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Thursday, June 30, 2016

Catholic News World : Thurs. June 30, 2016 - SHARE

2016



Are you Traveling? #Prayer to St. Christopher for #SafeTravels and #Motorists - #Driving Prayers to SHARE

Saint Christopher Prayer"Motorist's Prayer:" Grant me, O Lord, a steady hand and watchful eye, that no one shall be hurt as I pass by. Thou gavest life, I pray no act of mine may take away or mar that gift of Thine. Shelter those, dear Lord, who bear my company from the evils of fire and all calamity.Teach me to use my car for others need; Nor miss through love of undue speed. The beauty of the world; that thus I may with joy and courtesy go on my way. St. Christopher, holy patron of travelers, protect me, and lead me safely to my destiny.
Saint Christopher's Protection Prayer
 Dear Saint Christopher, protect me today in all my travels along the road's way. Give your warning sign if danger is near so that I may stop while the path is clear. Be at my window and direct me through when the vision blurs From out of the blue. Carry me safely to my destined place, like you carried Christ in your close embrace. Amen.


FOR  BREAKING NEWS, INSPIRATIONAL STORIES AND FREE MOVIES

 St. Christopher's Prayer
O Glorious St. Christopher you have inherited a beautiful name, Christbearer, as a result of the wonderful legend that while carrying people across a raging stream you also carried the Child Jesus. Teach us to be true Christbearers to those who do not know Him. Protect all of us that travel both near and far and petition Jesus to be with us always. Amen.

#Quote to SHARE by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI "We cannot keep to ourselves the words of eternal life given to us in our encounter with Jesus Christ..."

"We cannot keep to ourselves the words of eternal life given to us in our encounter with Jesus Christ: they are meant for everyone, for every man and woman. ... It is our responsibility to pass on what, by God's grace, we ourselves have received." by : Pope Benedict XVI

#PopeFrancis "To look at Jesus in these brothers and sisters of ours..." #Jubilee FULL TEXT - Video

