2014
Viral Video of Dying Teen Zach - SHARE this Amazing Story of Hope!
Zach was the third of the Sobiech family’s four children and was a student at St. Croix Catholic School in 2009 when he was diagnosed. He felt pain in his hip during a jog; eventually, they took him in for a CT scan which revealed cancer.
They are a Catholic family and Zach's mother Laura said, “Identifying with Mary’s suffering has been huge”. “To meditate from her point of view, watching her son suffer, has just really brought me peace and shown me how to do it. She had quiet strength. The Way of the Cross, Mary was there for the whole thing, and there was nothing she could really do but be there.”
FOR MORE INSPIRATIONAL NEWS LIKE US ON FACEBOOK NOW
“Any time we have a struggle in the family, I go right to the rosary because I know that’s where we’re going to get the grace — or I’m going to get the grace — to get through things,” she said. “I just don’t have to do it on my own. It’s my safety net.”
Matthew Brown greets Bishop Lee Piché after being confirmed during a Mass April 22 at St. Mary in Stillwater. His scheduled confirmation was moved up to accommodate the failing health of his sponsor, Zach Sobiech, center. (Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit)
Laura said. “I think all of us felt that the Holy Spirit really was there, not just for Matt, but was spilling over to all of us." (Quotes and Pictures from Diocese Website - TheCatholicSpirit)
“He has this sense of joy, and he shares it with everyone, even when he’s down,” Adamle said. “His faith has made my faith stronger because even in dark times, he still looks to God. It helps me know that I can do that.”
Laura wrote a message on his CaringBridge site: “Zachary passed away this morning. He was surrounded by his sisters, brother, parents and girlfriend. We love him dearly.”
Share this Story with 10 Friends and get them to Share with 10 Friends - Change the World with Hope!
FOR MORE INSPIRATIONAL NEWS LIKE US ON FACEBOOK NOW
Today's Mass Online : Friday May 23, 2014
Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Lectionary: 289
Reading 1ACTS 15:22-31
The Apostles and presbyters, in agreement with the whole Church,
decided to choose representatives
and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas,
and Silas, leaders among the brothers.
This is the letter delivered by them:
“The Apostles and the presbyters, your brothers,
to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia
of Gentile origin: greetings.
Since we have heard that some of our number
who went out without any mandate from us
have upset you with their teachings
and disturbed your peace of mind,
we have with one accord decided to choose representatives
and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So we are sending Judas and Silas
who will also convey this same message by word of mouth:
‘It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us
not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities,
namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols,
from blood, from meats of strangled animals,
and from unlawful marriage.
If you keep free of these,
you will be doing what is right. Farewell.’“
And so they were sent on their journey.
Upon their arrival in Antioch
they called the assembly together and delivered the letter.
When the people read it, they were delighted with the exhortation.
decided to choose representatives
and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas,
and Silas, leaders among the brothers.
This is the letter delivered by them:
“The Apostles and the presbyters, your brothers,
to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia
of Gentile origin: greetings.
Since we have heard that some of our number
who went out without any mandate from us
have upset you with their teachings
and disturbed your peace of mind,
we have with one accord decided to choose representatives
and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So we are sending Judas and Silas
who will also convey this same message by word of mouth:
‘It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us
not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities,
namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols,
from blood, from meats of strangled animals,
and from unlawful marriage.
If you keep free of these,
you will be doing what is right. Farewell.’“
And so they were sent on their journey.
Upon their arrival in Antioch
they called the assembly together and delivered the letter.
When the people read it, they were delighted with the exhortation.
Responsorial Psalm PS 57:8-9, 10 AND 12
R. (10a) I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
My heart is steadfast, O God; my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and chant praise.
Awake, O my soul; awake, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn.
R. I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to you among the peoples, O LORD,
I will chant your praise among the nations.
For your mercy towers to the heavens,
and your faithfulness to the skies.
Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
above all the earth be your glory!
R. I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
My heart is steadfast, O God; my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and chant praise.
Awake, O my soul; awake, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn.
R. I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to you among the peoples, O LORD,
I will chant your praise among the nations.
For your mercy towers to the heavens,
and your faithfulness to the skies.
Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
above all the earth be your glory!
R. I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel JN 15:12-17
Jesus said to his disciples:
“This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.”
“This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.”
