VIS REPORT: THE
PRAYER OF JESUS AT THE LAST SUPPER
VATICAN CITY, 11 JAN 2012 (VIS) - Jesus' prayer during the Last Supper was the theme of Benedict XVI's catechesis during his general audience, which was held this morning in the Paul VI Hall in the presence of 4,000 faithful. (IMAGE SOURCE: RADIO VATICANA)
The Pope explained how the emotional backdrop to the Last Supper, in which Jesus bade farewell to His friends, was the immanence of His approaching death. Moreover, in the days in which He was preparing to leave His disciples, the life of the Jewish people was marked by the approaching Passover, the commemoration of the liberation of Israel from Egypt.
"It was in this context that the Last Supper took place", the Holy Father said, "but with an important novelty". Jesus "wanted the Supper with His disciples to be something special, different from other gatherings. It was His Supper, in which He gave something completely new: Himself. Thus Jesus celebrated the Passover as an anticipation of His Cross and Resurrection".
The essence of the Last Supper lay in "the gestures of breaking and distributing the bread, and sharing the cup of wine, with the words that accompanied them and the context of prayer in which they took place. This was the institution of the Eucharist: the great prayer of Jesus and the Church". The words the Evangelists use to describe that moment "recall the Jewish 'berakha'; that is, the great prayer of thanksgiving and blessing which, in the tradition of Israel, is used to inaugurate important ceremonies. ... That prayer of praise and thanks rises up to God and returns as a blessing. ... The words of the institution of the Eucharist were pronounced in this context of prayer. The praise and thanksgiving of the 'berakha' became blessing and transformed the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus".
Jesus' gestures were the traditional gestures of hospitality which a host would extend to his guests, but in the Last Supper they acquired a more profound significance, Pope Benedict explained. Christ provided "a visible sign of welcome to the table upon which God gives Himself. In the bread and the wine, Jesus offered and communicated His own Self". Aware of His approaching death, "He offered in advance the life that would shortly be taken from Him, thus transforming His violent death into a free act of the giving of Self, for others and to others. The violence He suffered became an active, free and redemptive sacrifice".
"In contemplating Jesus' words and gestures that night, we can clearly see that it was in His intimate and constant relationship with the Father that He accomplished the gesture of leaving to His followers, and to all of us, the Sacrament of love", said the Pope. During the Last Supper Jesus also prayed for His disciples, who likewise had to suffer harsh trials. With that prayer "He supported them in their weakness, their difficulty in understanding that the way of God had to pass through the Paschal mystery of death and resurrection, which was anticipated in the offer of bread and wine. The Eucharist is the food of pilgrims, a source of strength also for those who are tired, weary and disoriented".
Benedict XVI went on: "By participating in the Eucharist we have an extraordinary experience of the prayer which Jesus made, and continues to make for us all, that the evil we encounter in our lives may not triumph, and that the transforming power of Christ's death and resurrection may act within each of us. In the Eucharist the Church responds to Jesus' command to 'do this in remembrance of me', she repeats the prayer of thanksgiving and blessing and, therewith, the words of transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of the Lord. Our Eucharistic celebrations draw us into that moment of prayer, uniting us ever and anew to the prayer of Jesus".
"Let us ask the Lord that, after due preparation also with the Sacrament of Penance, our participation in the Eucharist, which is indispensable for Christian life, may always remain the apex of all our prayers", the Pope concluded. "Let us ask that, profoundly united in His offering to the Father, we too can transform our crosses into a free and responsible sacrifice of love, for God and for our fellows".
At the end of his catechesis the Holy Father delivered greetings in a number of languages to the pilgrims present in the Paul VI Hall, inviting them to participate with "faith and devotion" in the Eucharist which, he said, is indispensable for Christian life as well as being the school and culmination of prayer. Addressing young people, the sick and newlyweds, he pointed our that last Sunday's Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord is an occasion to reflect upon our own Baptism. "Dear young people", the Pope exclaimed, "live your membership of the Church, the family of Christ, joyfully. Dear sick people, may the grace of Baptism ease your sufferings and encourage you to offer them to Christ for the salvation of humanity. And you, dear newlyweds, ... base your marriage on the faith which you received as a gift on the day of your Baptism".
AG/ VIS 20120111 (880)
CUBAN CROCODILE AT THE HOLY FATHER'S GENERAL AUDIENCE
VATICAN CITY, 11 JAN 2012 (VIS) - Among those attending this morning's general audience with the Holy Father were staff of the zoological park in Rome (the "Bioparco"), which is currently celebrating its centenary. They brought with them a rare live specimen of the Cuban crocodile, to represent the 1,200 animals which live in the park and as a sign of the environmental protection and education work the structure carries out.
