Catholic News World : Sunday December 21, 2014 - Share!

 2014

Pope Francis "Pray, go to confession, do some cleaning up… this is good." Angelus Text/Video - SHARE

Free Catholic Movie : A Christmas Carol - Stars Patrick Stewart of Star Trek - 1999

Interfaith Prayer Service by Archbishop Fisher in Australia Cathedral for victims of Cafe Siege

Christmas Novena : Day 5 : Official Plenary Indulgence

Sunday Mass Online : Sunday December 21, 2014 - 4th Advent - B

Saint December 21 : Saint Peter Canisius : Patron of Catholic Press and Germany

Wow Angelina Jolie brought to her Knees for True Story of Christian Zamperini in Amazing New Movie - Unbroken - SHARE

Charles Dickens' classic novel about a Victorian-era miser taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions.
A Christmas Carol (1999) TV Movie - 95 min - Drama | Fantasy - 5 December 1999 (USA) Writers: Peter Barnes (written for television by), Charles Dickens (novel) Stars: Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Joel Grey

FOR AMAZING FREE MOVIES LIKE US ON FACEBOOKhttps://www.facebook.com/catholicnewsworld 

Interfaith Prayer Service by Archbishop Fisher in Australia Cathedral for victims of Cafe Siege

Interfaith Prayer Service for Victims of Violence

Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
19 Dec 2014

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP at Interfaith Service at St Mary's Cathedral

Leaders of many different faiths came together today to remember, reflect and pray for the victims who died in the Martin Place siege, their families and all the hostages taken during the ordeal.

They also remembered victims of violence and terror in many other parts of the world.

Side by side in St Mary's Cathedral Muslims sat with Buddhists, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs and Christians.

It was a powerful testimony to peace and harmony and the rejection of violent events like the siege in Martin Place this week which claimed the lives of two hostages, Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson, and the horrific killings of nearly 150 students and staff at a school in Pakistan by terrorists.

Archbishop Anthony Fisher welcomed the various faith leaders, their followers, and around 300 other people of all faiths and even no faith to the Service.

Mrs Kulwant Kaur representing the Sikh Community of NSW

Five leaders initially offered reflections - Brian White, the Chairperson of the Buddhist Council of NSW; Jeremy Spinak, President of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies; Prof Nihal Singh Agar, of the Hindu Council of Australia; and Dr Basim Alansari, representing the Office of Ayatollah Al-Ansari/Shia Islam.

The Grand Muft of Australia, Dr Ibraham Abu Mohammad then addressed the gathering.

"On behalf of Australia's Muslims I stand before you first and foremost in trust and heartfelt sorrow for the families of the two victims and the recovery of their families," he said.

The Grand Mufti said he prayed for the healing of their wounds and his and the Muslim community's thoughts and prayers go out to the 17 hostages who endured such a horrendous ordeal.

The Grand Muft of Australia, Dr Ibraham Abu Mohammad addressed the gathering.

"I want to convey in public as well as in private gatherings that Australian society is one big family and will always remain a beacon of liberty, security and an oasis of multi-culturalism," the Grand Mufti said, adding that Australia would continue to stand united against crimes committed against innocent civilians.

"The tragic events of this week increase our unity and I am confident that as Australians we will rise above our wounds and exercise life as normal, and not allow anyone toi separate the bonds of love and harmony; and that we will always stand tall together."

Archbishop Fisher said;" So all of us reflecting together today know the importance of peace. It is at the heart of our faiths. We pray today for eternal peace with God for those who have died. For Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson. And after a time of disturbance in our city we want to give common witness to our belief that genuine religion promotes peace, not division. We join together in repudiating hatred and violence. We salute and pray for each other the Peace of God which is beyond all understanding.And we affirm in common: God, the Holy, the Divine, the All Powerful, the All Merciful, wants peace.

The religious leaders recognised the importance of solidarity and harmony after the week of violence

"Christians believe the Prince of Peace came as a babe born in a manger at Christmas time. It is my prayer that His peace may shine on our heart-broken city this Christmas. May God's peace be with you all and with all Sydneysiders."

During the Service there was a period of silence for reflection and everyone was invited to pray according to their own traditions.

Then representatives from different faiths were invited to light a candle as the Cathedral bell tolled.

The Service concluded with the Australian National Anthem and a prayer for peace from Archbishop Anthony.