Pope Francis Asks for Prayers for his Trip to Holy Land amid Health Concerns
HEALTH CONCERNS FOR TRIP TO HOLY LAND
Pope Francis begins a trip to the Holy Land on Saturday with a schedule that could be challenging even for a healthy person.The 77-year-old Pope has been on a busy schedule of activity. As young boy in Argentina, the Pope suffered an infection when surgeons to remove most of one lung. Recently the Pope has canceled a number of papal appointments, due to health reasons. The reason given was to "lighten the commitments" of the Pope ahead of his Holy Land visit, but further cancellations followed that weekend due to a cold. The Vatican said the Holy Father had "expressed fatigue" after a general audience in St. Peter's Square. Others in the Vatican have said they notice he has difficulty breathing, and during the 14 months of his papacy has gained a significant amount of weight, perhaps as much as 20 pounds.
Official Stamps for Pope Francis visit to the Holy Land by Israel Postal Service
Ind. Cath. News Report: The Israel Philatelic Service, Israel Postal Company is issuing a special stamp sheet to mark the visit of Pope Francis to Israel. The stamp sheet will be issued on the day the Pope visits Jerusalem, 26 May 2014. An additional stamp sheet will be issued after the visit.
The Israel Philatelic Service, Israel Postal Company has prepared the first stamp sheet in a limited and numbered edition. It contains 12 postage stamps and 12 images of important Christian Holy Sites in Israel. Each stamp sheet is numbered like a lithograph. The stamp sheet is showcased in an attractive folder with exclusive articles written by Henrique Cymerman, journalist, and personal friend of Pope Francis. One of the articles describes "Pope Francis I – the Revolutionary of the 21 Century. This unique souvenir is published in three languages: Hebrew, English and Spanish. After the visit, the Israel Philatelic Service, Israel Postal Company will issue another special stamp sheet and folder featuring exclusive pictures and articles of the historic Papal visit.
Yaron Razon, Director of the Israel Philatelic Service said: "Israel's stamps are a diverse gallery of events and personalities, crossing seas and continents and act as a bridge between cultures. We are pleased and proud to issue a stamp in honor of the Pope's visit to Israel. This is a new link in the chain of special products we have issued for Papal visits in the Holy Land. This current issue follows a joint stamp issue that Israel had with the Vatican in 2010." Available from 26 May 2014 at select post offices in Israel and at the following website in six languages: English, German, Spanish, French, Italian and Chinese http://www.wopa-stamps.com/israelpopestamps
Shared from Independent Cath. News
Wow Over 20 Thousand Baptized to Catholic Church in China at Easter
ASIA NEWS IT REPORT: According to data from Faith Press, between the Easter vigil and Easter Sunday, over 20 thousand people (mostly adults) were Baptized. However people are usually welcomed into the Church at Christmas or during the Chinese New Year. The data shows an increase in conversions.
Beijing (AsiaNews) - The Catholic Church in China had recorded at least 20,004 new Baptisms, with 70 percent adults, throughout the country at Easter 2014, according to a report published by Shijiazhuang-based Faith Press on its web issue of May 19.
The survey was conducted by Faith Press and the Faith Institute for Cultural Studies at Easter time. Only those who were baptized at Easter Vigil or on Easter Sunday were counted in. Some Catholics in China may choose to be baptized at Christmas, Chinese New Year or before weddings.
The survey result showed mostly the Baptisms from the open Church communities, whereas the underground side was more difficult to access, a source added.
The report also explained the difficulties of conducting the survey as bishops or priests of certain dioceses or parishes could not be reached by telecommunications, or no one from the local Churches was designated to collect data from all parishes.
Through collecting data on Baptisms, the staff members of Faith Press and the Institute found that parish priests and parishioners' awareness of the need to evangelize was high, and were willing to participate in preaching the Gospel and use different methods and ways to evangelize, the report said.
Hebei province, with the highest number of Catholics, shows Handan and Xingtai dioceses in southern Hebei, had the biggest harvest at Easter. Handan diocese had nearly 1,000 Baptisms and Xingtai diocese (3 areas) had a total of 1,481 Baptisms. Also in Hebei, Hengshui diocese and Cangzhou (Xianxian) diocese had a substantial number too.
In southern China, Wenzhou diocese had 641 new Catholics at Easter. Of the new Catholics, more than 70% were adults, and underwent systematic catechetical training for 3 to 4 months, once a week.
In Changzhi, Shanxi, the rural parishes also had 125 new adult Catholics. With the effort of catechists, at least two counties - Xin and Pingshun - without Catholics have begun to have Catholics.
The highlands of Guizhou and Yunnan provinces, southwestern China, also noted Baptisms. Guizhou had 237 new Catholics this year, higher than last year's 148 new Catholics.