The Cuban crocodile, which is classified as an endangered species, has seen its numbers fall by 80 per cent in recent years, and it currently survives only in a small area of the island. The young specimen shown to the Pope is being kept in the zoological park for a period of recovery. In March, coinciding with Benedict XVI's apostolic trip to Cuba, it will be returned to its country of origin. In a statement Paolo Giuntarelli, president of the "Bioparco Foundation" said that, "the meeting with the Pope is the most prestigious seal of approval for our first hundred years, and the best possible beginning to a new century of history".
AG/ VIS 20120111 (200)
AUDIENCES
VATICAN CITY, 11 JAN 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Muller of Regensburg, Germany.
Yesterday afternoon he received in audience Cardinal Joachim Meisner, archbishop of Cologne, Germany.
AP/ VIS 20120111 (40)
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, 11 JAN 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, apostolic nuncio to Brazil, as secretary of the Congregation for Bishops.
VATICAN CITY, 11 JAN 2012 (VIS) - Jesus' prayer during the Last Supper was the theme of Benedict XVI's catechesis during his general audience, which was held this morning in the Paul VI Hall in the presence of 4,000 faithful. (IMAGE SOURCE: RADIO VATICANA)
The Pope explained how the emotional backdrop to the Last Supper, in which Jesus bade farewell to His friends, was the immanence of His approaching death. Moreover, in the days in which He was preparing to leave His disciples, the life of the Jewish people was marked by the approaching Passover, the commemoration of the liberation of Israel from Egypt.
"It was in this context that the Last Supper took place", the Holy Father said, "but with an important novelty". Jesus "wanted the Supper with His disciples to be something special, different from other gatherings. It was His Supper, in which He gave something completely new: Himself. Thus Jesus celebrated the Passover as an anticipation of His Cross and Resurrection".
The essence of the Last Supper lay in "the gestures of breaking and distributing the bread, and sharing the cup of wine, with the words that accompanied them and the context of prayer in which they took place. This was the institution of the Eucharist: the great prayer of Jesus and the Church". The words the Evangelists use to describe that moment "recall the Jewish 'berakha'; that is, the great prayer of thanksgiving and blessing which, in the tradition of Israel, is used to inaugurate important ceremonies. ... That prayer of praise and thanks rises up to God and returns as a blessing. ... The words of the institution of the Eucharist were pronounced in this context of prayer. The praise and thanksgiving of the 'berakha' became blessing and transformed the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus".
Jesus' gestures were the traditional gestures of hospitality which a host would extend to his guests, but in the Last Supper they acquired a more profound significance, Pope Benedict explained. Christ provided "a visible sign of welcome to the table upon which God gives Himself. In the bread and the wine, Jesus offered and communicated His own Self". Aware of His approaching death, "He offered in advance the life that would shortly be taken from Him, thus transforming His violent death into a free act of the giving of Self, for others and to others. The violence He suffered became an active, free and redemptive sacrifice".
"In contemplating Jesus' words and gestures that night, we can clearly see that it was in His intimate and constant relationship with the Father that He accomplished the gesture of leaving to His followers, and to all of us, the Sacrament of love", said the Pope. During the Last Supper Jesus also prayed for His disciples, who likewise had to suffer harsh trials. With that prayer "He supported them in their weakness, their difficulty in understanding that the way of God had to pass through the Paschal mystery of death and resurrection, which was anticipated in the offer of bread and wine. The Eucharist is the food of pilgrims, a source of strength also for those who are tired, weary and disoriented".
Benedict XVI went on: "By participating in the Eucharist we have an extraordinary experience of the prayer which Jesus made, and continues to make for us all, that the evil we encounter in our lives may not triumph, and that the transforming power of Christ's death and resurrection may act within each of us. In the Eucharist the Church responds to Jesus' command to 'do this in remembrance of me', she repeats the prayer of thanksgiving and blessing and, therewith, the words of transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of the Lord. Our Eucharistic celebrations draw us into that moment of prayer, uniting us ever and anew to the prayer of Jesus".
"Let us ask the Lord that, after due preparation also with the Sacrament of Penance, our participation in the Eucharist, which is indispensable for Christian life, may always remain the apex of all our prayers", the Pope concluded. "Let us ask that, profoundly united in His offering to the Father, we too can transform our crosses into a free and responsible sacrifice of love, for God and for our fellows".