Pope Francis at 8th Jubilee Audience in Rome for the Jubilee of Mercy.
* * *
Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning!
How many times, during these first months of the Jubilee, we have heard talk of the works of mercy! Today the Lord invites us to make a serious examination of conscience. In fact, it is good never to forget that mercy is not an abstract word, but a style of life: a person can be merciful or not merciful; it’s a style of life. I choose to be merciful or I choose not to be merciful. It is one thing to speak of mercy and another to live mercy. Paraphrasing the words of Saint James the Apostle, (cf. 2:14-17), we can say: mercy without works is dead in itself. It is in fact like this! What renders mercy alive is its constant dynamism in going to meet the needs and necessities of all those in spiritual and material hardship. Mercy has eyes to see, ears to listen, hands to resolve …
Daily life enables us to touch with our hand so many needs regarding the poorest and most tested persons. Requested of us is that particular attention that leads us to be aware of the state of suffering and need in which so many brothers and sisters are. Sometimes we pass before dramatic situations of poverty and it seems that they do not touch us; everything continues as if there were nothing, in an indifference that in the end renders us hypocrites and, without realizing it, it results in a form of spiritual lethargy, which renders our mind insensitive and our life sterile. People that pass by, who go forward in life without being aware of the needs of others, without seeing the many spiritual and material needs, are people that pass by without living, people that do not serve others. Remember well: he who does not live to serve, does not serve to live.
How many aspects there are of God’s mercy to us! In the same way, how many faces turn to us to obtain mercy. One who has experienced the Father’s mercy in his own life cannot remain insensitive in face of the needs of brothers. The teaching of Jesus, which we just heard, does not allow ways out: I was hungry and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me to drink; I was naked, a refugee, sick, in prison and you assisted me (cf. Matthew25:35-36). One cannot beat about the bush in face of a person who is hungry: he must be given to eat. Jesus says this to us! The works of mercy are not theoretical subjects, but concrete testimonies. They oblige one to rollup one’s sleeves to alleviate suffering.
Because of the changes of our globalized world, some material and spiritual poverties have multiplied: hence let us make room for the imagination of charity to identify new operative ways. Thus the way of mercy will become ever more concrete. Requested of us, therefore, is to remain vigilant as watchmen, so that it will not happen that, in face of the poverties produced by the culture of wellbeing, the eyes of Christians are weakened and become incapable of looking at the essential. What does it mean to look at the essential? To look at Jesus, to look at Jesus in the hungry, the imprisoned, the sick, the naked, in the one who has no work and must lead his family forward. To look at Jesus in these brothers and sisters of ours; to look at Jesus in one who is alone, sasd, in one who errs and is in need of counsel, in one who needs to walk with Him in silence, to feel he is in company. These are the works that Jesus asks of us! To look at Jesus in them, in these people. Why? Because that is how Jesus looks at me, looks at all of us.
[Original text: Italian] [Working Translation by ZENIT]
* * *
Now we pass to something else. In past days the Lord granted me to visit Armenia, the first nation to have embraced Christianity, at the beginning of the 4th century — a people that, in the course of its long history, has witnessed the Christian faith with martyrdom. I thank God for this trip and I am truly grateful to the President of the Armenian Republic, to the Catholicos Karekin II, to the Catholic Patriarch and Bishops, and to the whole Armenian people for having welcomed me as pilgrim of fraternity and of peace.
In three months, I will undertake, God willing, another trip — to Georgia and Azerbaijan, two other countries of the Caucasus region. I accepted the invitation to visit these countries for a twofold reason: on one hand to appreciate the ancient Christian roots present in those lands – always in a spirit of dialogue with the other religions and cultures – and, on the other, to encourage hopes and paths of peace. History teaches us that the path of peace requires great tenacity and continuous steps, beginning with small ones and, little by little, making them grow, one going to encounter the other. In fact because of this my wish is that each and all may make their contribution to reconciliation.
As Christians, we are called to reinforce fraternal communion among ourselves, to render witness to Christ’s Gospel and to be leaven of a more just and solidaristic society. Therefore, the whole visit was shared with the Supreme Patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church, who hosted me fraternally in his home for three days.
I renew my embrace to the Bishops, to the priests, to the women and men religious and to all the faithful in Armenia. May the Virgin Mary, our Mother, help them to remain firm in the faith, open to encounter and generous in works of mercy. Thank you.
[Original text: Italian] [Working Translation by ZENIT]
Greeting in Italian
A warm welcome to the Italian-speaking pilgrims!
I am happy to receive the participants in the General Chapter of the Rogationist Fathers and of the Daughters of Divine Zeal; of the Missionary Sisters of the Catholic Apostolate and of the Missionaries of the Immaculate Heart of Mary: I exhort you to update in today’s society the respective foundation charisms so that the men and women of our time are able to find in your life a concrete trace of God’s mercy.
I greet the women religious of USMI of Milan and the faithful of Acquapendente with their Bishop of Viterbo, Monsignor Lino Fumagalli, with the effigy of Our Lady of the Flower, which I had the pleasure to bless today. A special greeting goes to the Association of Work Consultants, that today begin their 7th “Festival of Work,” and I encourage them to promote the culture of work, which ensures a person’s dignity and the common good of society, beginning from its cell, the family. It is precisely the family, in fact, that suffers most from the consequences of bad work: bad because of its scarcity and its precariousness. You, work consultant, do not have a welfare task but a promotional one, so that in the national and European ambit the economic institutions and actors can pursue, in a concerted way, the objective of full and fitting occupation, because work gives dignity!.
Finally, my greeting goes to young people, the sick and newlyweds. Today we celebrate the Memoria of the first martyrs of the Church of Rome and we pray for all those that still pay a high price for their membership in the Church of Christ. Dear young people, may faith have room and give meaning to you life; dear sick, offer your suffering so that the estranged may find the love of Christ; dear newlyweds, be educators of life and models of faith for your children.
[Original text: Italian] [Working Translation by ZENIT]

Archbishop Fisher of Australia offers Voting Guide for Catholics for #Elections - #Sydney


It's Election Time, Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP
Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese, 
23 Jun 2016