All the religious leaders were aware of the strong message their presence together sent to the community in a week when violence and death had so deeply touched the people of Sydney.ok

Pope Francis "Pray, go to confession, do some cleaning up… this is good." Angelus Text/Video - SHARE

Pope Francis addresses the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square for the Sunday Angelus Prayer - AFP

21/12/2014 01:

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday invited the faithful to listen carefully when God knocks at their door. “Too often – he said – Jesus passes by in our lives, he sends an angel and we are so caught up in our thoughts and concerns we do not even notice”.Speaking to the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus Prayer, the Pope reflected on the liturgy of the last Sunday of Advent that tells of the  Annunciation of the Archangel Gabriel to Mary and on how she simply, and humbly – with an attitude of total faith in the Lord – said “yes”. She said “I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1, 38).

Mary – Pope Francis said - did not know what had been laid out for her in the future, she did not know what pains and what risks she would be called to face. But she was aware that the Lord had asked something of her and she trusted in him completely. This – he said – is the faith of Mary!

Another aspect to take note of – Francis continued – is this capacity of Mary to “recognize the time of God”. Thanks to her the Incarnation of the Son of God was possible. 

Mary teaches us – the Pope said – to be aware of the favorable moment in which Jesus passes in our lives asking for a ready and generous answer.

And Jesus – he said – does pass in our lives. At Christmas he knocks at the heart of every Christian and each of us is called to respond, like Mary, with a sincere and personal “yes”, putting ourselves at the disposal of God and of his mercy.

 How often – the Pope pointed out – we so caught up in our own thoughts and concerns, perhaps in these very days in our preparations for Christmas, that we do not even notice that he is knocking at the doors of our hearts, asking for a welcome, asking for a “yes”.

And recalling the words of a Saint who used to say “I am afraid that the Lord will pass me by” the Pope explained that he was really afraid that he would not notice the Lord’s presence and would not be ready to respond. This attitude – Francis said – and this fear that we feel in our hearts “is really the Lord knocking” and it makes us want to be better, to be close to others and to God. 

“If this is what you feel, stop” - the Pope said – “the Lord is there! Pray, go to confession, do some cleaning up… this is good. But remember: if you feel this wish to be better, it is He who is knocking. Don’t let him pass you by!”

And Pope Francis concluded his reflection recalling the silent, prayerful figure of Joseph, as he is portrayed in every nativity scene.

The example of Mary and Joseph – he said – is an invitation to all of us to welcome Jesus openly; he comes to bring the gift of peace: “peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests” ((Luke 2, 14).

Just as the angels said to the shepherds – Pope Francis said – the precious gift of Christmas is peace, and Christ is our true peace: “Christ is knocking at the doors of our hearts go give us His peace. Let us open those doors to Christ!(Linda Bordoni)

Christmas Novena : Day 5 : Official Plenary Indulgence

Opening Prayer:

V. O God, come to my assistance.

R. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father and to
the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now
and ever shall be, world without
end.Amen.

Our Father, Who art in heaven
Hallowed be Thy Name;
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.  Amen.

Day 5 Prayers

The Circumcision

O most sweet infant Jesus, circumcised when

eight days old, and called by the glorious name

of Jesus, and proclaimed both by your name and

by your blood, to be the Savior of the world.

Have mercy on us.

Have mercy on us, 0 Lord. Have mercy on us.

Hail Mary...

 Amen.

FROM THE RACCOLTA OFFICIAL

NOVENA PREPARATORY TO CHRISTMAS In order to the devout preparation of ourselves for the glorious Birthday of our most loving Saviour, Jesus Christ, which the holy Church recalls to our memory every year on the 25th of December, and at the same time to render Him thanks for this great benefit, Pope Pius VII., by a Rescript of the Segretaria of the Memorials, dated August 12th, 1815 (which said Rescript is preserved in the Segretaria of the Vicariate), granted to all faithful Christians who, being contrite in heart, should prepare themselves for that great solemnity by a novena, consisting of pious exercises, prayers, acts of virtue, &c. -
i. An indulgence of 300 days each day of the said novena, and -
ii. A plenary indulgence to be gained on Christmas day, or on some day in its octave, by those who, after Confession and Communion, shall have made the said novena every day, and who shall pray according to the intentions of the Sovereigns Pontiff: and note that the Confession and Communion may be made on any one of the days of the said novena, provided the novena is correctly kept. This was declared by Pope Pius VIII., of holy memory, by means of the S. Congr. of Indulgences, July 9, 1830. These indulgences were extended by the above-named Pius VII. to one other time in the year, besides the the specified, when any one should make the aforesaid novena in honour of the Child Jesus.