At the end of his catechesis the Holy Father delivered greetings in a number of languages to the pilgrims present in the Paul VI Hall, inviting them to participate with "faith and devotion" in the Eucharist which, he said, is indispensable for Christian life as well as being the school and culmination of prayer. Addressing young people, the sick and newlyweds, he pointed our that last Sunday's Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord is an occasion to reflect upon our own Baptism. "Dear young people", the Pope exclaimed, "live your membership of the Church, the family of Christ, joyfully. Dear sick people, may the grace of Baptism ease your sufferings and encourage you to offer them to Christ for the salvation of humanity. And you, dear newlyweds, ... base your marriage on the faith which you received as a gift on the day of your Baptism".
AG/ VIS 20120111 (880)
CUBAN CROCODILE AT THE HOLY FATHER'S GENERAL AUDIENCE
VATICAN CITY, 11 JAN 2012 (VIS) - Among those attending this morning's general audience with the Holy Father were staff of the zoological park in Rome (the "Bioparco"), which is currently celebrating its centenary. They brought with them a rare live specimen of the Cuban crocodile, to represent the 1,200 animals which live in the park and as a sign of the environmental protection and education work the structure carries out.
The Cuban crocodile, which is classified as an endangered species, has seen its numbers fall by 80 per cent in recent years, and it currently survives only in a small area of the island. The young specimen shown to the Pope is being kept in the zoological park for a period of recovery. In March, coinciding with Benedict XVI's apostolic trip to Cuba, it will be returned to its country of origin. In a statement Paolo Giuntarelli, president of the "Bioparco Foundation" said that, "the meeting with the Pope is the most prestigious seal of approval for our first hundred years, and the best possible beginning to a new century of history".
AG/ VIS 20120111 (200)
AUDIENCES
VATICAN CITY, 11 JAN 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Muller of Regensburg, Germany.
Yesterday afternoon he received in audience Cardinal Joachim Meisner, archbishop of Cologne, Germany.
AP/ VIS 20120111 (40)
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, 11 JAN 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, apostolic nuncio to Brazil, as secretary of the Congregation for Bishops.
ASIA : IRAQ : BISHOP RESIDENCE ATTACKED - 2 KILLED
ASIA NEWS
REPORT: by Joseph Mahmoud
Bishop Sako and his aides are safe. The terrorists were from Baghdad. Two are killed and one arrested. Their target was a Turkmen member of parliament whose home is near the Archbishop’s Palace. Sunni-Shia tensions rise.
Kirkuk (AsiaNews) – At 1.15 pm, two people opened fire
against security guards standing in front of the walls that surround the
Chaldean Archbishop’s Palace in Kirkuk. Terrorists fired from a white Kia car.
The guards fired back immediately. Officers in a police car located about 100
metres from the building also intervened, firing at the terrorists. Two
terrorists were killed and one was arrested. Five policemen were
wounded.
No one inside the building was wounded. The bishop, who had just returned with a priest after visiting Holy Mary the Virgin Parish Church, was unharmed
No reason has been given for the attack, but police suggest that Jala Niftaji, a Turkmen member of the Iraqi parliament, might have been the target. Her home was attacked three days ago.
Preliminary reports suggest that the terrorists were not from Kirkuk. Identity papers found on the two who were killed indicate they lived in Baghdad.
“The killers could not be from here,” a source in Kirkuk told AsiaNews. “The Archbishop’s Palace is located on a central street, near the Governor’s house. It is well protected with soldiers and police. How could they think that they could carry out the attack? It is obvious they were not well prepared. Their ignorance is also evident from the fact that they fired at the Archbishop’s Palace even though they wanted to attack the home of the Turkmen leader.”
Ms Jala Niftaji is a member of the Iraqi Nationalist List party of Iyad Allawi. For weeks, the party has been at loggerheads with Prime Minister al Maliki and his predominantly Shia party.
Across the country, the situation is worrisome. A power vacuum has developed after al Maliki issued an arrest warrant for Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, a Sunni, for allegedly funding terrorist groups.
Al-Hashemi has rejected all the accusations, and fled to the north, to Iraqi Kurdistan. His party, the Iraqi National Movement (al-Iraqiya List) has been boycotting parliament, accusing al Maliki of trying to monopolise power.
Many analysts fear that the crisis could lead to civil war (see Youssouf al-Bakhtiar, “The conflict between Shiites and Sunnis for the sectarian division of Iraq,” in AsiaNews, 10 January 2012).