Download the Federal Election
Guide 2016 here
http://sydneycatholic.org/downloads/CAS-2016-Federal-Election-Guide.pdf
With the federal election just around the corner, we all have to decide who to vote for. This is not always an easy decision, but it is a very important responsibility, for Catholics as for others. We all must decide who deserves our vote.
It is said that an unusually high proportion of Australian voters have 'disengaged', i.e. they are not much interested in this election. Why is that? One reason might be that the election campaign has gone on for so long that it has run out of steam and can no longer hold people's attention. Another might be that there is little to choose between major parties competing for 'the middle'.
An even more important reason might be that the major parties are not talking about the issues about which people are most passionate - certainly not the issues about which Catholics should be most passionate. As the Bishops of Australia asked in their recent electoral statement: who among the political parties today is standing up for the family? For the unborn? For the elderly? For refugees? Who is standing up on issues such as workers' rights, human trafficking or foreign aid?
Even when such issues are brought into the public domain, they are rarely discussed in other than a populist or pragmatic way; there is no reference to any guiding principles or assessment of which policies best serve the dignity of the person and the common good. All too often, for example, discussion of the asylum seekers or other pressing migration issues appeals more to people's fears than their generosity, more to our baser nature than the nobler side of Australians.
What are the Catholic issues?
A common misconception is that all that Catholics only care and talk about "below the belt issues": abortion, euthanasia, same-sex marriage etc. These are certainly important issues; these are certainly issues we should be talking about (and I will have more to say about these below); but they are not the only issues because there is more to society, more to people, than just sex and life, and so more for Catholics to care about.
Because a few, especially contentious, moral issues are treated as matters for parliamentary conscience votes or popular plebiscites, we might think they are the only moral issues - in which case everything else can be decided purely in terms of what's popular or profitable. This is, quite simply, false. There are many more issues which we should be talking about as a society and, in particular, as Catholic citizens and they all have a moral dimension.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that it is our duty to "contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity and freedom." (§2239)

Most Rev. Anthony Fisher OP
In a spirit of truth we must always strive to allow the truth to come to light and contribute appropriately to this. So if someone wants to stifle honest debate on any issue, we must be resounding voices for candour. If parties propose to reduce investment in education or research or other ways to identify and transmit the truth, we must ask why. If civic leaders are getting things right (or at least trying) they deserve due praise; where they are failing there should be fair critique, but always in an atmosphere of charity.
In a spirit of justice we must respect the rights of all, seek to ensure that each is given their due, and promote harmony in relationships. Laws and policies must respect the dignity of the individual and promote the common good of all. A useful litmus test of the fairness of particular institutional arrangements or policies is: who are the 'winners' and 'losers' (e.g. in our taxation and superannuation policies)? Are good results being achieved for all (or most) without trampling upon the rights of others? Christ challenges us: what did you do for the least - the hungry, thirsty, lonely and trapped?
In a spirit of solidarity we must consider each person our friend - or at least our potential friend - and so seek to ensure that they have opportunities to flourish and that any obstacles to that are removed. We must look to help those in need, especially those who cannot help themselves. Solidarity means we cannot rightly focus only on our own hip pockets: we must also care about how laws and policies regarding industrial relations, housing, aged care, foreign aid, indigenous peoples, mental health, the environment, immigration etc. impact upon others.
In a spirit of freedom we must be vigilant to protect our own proper liberties and those of others. Where some people's freedom is endangered (e.g. the right of unborn Australians to live; the right of religious believers to hold, share or practice their conscientious beliefs) we must do what we can to rectify that situation. Freedom, as Catholics understand it, is more than freedom to get my own way in everything: it is the opportunity to do what is right and so must be exercised responsibly.
No Catholic how to vote card
But what does all this mean practically? Where is the Catholic "how to vote card"? The aforegoing list of considerations means Catholics cannot be simplistically lumped with the current 'left' or 'right' of politics. We often find pros and cons with each party, platform or candidate. And so many of us will decide based on particular issues that we are especially passionate about. That is where issues as crucial as life and love may make a real difference for us.
We might ask, for instance, which candidate or party best stands up for the family, for real marriage that underpins stable family life, for life itself especially when most vulnerable at its beginning and end, for the freedom to hold, express and act according to our religion?
As the election guide published in this edition of the Catholic Weekly identifies, there are some real differences between the parties regarding the legal definition of marriage (and how this might be resolved), about efforts to re-educate children to a radical view of "fluid sexuality", about protections or 'exemptions' for people on the grounds of conscientious belief, and so on. 'Gay marriage', once a radical social policy supported only by the Greens, now has supporters in all parties; if they get their way, our social fabric will be fundamentally altered. No longer will the loving union of man and wife be recognized as the best place for rearing children; other friendships will be treated as the equivalent of real marriages; and churches, schools, welfare agencies and individual faithful will be pressured to conform.
There are other important issues that might determine a person's vote. Responsible voting is a matter of considering a number of important issues and assessing them through the prisms of truth, justice, solidarity and freedom. Marriage is not the only issue to have in mind at election time but is an important one for this election, even if candidates and the media are trying to focus our attention elsewhere. May the Holy Spirit grant each of us wisdom at the ballot box!
Release from Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese, 

Today's Mass Readings and Video : Thursday June 30, 2016 - #Eucharist


Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 380


Reading 1AM 7:10-17

Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent word to Jeroboam,
king of Israel:
“Amos has conspired against you here within Israel;
the country cannot endure all his words.
For this is what Amos says:
Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
and Israel shall surely be exiled from its land.”

