. I often wondered if it was a unmarked police car. But then again, what police officers do you know who drive Volvo cruisers? Then, one day I was running late and a school bus stopped just before the driveway. I stopped too. A little girl got out of the Volvo, the bus drove off and then her father drove out the driveway. Mystery revealed. Dad waits with his daughter in the car until the bus comes, then heads off to work. These family rituals are so important. Our family now consists of two working parents and two busy teenagers. (Boys who do not like their pictures taken) Long gone are the days when my husband and I would load our sons, in their pajamas, into the double stroller and walk to the ice cream parlor for an evening treat. Gone too, are the days when our so

Today the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury will visit with Pope Benedict in Rome. Let us pray for them and for a fruitful meeting that helps the cause of Christian unity. The following is part of a speech that Archbishop Rowan Williams gave when Pope Benedict visited him in London in 2010: Our task as bishops is to preach the Gospel and shepherd the flock of Christ; and this includes the responsibility not only to feed but also to protect it from harm. Today, this involves a readiness to respond to the various trends in our cultural environment that seek to present Christian faith as both an obstacle to human freedom and a scandal to human intellect. We need to be clear that the Gospel of the new creation in Jesus Christ is the door through which we enter into true liberty and true understanding: we are made free to be human as God intends us to be human; we are given the illumination that helps us see one another and all created things in the light of divine love and intellige

General Intention - Contribution of Women That the whole world may recognize the contribution of women to the development of society. Weaving a Dream By Mercy B. Gawason The author is a young Subanen who works with Subanen Crafts . She and her companions at Subanen Crafts recently visited Negros Occidental and dropped by the Misyon editorial office in Bacolod City. The word 'Subanen' means 'people of the river'. The Subanens live in the mountains of western Mindanao. This article is in the March-April 2012 issue of Misyon , the online magazine I edit for the Columbans in the Philippines . . . Mission Intention - Persecuted Christians That the Holy Spirit may grant perseverance to those who suffer discrimination, persecution, or death for the name of Christ, particularly in Asia. 'I only want a place at the feet of Jesus' Clement Shahbaz Bhatti (9 September 1968 - 2 March 2011) The first anniversary of the assassination of Clement Shahbaz Bhatti in

How do we hand down faith? Do members of our families get together for dinner, quickly eat their food, and scamper off to watch something on television or hop on the computer, never to be seen again until bedtime? Or do we sit down to eat, and have leisurely conversations about important subjects and share what we did today? Maybe even sitting and talking long after the plates are empty. Around our house, nights like this are relished, but not always our reality. Today, the Holy Father, had a message for  parents and godparents of 16 babies he baptized, and that message was the importance of education. "To educate is a very challenging mission, said the Pope, and it is sometimes difficult for our limited human capacities." "But he added, “education becomes a wonderful mission if it is done in partnership with God, who is the first true educator of every man." "With prayer and the Sacraments, said Pope Benedict, parents will be able to discern the most

Our parish priests are taking Pope Benedict XVI up on his invitation: " I would like then to invite Christians, confidently and with an informed and responsible creativity, to join the network of relationships which the digital era has made possible. This is not simply to satisfy the desire to be present, but because this network is an integral part of human life. The web is contributing to the development of new and more complex intellectual and spiritual horizons, new forms of shared awareness." A case in point: This morning I didn't go to daily Mass; instead my family walked over to the high school and watched alumni men and women play their annual soccer games. It's a glorious day. When I returned home, these photos were posted on my parish's facebook page with this note: "Stay tuned for the Blessing of the New Roman Missals, at all Sunday Masses this weekend." Read more here...

' For many years I've had some involvement with persons with disabilities. Last Sunday I officiated at a wedding for two Deaf people. I regularly celebrate Sunday Mass in Sign Language. I'm not very good in that language and find conversations difficult, since I'm poor at reading signs. I've asked a number of experienced interpreters and their experience has been similar to mine. When you are learning a spoken language you reach a point when you can understand far more than you can express. With Sign Language it is the opposite. I've also been on the fringes of Faith and Life for many years. It is a movement, born from a pilgrimage to Lourdes in 1871, that is made up of 'communities made up of persons with an intellectual disability, their families and friends, particularly young friends, who meet together on a regular basis in a Christian spirit, to share friendship, pray together, fiesta and celebrate life'. San José Foundation More here .  

I came across a beautiful article written by Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York; I just had to share it. In the article the Archbishop tells of a story he read about an Episcopal parish in Maryland that decided to accept Pope Benedict XVI's invitation to reunite with Rome. When the pastor of the parish was asked why he accepted the invitation, the pastor responded: "It is our desire to be reunited with the Successor of St. Peter, the Bishop of Rome, Pope Benedict XVI." What a wonderful tribute to this pope and to the Papal Office itself. I also agree with Archbishop Dolan~how nice it is to see something positive written about the Church in the local mainstream press!  Thank you, Holy Father for your priesthood and your papacy. You can read the full article by Archbishop Dolan here .

"We know that even the smallest force of love is greater than the greatest destructive force and can transform the world" Pope Benedict XVI

Holly's post yesterday, Today is a big day for Pope Benedict XVI , prompted me to post the video above. Father Aedan McGrath, featured in the video, loved gadgets and would have been thrilled to know that on the 60th anniversary of the bird's trilling during the ordination of Fr Joseph Ratzinger he, now Pope Benedict XVI, 'tweeted' . I'm still not sure what tweeting is all about and what part it has to play in genuine communication but I'm delighted that the Holy Father sees the importance of using modern forms of communication to spread the Gospel. There is nothing superstitious about seeing incidents such as the bird trilling at the Pope's ordination as a blessing from God. There are many stories from the lives of great Irish monastic saints such as St Columban(us), St Columcille (Columba) and many more that show how all of God's creatures have their part to play in praising him. And we mustn't forget St Francis. St Martin de Porres had the

“The most important moment of my life,” he recalls—sixty years ago, 29 June 1951, Joseph Ratzinger was ordained a priest. ~ “We were more than forty candidates, who, at the solemn call on that radiant summer day, which I remember as the high point of my life, responded Adsum , Here I am. We should not be superstitious; but, at that moment when the elderly archbishop laid his hands on me, a little bird—perhaps a lark—flew up from the high altar in the cathedral and trilled a little joyful song. And I could not but see in this a reassurance from on high, as if I heard the words ‘This is good, you are on the right way.’” I know you’ll join me in offering Pope Benedict XVI our best wishes on the 60th anniversary of his priestly ordination.  Here are a few tidbits about Pope Benedict XVI you may not know.  Did you also know about the Pope's historic Tweet ?  Sixty years later and now it's the Pope who's doing the tweeting... Source: The VA.NEWS

Pope Benedict calls Eucharist ‘antidote’ to modern ills June 26, 2011 3:05 PM Vatican City, Jun 26, 2011 / 02:05 pm ( CNA/EWTN News ).- The Eucharist is the medicine which can heal our individualist society, Pope Benedict XVI said in his midday Angelus address on Corpus Christi Sunday. “In an increasingly individualistic culture in which Western societies are immersed - and which is tending to spread throughout the world - the Eucharist is a kind of ‘antidote’ which operates in the minds and hearts of believers and is continually sowing in them the logic of communion, of service, of sharing - in other words, the logic of the Gospel,” said Pope Benedict to pilgrims in St. Peters Square on June 26. Catholics believe that the bread and wine offered by Christ at the Last Supper literally became his body and blood - and that this same miracle is repeated by priests at every Mass since. Hence the name of today’s festivity – ‘Corpus Christi’ Sunday or ‘Body of Christ’ Sunday. “From the Euchar