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Attack-against-the-Chaldean-Archbishop’s-Palace-in-Kirkuk-23669.html
Bishop Sako and his aides are safe. The terrorists were from Baghdad. Two are killed and one arrested. Their target was a Turkmen member of parliament whose home is near the Archbishop’s Palace. Sunni-Shia tensions rise.
Kirkuk (AsiaNews) – At 1.15 pm, two people opened fire
against security guards standing in front of the walls that surround the
Chaldean Archbishop’s Palace in Kirkuk. Terrorists fired from a white Kia car.
The guards fired back immediately. Officers in a police car located about 100
metres from the building also intervened, firing at the terrorists. Two
terrorists were killed and one was arrested. Five policemen were
wounded.No one inside the building was wounded. The bishop, who had just returned with a priest after visiting Holy Mary the Virgin Parish Church, was unharmed
No reason has been given for the attack, but police suggest that Jala Niftaji, a Turkmen member of the Iraqi parliament, might have been the target. Her home was attacked three days ago.
Preliminary reports suggest that the terrorists were not from Kirkuk. Identity papers found on the two who were killed indicate they lived in Baghdad.
“The killers could not be from here,” a source in Kirkuk told AsiaNews. “The Archbishop’s Palace is located on a central street, near the Governor’s house. It is well protected with soldiers and police. How could they think that they could carry out the attack? It is obvious they were not well prepared. Their ignorance is also evident from the fact that they fired at the Archbishop’s Palace even though they wanted to attack the home of the Turkmen leader.”
Ms Jala Niftaji is a member of the Iraqi Nationalist List party of Iyad Allawi. For weeks, the party has been at loggerheads with Prime Minister al Maliki and his predominantly Shia party.
Across the country, the situation is worrisome. A power vacuum has developed after al Maliki issued an arrest warrant for Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, a Sunni, for allegedly funding terrorist groups.
Al-Hashemi has rejected all the accusations, and fled to the north, to Iraqi Kurdistan. His party, the Iraqi National Movement (al-Iraqiya List) has been boycotting parliament, accusing al Maliki of trying to monopolise power.
Many analysts fear that the crisis could lead to civil war (see Youssouf al-Bakhtiar, “The conflict between Shiites and Sunnis for the sectarian division of Iraq,” in AsiaNews, 10 January 2012).
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Attack-against-the-Chaldean-Archbishop’s-Palace-in-Kirkuk-23669.html
AMERICA : CANADA : PRIME MINISTER CONGRATULATES COLLINS ON APPOINTMENT
- PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA RELEASE:
Ottawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement on the announcement that the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, elevated His Grace, Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, to the College of Cardinals, an international group of principal advisors to the Pontiff:
“The appointment of Thomas Collins to the College of Cardinals is a great honour for His Grace as well as the Archdiocese of Toronto and all members of the Catholic Church across Canada – a testament to his hard work and faithful devotion to the Church and spiritual life.
“The College of Cardinals plays an important leadership role in the Catholic Church. With a long and distinguished career, Cardinal-designate Collins becomes the fourth Cardinal in the 110-year history of the Archdiocese of Toronto and the 16th Cardinal in the history of the Roman Catholic Church in Canada.
“On behalf of our Government, I offer my congratulations to Cardinal-designate Collins as he begins this new phase of his ministry.”
http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?category=3&featureId=6&pageId=26&id=4564&cachecommand=bypass
EUROPE : CONFESSION - GOD'S LOVE GREATER THAN SIN
CATHOLIC
HERALD REPORT:
Bishop
Michael Campbell has written
to all Catholic schools and parishes to announce the introduction of a
co-ordinated weekly Confession on the same day, at the same hour in every church
across the diocese.
From February 29 until the Wednesday of Holy Week, every Catholic church in the Diocese of Lancaster will be open from 7pm until 8pm in order for the faithful to go to Confession.
Bishop Campbell said: “During the Lenten season we will invite those who seek to strengthen their relationship with the Lord to join us in this celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Our priests are here to welcome you home, to pray with you, to be of service in the name of Jesus Christ, who offers all of us forgiveness for our sins and the gift of His mercy and love.
“Confession gives us the chance to start over, to hit the ‘reset’ button of our lives. It shows how forgiving and compassionate our God is and it helps us to grow in concern and love for others. Come to Confession this Lent and receive God’s mercy, for peace of mind and to deepen your friendship with Jesus, to receive spiritual healing and to increase your sense of joy and to experience Christ’s saving grace.”