To Amos, Amaziah said:
“Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah!
There earn your bread by prophesying,
but never again prophesy in Bethel;
for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple.”
Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet,
nor have I belonged to a company of prophets;
I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores.
The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me,
‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’
Now hear the word of the LORD!”

You say: prophesy not against Israel,
preach not against the house of Isaac.
Now thus says the LORD:
Your wife shall be made a harlot in the city,
and your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword;
Your land shall be divided by measuring line,
and you yourself shall die in an unclean land;
Israel shall be exiled far from its land.

Responsorial PsalmPS 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R. (10cd) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

Alleluia2 COR 5:19

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMT 9:1-8

After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.
And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”
At that, some of the scribes said to themselves,
“This man is blaspheming.”
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said,
“Why do you harbor evil thoughts?
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins”–
he then said to the paralytic,
“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
He rose and went home.
When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe
and glorified God who had given such authority to men.

New #ProLife Book by Jesuit Priest Ward Biemans "The heart and the abyss Preventing Abortion"

The heart and the abyss
Preventing Abortion

Ward Biemans SJ


ISBN: 9781925138962, Paperback, 390 pages, $39.95

Published in February 2016

From the Preface:

At the heart of the abortion debate is a seemingly simple proposition: given the basic biology that the fertilised human egg is scientifically speaking a living human being the orthodox Catholic understanding that the ethical rule against killing should apply before as well as after birth seems self-evident. Understandably, however, the abortion debate in practice becomes far more complex. Legalising abortion has implications far beyond the unborn baby: for the mother who have to face the agonising choice of whether or not to terminate the life of her developing baby, for the father who may have no legal role in the decision but whose influence, for good or ill, is hard to ignore, for doctors who face pressure to collaborate in the taking of life itself and for a society which increasingly sees abortion as a necessary consequence of the desire to separate the sexual act from reproduction.

Given this complexity, it is not enough for those who wish to promote the Gospel of Life within the Church to restrict themselves to ethics or moral theology. Rather, it is necessary to take seriously the insights provided by medicine and the broad range of social sciences. Examples of such an integrated approach are all too rare and this is precisely why I was so pleased to read Ward Biemans’ work presented in this volume. Biemans’ text is particularly welcome given how successfully he has drawn together so many different academic perspectives.
 

The context for Biemans’ work is the development of law and practice on abortion in the United Kingdom and The Netherlands. The choice of these two countries is apposite. The UK (with the exception of Northern Ireland) was one of the earliest western countries to legalise abortion and the UK law provided a template for many other countries with similar legal frameworks, most particularly across the Commonwealth. Whether or not the reality matches the theory, the Netherlands has come to be seen as the ultimate liberal country in which abortion is (relatively) rare but almost always legal. Thankfully, the Western European context provides a basis for a much more complete discussion of the issues and arguments surrounding abortion which will be of immense value right across the world.

Biemans draws together insights from the fields of medicine, economics, psychology, politics, law, theology and ethics. He engages effectively with the most recent empirical work on the practical impact of abortion law and uses this to provide fresh insight into the key ethical debates. Integrating such disparate fields is no easy task and it is to his great credit that he has managed to find a balance between rigor and accessibility which will enable this work to be of use to a broad range of users. The importance of caring for both the mother and baby have been understood and put into practice by the pro-life movement for many years, as has the recognition that women need care and reconciliation rather than condemnation after abortion. This understanding is central to Biemans’ work, as is his conclusion that rights and needs of the mother and the unborn baby are not only of paramount importance but complementary to each other rather than in opposition.

Given Biemans’ understanding of theology and Church history, this volume will surely become a standard source of reference within Catholic institutions. However, I am confident its reach will be much greater than that. The approach is balanced and scholarly, but it is hard for the reader to avoid the conclusion that the right to life of the unborn, the rights of women and the social consequences of abortion should not be seen as standing in opposition to each other and requiring of compromise. Rather, laws which protect the vulnerable unborn, also protect mothers and society as a whole. Of course this has been the wisdom of the Catholic Church for centuries, but it is wonderful to see such a clear-sighted presentation of the logic and evidence in their entirety.