Sunday Mass Online : Sunday December 21, 2014 - 4th Advent - Gaudete - B

Fourth Sunday of Advent
Lectionary: 11

Reading 12 SM 7:1-5, 8B-12, 14A, 16

When King David was settled in his palace,
and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side,
he said to Nathan the prophet,
“Here I am living in a house of cedar,
while the ark of God dwells in a tent!”
Nathan answered the king,
“Go, do whatever you have in mind,
for the LORD is with you.”
But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:
“Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD:
Should you build me a house to dwell in?’

“It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock 
to be commander of my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.
And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth.
I will fix a place for my people Israel;
I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place
without further disturbance.
Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,
since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.
I will give you rest from all your enemies.
The LORD also reveals to you
that he will establish a house for you.
And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his kingdom firm.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 89:2-3, 4-5, 27-29

R/ (2a) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R/ For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”
R/ For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.’
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.”
R/ For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Reading 2ROM 16:25-27

Brothers and sisters:
To him who can strengthen you,
according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages
but now manifested through the prophetic writings and,
according to the command of the eternal God,
made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith,
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ
be glory forever and ever. Amen.

AlleluiaLK 1:38

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
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,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

Saint December 21 : Saint Peter Canisius : Patron of Catholic Press and Germany

St. Peter Canisius DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH Feast: December 21 Information: Feast Day: December 21 Born: May 8, 1521, Nijmegen in the Duchy of Guelders, Netherlands Died: December 21, 1597 Canonized: May 21, 1925, Rome by Pope Pius XI Patron of: Catholic press, Germany This doctor of the church is often called the second Apostle of Germany. Both Holland and Germany claim him as their son, for Nijmegen, where he was born, May 8th, 1521, though a Dutch town today, was at that time in the ecclesiastical province of Cologne and had the rights of a German city. His father, a Catholic and nine times burgomaster of Nijmegen, sent him at the age of fifteen to the University of Cologne, where he met the saintly young priest, Nicolaus van Esch. It was he who drew Canisius into the orbit of the loyal Catholic party in Cologne, which had been formed in opposition to the archbishop, Hermann von Wied, who had secretly gone over to the Lutherans. Canisius was chosen by the group to approach the emperor, and the deposition of the archbishop which followed averted a calamity from the Catholic Rhineland. Shortly afterwards Peter Canisius met Bd. Peter Faber, one of the first companions of St Ignatius, and made the under his direction. During this retreat he found the answer to the question he had put to himself: how best could he serve God and assist the stricken Catholic church in Germany? He was inspired to join the Society of Jesus, and, after his ordination in 1546, soon became known by his editions of works of St Cyril of Alexandria and of St Leo the Great. In 1547 he attended the council of Trent as procurator for the bishop of Augsburg, where he became still further imbued with the spirit of the Catholic Counter-Reformation. His obedience was tested when he was sent by St Ignatius to teach rhetoric in the comparative obscurity of the new Jesuit college at Messina, but this interlude in his public work for the church was but a brief one. Recalled to Rome in 1549 to make his final profession, he was entrusted with what was to become his life's work: the mission to Germany. At the request of the duke of Bavaria, Canisius was chosen with two other Jesuits to profess theology in the University of Ingolstadt. Soon he was appointed rector of the University, and then, through the intervention of King Ferdinand of the Romans, he was sent to do the same kind of work in the University of Vienna. His success was such that the king tried to have him appointed to the archbishopric. Though he refused this dignity, he was compelled to administer the diocese for the space of a year. It was at this period, 1555, that he issued his famous , one of his greatest services to the church. With its clear and popular exposition of Catholic doctrine it met the need of the day, and was to counter the devastating effect of Luther's . In its enlarged form it went into more than four hundred editions by the end of the seventeenth century and was translated into fifteen languages. From Vienna Canisius passed on to Bohemia, where the condition of the church was desperate. In the face of determined opposition he established a college at Prague which was to develop into a university. Named Provincial of southern Germany in 1556, he established colleges for boys in six cities, and set himself to the task of providing Germany with a supply of well-trained priests. This he did by his work for the establishment of seminaries, and by sending regular reinforcements of young men to be trained in Rome. On his many journeys in Germany St Peter Canisius never ceased from preaching the word of God. He often encountered apathy or hostility at first, but as his zeal and learning were so manifest great crowds soon thronged the churches to listen. For seven years he was official preacher in the cathedral of Augsburg, and is regarded m a special way as the apostle of that city. Whenever he came across a country church deprived of its pastor he would halt there to preach and to administer the sacraments. It seemed impossible to exhaust him: 'If you have too much to do, with God's help you will find time to do it all,' he said, when someone accused him of overworking himself. Another form of his apostolate was letter writing, and the printed volumes of his correspondence cover more than eight thousand pages. Like St Bernard of Clairvaux he used this means of comforting, rebuking and counselling all ranks of society. As the needs of the church or the individual required, he wrote to pope and emperor, to bishops and princes, to ordinary priests and laymen. Where letters would not suffice he brought to bear his great powers of personal influence. Thus at the conference between Catholics and Protestants held at Worms in 1556, it was due to his influence that the Catholics were able to present a united front and resist Protestant invitations to compromise on points of principle. In Poland in 1558 he checked an incipient threat to the traditional faith of the country; and in the same year, he earned the thanks of Pope Pius IV for his diplomatic skill in healing a breach between the pope and the emperor. This gift of dealing with men led to his being entrusted in 1561 with the promulgation in Germany of the decrees of the council of Trent. Shortly afterwards he was called on to answer the of Magdeburg. This work, 'the first and worst of all Protestant church histories', was a large-scale attack on the Catholic church, and its enormous distortions of history would have required more than one man to produce an adequate answer. Yet Peter Canisius showed the way by his two works, , and . From 1580 until his death in 1597 he labored and suffered much in Switzerland. His last six years were spent in patient endurance and long hours of prayer in the college of Fribourg, now that broken health had made further active work impossible. Soon after his death, December 21st, 1597, his tomb began to be venerated, and numerous miracles were attributed to his intercession, He had the unique honor of being canonized and declared a doctor of the church on the same day, June 21st, 1925. source:http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/P/stpetercanisius.asp