Responding to the concern that many people feel too unworthy to return to Confession, the Bishop of Lancaster said: “God’s love for you is greater than all the sins you’ve committed or could ever commit. Now is the time to come and have God take away the burdens of guilt that can often weigh us down. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to return to the Church or to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, this is your chance to re-establish and strengthen a relationship with God that will last forever”.
A statement from the diocese explains that the “Light is On” programme is a preliminary to the forthcoming Year of Faith, announced by Pope Benedict XVI, which begins in October.
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2012/01/11/bishop-asks-for-hour-of-confession-every-week-in-lent/
By Madeleine
Teahan on Wednesday, 11 January 2012
The Bishop of Lancaster has launched a Lenten
initiative to encourage Catholics to return to Confession.
From February 29 until the Wednesday of Holy Week, every Catholic church in the Diocese of Lancaster will be open from 7pm until 8pm in order for the faithful to go to Confession.
Bishop Campbell said: “During the Lenten season we will invite those who seek to strengthen their relationship with the Lord to join us in this celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Our priests are here to welcome you home, to pray with you, to be of service in the name of Jesus Christ, who offers all of us forgiveness for our sins and the gift of His mercy and love.
“Confession gives us the chance to start over, to hit the ‘reset’ button of our lives. It shows how forgiving and compassionate our God is and it helps us to grow in concern and love for others. Come to Confession this Lent and receive God’s mercy, for peace of mind and to deepen your friendship with Jesus, to receive spiritual healing and to increase your sense of joy and to experience Christ’s saving grace.”
Responding to the concern that many people feel too unworthy to return to Confession, the Bishop of Lancaster said: “God’s love for you is greater than all the sins you’ve committed or could ever commit. Now is the time to come and have God take away the burdens of guilt that can often weigh us down. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to return to the Church or to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, this is your chance to re-establish and strengthen a relationship with God that will last forever”.
A statement from the diocese explains that the “Light is On” programme is a preliminary to the forthcoming Year of Faith, announced by Pope Benedict XVI, which begins in October.
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2012/01/11/bishop-asks-for-hour-of-confession-every-week-in-lent/
AUSTRALIA : PERTH : ARCHBISHOP LAUNCHES NEW VIDEO SERIES
Article and Picture by B
Spinks
ARCHDIOCESE OF PERTH RELEASE: Children’s welfare, family interests and the rampant drug culture in Perth will be a few of the topics discussed by Perth Catholic Archbishop Barry Hickey in a new video series in an attempt to speak to the broader public.
The weekly video series “A Word for Today’s World with Archbishop Barry Hickey” will appear online by 22 January via The Faith Centre website.
The Faith Centre for Evangelisation and Catholic Culture, the newest centre in the Perth Archdiocese, will produce the video clips and host these on their website www.thefaith.org.au.
Transcripts will also be available once the clip is broadcast online.
http://www.perthcatholic.org.au/news-events/view_article.cfm?loadref=10&id=139
ARCHDIOCESE OF PERTH RELEASE: Children’s welfare, family interests and the rampant drug culture in Perth will be a few of the topics discussed by Perth Catholic Archbishop Barry Hickey in a new video series in an attempt to speak to the broader public.
The weekly video series “A Word for Today’s World with Archbishop Barry Hickey” will appear online by 22 January via The Faith Centre website.
The Faith Centre for Evangelisation and Catholic Culture, the newest centre in the Perth Archdiocese, will produce the video clips and host these on their website www.thefaith.org.au.
Transcripts will also be available once the clip is broadcast online.
http://www.perthcatholic.org.au/news-events/view_article.cfm?loadref=10&id=139
AFRICA : SOMALIA : 250000 AT RISK OF HUNGER
Agenzia
Fides REPORT - According to FSNAU (Food Security Analysis Unit, an organization
sponsored by the European Commission and by USAID), four million people are in
conditions of food insecurity in Somalia, of these, three million people are in
the south of the Country. About 250,000 people are in hunger looming. It is
estimated that over two thirds of the 250,000 Somalis live in urban areas while
the rest are located in rural areas. This is what the sixth Situational Report
of Caritas Somalia reports, sent to Fides.
The document recalls that the famine in Somalia has two main causes: the scarcity of rainfall in the previous two seasons (October-December 2010 and April-June 2011) and the lack of a prompt humanitarian response in the south in September-October 2011. This last factor comes from the combination of an inadequate response on behalf of the international community and by the severely limited access to humanitarian assistance in the area because of the policy of the Shabaab.