Professor David Paton
Chair of Industrial Economics
Nottingham University Business School

Chapters
1: The abortion legislation in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands
2: Human autonomy and procured abortion
3: Mental and physical risks and effects of induced abortion on women
4: The human embryo, its rights and its dignity
5: Towards an authentic and responsible reproductive decision making process
6: A historical search for a universalization of the ethics of abortion
7: Abortion prevention, sex education, counselling and pastoral care
8: Preventing abortion
Bibliography
Index

About the Author
Fr Ward Biemans SJ, is a priest of the Society of Jesus based in the Netherlands.

Saint June 30 : Protomartyrs of Rome


Feast: June 30

Information: Feast Day:June 30
Many martyrs who suffered death under Emperor Nero (r. 54-68). Owing to their executions durin the reign of Nero, they are called the Neronian Martyrs, and they are also termed "the Protomartys of Rome," being honored by the site in the Vatican City called the Piazza of the Protomartyrs. These early Christians were disciples of the Apostles, and they endured hideous tortures and ghastly deaths following the burning of Rome in the infamous fire of 62. Their dignity in suffering, and their fervor to the end, did not provide Nero or the Romans with the public diversion desired. Instead, the faith was firmly planted in the Eternal City.

(Taken from Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints)

Wednesday, June 29, 2016


Free Movie : Peter and Paul - Lives of Apostles from the #Bible - Stars Anthony Hopkins

PART 1 and 2 - 1981 - TV movie - Peter and Paul assume leadership of the Church as they struggle against violent opposition to the teachings of Christ and their own personal conflicts.
FOR FREE MOVIES AND MORE LIKE US ON FACEBOOK NOW

Director:

   Robert Day

Writers:

   Christopher Knopf 

Stars:

   Anthony Hopkins, Robert Foxworth, Eddie Albert


#Novena to Saint Peter and Saint Paul - Apostles - #Prayers to SHARE


Novena to St. Peter and St. Paul (Say for 9 Days)

O holy Apostles, Peter and Paul, I choose you this day and forever to be my special patrons and advocates; thee, Saint Peter, Prince of the Apostles, because thou art the Rock, upon which Almighty God hath built His Church; thee, Saint Paul, because thou wast fore-chosen by God as the Vessel of election and the Preacher of truth in the whole world. Obtain for me, I pray you, lively faith, firm hope, and burning love; complete detachment from myself, contempt of the world, patience in adversity, humility in prosperity, attention in prayer, purity of heart, a right intention in all my works, diligence in fulfilling the duties of my state of life, constancy in my resolutions, resignation to the will of God and perseverance in the grace of God even unto death; that so, by means of your intercession and your glorious merits, I may be able to overcome the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil, and may be made worthy to appear before the chief and eternal Shepherd of souls, Jesus Christ, Who with the Father and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth for endless ages, to enjoy His presence and love Him forever. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

V. Thou shalt make them princes over all the earth.
R. They shall be mindful of Thy name, O Lord.


Let us pray:

O God, Whose right hand raised up blessed Peter, when he walked upon the water and began to sink, and thrice delivered his fellow-Apostle Paul from the depths of the sea, when he suffered shipwreck: graciously hear us and grant, by the merits of them both, that we also may attain unto everlasting glory: Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen
(An Indulgence of 500 days.)


___________________________
Extra Prayers - Apart from the Novena


Prayer to Sts. Peter and Paulfor the Holy Catholic Church

Defend, O Lord, thy servants, we beseech thee, from all dangers both of body and soul; and, by the intercession of the blessed and glorious Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, of blessed N., and of all thy saints, mercifully grant us the blessings of peace and safety ; that all adversities and errors being removed, thy Church may freely and securely serve thee; through Christ Our Lord. Amen.



___________________________



Prayer to St. Paul

Thou art the Vessel of election, Saint Paul the Apostle, the Preacher of truth in the whole world.

V. Pray for us, Saint Paul the Apostle,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:
Almighty and everlasting God, Who, of Thy divine mercy, didst instruct Thy blessed Apostle Paul what he should do that he might be filled with the Holy Ghost; by his admonitions directing us and his merits interceding for us, grant that we may serve Thee in fear and trembling and so be filled with the comfort of Thy heavenly gifts. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
(An Indulgence of 500 days)


___________________________



Invocations

Defend, O Lord, Thy people: and as they put their trust in the patronage of Thy holy Apostles, Peter and Paul, keep them ever by Thy protection. Through Christ our Lord. Amen (Roman Missal).
(An Indulgence of 300 days) 
Prayers shared from Catholicharboroffaithandmorals