Wow Angelina Jolie brought to her Knees for True Story of Christian Zamperini in Amazing New Movie - Unbroken - SHARE

 Actress-and-director Angelina Jolie said in the past (2000), “There doesn’t need to be a God for me.” But recently Angelina she had a change of heart while directing the film 'Unbroken,' a story about the life of WWII hero, Olympic athlete, and devout Christian Louis Zamperini. Angelina spent time with Louis discussing his faith in Jesus Christ. Angelina needed the sun to shine shoot the very last scene of the movie, but the rain would not stop. Louis Zamperini’s daughter, Cynthia said, “She [Angelina] was not a person of faith and had never prayed before, but she found herself at the very last scene of the movie ... they needed sunlight to shoot this very important scene and there had been a storm that had been going for a while. Angelina said, 'I don't know what I'm going to do so I'll do what Louie would do.' She got on her knees and she prayed for a miracle … everybody saw it … It stopped raining. The sun came out, a rainbow came out, she said, 'let's get this take' and they shot the take. When she said 'cut,' it started to rain again.” . When Angelina heard that Louis Zamperini was on his death bed she rushed to the hospital. Sadly, she did not make it before the hero passed. But when she saw Louis’ family she “pointed above saying ‘I know he’s with us, I know he’s there with God.’” Based on the incredible true story. Unbroken arrives in theaters on Christmas Day, 2014. Description Academy Award® winner Angelina Jolie directs and produces Unbroken, an epic drama that follows the incredible life of Olympian and war hero Louis “Louie” Zamperini (Jack O’Connell) who, along with two other crewmen, survived in a raft for 47 days after a near-fatal plane crash in WWII—only to be caught by the Japanese Navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp. Adapted from Laura Hillenbrand’s (“Seabiscuit: An American Legend”) enormously popular book, Unbroken brings to the big screen Zamperini’s unbelievable and inspiring true story about the resilient power of the human spirit. Starring alongside O’Connell are Domhnall Gleeson and Finn Wittrock as Phil and Mac—the airmen with whom Zamperini endured perilous weeks adrift in the open Pacific—Garrett Hedlund and John Magaro as fellow POWs who find an unexpected camaraderie during their internment, Alex Russell as Zamperini’s brother, Pete, and in his English-language feature debut, Japanese actor Miyavi as the brutal camp guard known only to the men as “The Bird.” The film is produced by Jolie, as well as Matthew Baer (City by the Sea), Erwin Stoff (The Day the Earth Stood Still) and Clayton Townsend (This Is 40). Leading the accomplished behind-the-scenes crew is 11-time Oscar®-nominated cinematographer Roger Deakins (Skyfall). Academy Award® winners Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men) rewrote the screenplay from earlier drafts by William Nicholson (Les Misérables) and Richard LaGravenese (HBO’s Behind the Candelabra). Unbroken arrives in theaters on Christmas Day, 2014.