Southern Somalia is now the scene of fighting between Shabaab and troops of Kenya, officially intervened to put an end to the raids of bandits in the Somali territory. On 28 November, the Shabaab expelled 16 aid agencies and some offices were ransacked. Because of this policy, between 400,000 and 600,000 people in the area will no longer be assisted by humanitarian organizations.
After the drought, heavy rains and floods which hit parts of Somalia. The most affected areas are located in the basin of the river Juba, in southern Somalia (Gedo and Lower Juba). The rains have caused severe floods that have invaded agricultural land causing loss of crops.
The situation in Somalia remains extremely difficult. For 2012, Caritas intends to focus its activities, among others, in the following areas: treatment and prevention of diseases such as cholera; sending food or money to buy food in local markets; drinking water supply and sanitation services, medical and psychological support especially for women and children victims of sexual violence. Among the partners of Caritas Somalia, there are: Caritas Germany and Diakonia Germany, Caritas Switzerland/ Luxembourg; Trocaire and CRS. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 11/01/2012)
http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=30749&lan=eng
The document recalls that the famine in Somalia has two main causes: the scarcity of rainfall in the previous two seasons (October-December 2010 and April-June 2011) and the lack of a prompt humanitarian response in the south in September-October 2011. This last factor comes from the combination of an inadequate response on behalf of the international community and by the severely limited access to humanitarian assistance in the area because of the policy of the Shabaab.
Southern Somalia is now the scene of fighting between Shabaab and troops of Kenya, officially intervened to put an end to the raids of bandits in the Somali territory. On 28 November, the Shabaab expelled 16 aid agencies and some offices were ransacked. Because of this policy, between 400,000 and 600,000 people in the area will no longer be assisted by humanitarian organizations.
After the drought, heavy rains and floods which hit parts of Somalia. The most affected areas are located in the basin of the river Juba, in southern Somalia (Gedo and Lower Juba). The rains have caused severe floods that have invaded agricultural land causing loss of crops.
The situation in Somalia remains extremely difficult. For 2012, Caritas intends to focus its activities, among others, in the following areas: treatment and prevention of diseases such as cholera; sending food or money to buy food in local markets; drinking water supply and sanitation services, medical and psychological support especially for women and children victims of sexual violence. Among the partners of Caritas Somalia, there are: Caritas Germany and Diakonia Germany, Caritas Switzerland/ Luxembourg; Trocaire and CRS. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 11/01/2012)
http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=30749&lan=eng
TODAY'S GOSPEL AND MASS ONLINE : WED. JAN. 11, 2012
| Mark
1: 29 - 39
| |
| 29 | And immediately he left the synagogue, and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. |
| 30 | Now Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him of her. |
| 31 | And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her; and she served them. |
| 32 | That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. |
| 33 | And the whole city was gathered together about the door. |
| 34 | And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. |
| 35 | And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed. |
| 36 | And Simon and those who were with him pursued him, |
| 37 | and they found him and said to him, "Every one is searching for you." |
| 38 | And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out." |
| 39 | And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. |
TODAY'S SAINT : JAN. 11 : ST. THEODOSIUS THE CENOBIARCH
St. Theodosius the Cenobiarch
ABBOT AND FOUNDER
Feast: January 11
 Information:
|
|
St Theodosius was born at Mogariassus, called in latter ages
Marissa, in Cappadocia, in 423. He imbibed the first tincture of virtue from the
fervent example and pious instructions of his virtuous parents. He was ordained
reader, but some time after being moved by Abraham's example to quit his country
and friends, he resolved to put this motion in execution. He accordingly set out
for Jerusalem, but went purposely out of his road to visit the famous St. Simeon
Stylites on his pillar, who foretold him several circumstances of his life, and
gave him proper instructions for his behaviour in each. Having satisfied his
devotion in visiting the holy places in Jerusalem, he began to consider in what
manner he should dedicate himself to God in a religious state. The dangers of
living without a guide made him prefer a monastery to a hermitage; and he
therefore put himself under the directions of a holy man named Longinus, to whom
his virtue soon endeared him in a very particular manner. A pious lady having
built a church under the invocation of the Blessed Virgin, on the high road to
Bethlehem, Longinus could not well refuse her request that his pupil should
undertake the charge of it; but Theodosius, who loved only to obey, could not be
induced by any entreaties to consent to this proposal: absolute commands were
necessary to force him to a compliance. Nor did he govern long; for dreading the
poison of vanity from the esteem of men, he retired into a cave at the top of a
neighbouring desert mountain, and employed his time in fasting, watching,
prayers, and tears, which almost continually flowed from his eyes. His food was
coarse pulse and wild herbs: for thirty years he never tasted so much as a
morsel of bread. Many desired to serve God under his direction: he at first
determined only to admit six or seven, but was soon obliged to receive a greater
number, and at length came to a resolution, which charity extorted from him,
never to reject any that presented themselves with dispositions that seemed
sincere. The first lesson which he taught his monks was that the continual
remembrance of death is the foundation of religious perfection; to imprint this
more deeply in their minds, he caused a great grave or pit to be dug, which
might serve for the common burial-place of the whole community, that by the
presence of this memorial of death, and by continually meditating on that
object, they might more perfectly learn to die daily. The burial-place being
made, the abbot one day, when he had led his monks to it, said, The grave is
made, who will first perform the dedication?" Basil, a priest, who was one of
the number, falling on his knees, said to St. Theodosius, "I am the person, be
pleased to give me your blessing." The abbot ordered the prayers of the church
for the dead to be offered up for him, and on the fortieth day Basil wonderfully
departed to our Lord in peace without any apparent sickness. When the holy
company of disciples were twelve in number it happened that at the great feast
at Easter they had nothing to eat; they had not even bread for the sacrifice:
some murmured; the saint bid them trust in God and he would provide; which was
soon remarkably verified by the arrival of certain mules loaded with provisions.
The lustre of the sanctity and miracles of St. Theodosius drawing great numbers
to him who desired to serve God under his direction, his cave was too little for
their reception, therefore, having consulted heaven by prayer, he, by its
particular direction, built a spacious monastery at a place called Cathismus,
not far from Bethlehem, at a small distance from his cave, and it was soon
filled with holy monks. To this monastery were annexed three infirmaries: one
for the sick, the gift of a pious lady in that neighbourhood; the two others St.
Theodosius built himself, one for the aged and feeble, the other for such as had
been punished with the loss of their senses, or by falling under the power of
the devil, for rashly engaging in a religious state through pride, and without a
due dependence on the grace of God to carry them through it. All succours,
spiritual and temporal, were afforded in these infirmaries, with admirable
order, care, and affection. He erected also several buildings for the reception
of strangers, in which he exercised an unbounded hospitality, entertaining all
that came, for whose use there were one day above a hundred tables served with
provisions: these, when insufficient for the number of guests, were more than
once miraculously multiplied by his prayers. The monastery itself was like a
city of saints in the midst of a desert, and in it reigned regularity, silence,
charity, and peace. There were four churches belonging to it, one for each of
the three several nations of which his community was chiefly composed, each
speaking a different language; the fourth was for the use of such as were in a
state of penance, which those that recovered from their lunatic or possessed
condition before-mentioned, were put into, and detained till they had expiated
their fault. The nations into which his community was divided were the Greeks,
which was by far the most numerous, and consisted of all those that came from
any provinces of the empire; the Armenians, with whom were joined the Arabians
and Persians; and, thirdly, the Bessi, who comprehended all the northern nations
below Thrace, or all who used the Runic or Sclavonian tongue. Each nation sung
the first part of the mass to the end of the gospel in their own church, but
after the gospel all met in the church of the Greeks, where they celebrated the
essential part of the sacrifice in Greek, and communicated all
together.
The monks passed a considerable part of the day and night at
their devotions in the church, and at the times not set apart for public prayer
and necessary rest every one was obliged to apply himself to some trade or
manual labour, not incompatible with recollection that the house might be
supplied with conveniences. Sallust, Bishop of Jerusalem, appointed St. Sabas
superior general of the hermits and our saint of the Cenobites, or religious men
living in community throughout all Palestine, whence he was styled the
Cenobiarch. These two great servants of God lived in strict friendship, and had
frequent spiritual conferences together; they were also united in their zeal and
sufferings for the church.
The Emperor Anastasius patronised the Eutychian heresy, and
used all possible means to engage our saint in his party. In 513 he deposed
Elias, Patriarch of Jerusalem, as he had banished Flavian II, Patriarch of
Antioch, and intruded Severus, an impious heretic, into that see, commending the
Syrians to obey and hold communion with him. SS. Theodosius and Sabas maintained
boldly the right of Elias, and of John his successor; whereupon the imperial
officers thought it most advisable to connive at their proceedings, considering
the great authority they had acquired by their sanctity. Soon after, the emperor
sent Theodosius a considerable sum of money, for charitable uses in appearance,
but in reality to engage him in his interest. The saint accepted of it, and
distributed it all among the poor. Anastasius, now persuading himself that he
was as good as gained over to his cause, sent him a heretical profession of
faith, in which the divine and human natures in Christ were confounded into one,
and desired him to sign it. The saint wrote him an answer full of apostolic
spirit; in which, besides solidly confuting the Eutychian error, he added that
he was ready to lay down his life for the faith of the church. The emperor
admired his courage and the strength of his reasoning, and, returning him a
respectful answer, highly commended his generous zeal, made some apology for his
own inconsiderateness, and protested that he only desired the peace of the
church. But it was not long ere he relapsed into his former impiety, and renewed
his bloody edicts against the orthodox, dispatching troops everywhere to have
them put in execution. On the first intelligence of this, Theodosius went over
all the deserts and country of Palestine, exhorting every one to be firm in the
faith of the four general councils. At Jerusalem, having assembled the people
together, he from the pulpit cried out with a loud voice: "If any one receives
not the four general councils as the four gospels, let him be anathema." So bold
an action in a man of his years inspired with courage those whom the edicts had
terrified. His discourses had a wonderful effect on the people, and God gave a
sanction to his zeal by miracles: one of these was, that on his going out of the
church at Jerusalem, a woman was healed of a cancer on the spot by only touching
his garments. The emperor sent an order for his banishment, which was executed;
but, dying soon after, Theodosius was recalled by his catholic successor,
Justin, who, from a common soldier, had gradually ascended the imperial
throne.
Our saint survived his return eleven years, never admitting
the least relaxation in his former austerities. Such was his humility that,
seeing two monks at variance with each other, he threw himself at their feet,
and would not rise till they were perfectly reconciled; and once having
excommunicated one of his subjects for a crime, who contumaciously pretended to
excommunicate him in his turn, the saint behaved as if he had been really
excommunicated, to gain the sinner's soul by this unprecedented example of
submission, which had the desired effect. During the last year of his life he
was afflicted with a painful distemper, in which he gave proof of a heroic
patience, and an entire submission to the will of God. Perceiving the hour of
his dissolution at hand, he gave his last exhortations to his disciples, and
foretold many things, which accordingly came to pass after his death; this
happened in the one hundred and fifth year of his age, and of our Lord 529.
Peter, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and the whole country, assisted with the deepest
sentiments of respect at the solemnity of his interment, which was honoured by
miracles. He was buried in his first cell called the Cave of the Magi, because
the wise men who came to adore Christ soon after his birth were said to have
lodged in it. A certain count being on his march against the Persians, begged
the hair shirt which the saint used to wear next his skin, and believed that he
owed the victory which he obtained over them to the saint's protection through
the pledge of that relic. Both the Romans and Greek calendars mention his
festival on the 11th of January.
It is the opinion of St. Gregory the Great that the world is
to some persons so full of ambushes and snares, or dangerous occasions of sin,
that they cannot be saved but by choosing a safe retreat. Yet there are some who
find the greatest dangers in solitude itself; so that it is necessary for every
one to sound his own heart, take a survey of his own forces and abilities, and
consult God, that he may best be able to learn the designs of his providence
with regard to his soul; in doing which, a great purity of intention is the
first requisite. Ease and enjoyment must not be the end of Christian retirement,
but penance, labour, and assiduous contemplation; without great fervour and
constancy in which, close solitude is the road to perdition. If greater safety,
or an unfitness for a public station, or a life of much business (in which
several are only public nuisances), may be just motives to some for embracing a
life of retirement, the means of more easily attaining to perfect virtue may be
such to many. Nor do true contemplatives bury their talents, or cease either to
be members of the republic of mankind, or to throw in their mite towards its
welfare.
From the prayers and thanksgivings which they daily offer to
God for the peace of the world, the preservation of the church, the conversion
of sinners, and the salvation of all men, doubtless more valuable benefits often
accrue to mankind than from the alms of the rich or the labours of the learned.
Nor is it to be imagined how far and how powerfully their spirit, and the
example of their innocence and perfect virtue, often spread their influence; and
how serviceable persons who lead a holy and sequestered life may be to the good
of the world; nor how great glory redounds to God by the perfect purity of heart
and charity to which many souls are thus raised.
(Taken from Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler) |
SOURCE: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/T/sttheodosiusthecenobiarch.asp#ixzz1jAyxrlAs
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