According to the report, this was the seventh year the Faith Press and the Institute had surveyed various dioceses on the situation of Baptisms at Easter. In 2013, it recorded 16,000 Baptisms; and in 2012, there were 22,000 Baptisms.
SHARED FROM ASIA NEWS IT
Beijing (AsiaNews) - The Catholic Church in China had recorded at least 20,004 new Baptisms, with 70 percent adults, throughout the country at Easter 2014, according to a report published by Shijiazhuang-based Faith Press on its web issue of May 19.
The survey was conducted by Faith Press and the Faith Institute for Cultural Studies at Easter time. Only those who were baptized at Easter Vigil or on Easter Sunday were counted in. Some Catholics in China may choose to be baptized at Christmas, Chinese New Year or before weddings.
The survey result showed mostly the Baptisms from the open Church communities, whereas the underground side was more difficult to access, a source added.
The report also explained the difficulties of conducting the survey as bishops or priests of certain dioceses or parishes could not be reached by telecommunications, or no one from the local Churches was designated to collect data from all parishes.
Through collecting data on Baptisms, the staff members of Faith Press and the Institute found that parish priests and parishioners' awareness of the need to evangelize was high, and were willing to participate in preaching the Gospel and use different methods and ways to evangelize, the report said.
Hebei province, with the highest number of Catholics, shows Handan and Xingtai dioceses in southern Hebei, had the biggest harvest at Easter. Handan diocese had nearly 1,000 Baptisms and Xingtai diocese (3 areas) had a total of 1,481 Baptisms. Also in Hebei, Hengshui diocese and Cangzhou (Xianxian) diocese had a substantial number too.
In southern China, Wenzhou diocese had 641 new Catholics at Easter. Of the new Catholics, more than 70% were adults, and underwent systematic catechetical training for 3 to 4 months, once a week.
In Changzhi, Shanxi, the rural parishes also had 125 new adult Catholics. With the effort of catechists, at least two counties - Xin and Pingshun - without Catholics have begun to have Catholics.
The highlands of Guizhou and Yunnan provinces, southwestern China, also noted Baptisms. Guizhou had 237 new Catholics this year, higher than last year's 148 new Catholics.
According to the report, this was the seventh year the Faith Press and the Institute had surveyed various dioceses on the situation of Baptisms at Easter. In 2013, it recorded 16,000 Baptisms; and in 2012, there were 22,000 Baptisms.
SHARED FROM ASIA NEWS IT
Official Logo for Pope Francis Visit to the Holy Land Released
Saint May 23 : St.John Baptiste de Rossi : Missionary and Catechist : Died in 1764
MISSIONARY AND CATECHIST
Feast: May 23
Information:
| Born at Voltaggio in the Diocese of Genoa, 22 February, 1698; died at Rome, 23 May, 1764; feast on 23 May. His parents, Charles de Rossi and Frances Anfossi, were not rich in earthly goods, but had solid piety and the esteem of their fellow-citizens. Of their four children, John excelled in gentleness and piety. At the age of ten he was taken to Genoa by friends for his education. There he received news of the death of his father. After three years he was called to Rome by a relative, Lorenzo de Rossi, who was canon at St. Mary in Cosmedin. He pursued his studies at the Collegium Romanum under the direction of the Jesuits, and soon became a model by his talents, application to study, and virtue. As a member of the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin and of the Ristretto of the Twelve Apostles established at the college, he led the members in the meetings and pious exercises, in visits to the sick in the hospitals and in other works of mercy, and merited even then the name of apostle. At the age of sixteen he entered the clerical state. Owing to indiscreet practices of mortification he contracted spells of epilepsy, notwithstanding which he made his course of scholastic philosophy and theology, in the college of the Dominicans, and, with dispensation, was ordained priest on 8 March, 1721. Having reached the desired goal, he bound himself by vow to accept no ecclesiastical benefice unless commanded by obedience. He fulfilled the duties of the sacred ministry by devoting himself to the labourers, herds, and teamsters of the Campagna, preaching to them early in the morning, or late in the evening, at the old Forum Romanum (Campo Vaccino), and by visiting, instructing, and assisting the poor at the hospital of St. Galla. In 1731 he established near St. Galla another hospital as a home of refuge for the unfortunates who wander the city by night ("Rom. Brev.", tr. Bute, Summer, 573). In 1735 he became titular canon at St. Mary in Cosmedin, and, on the death of Lorenzo two years later, obedience forced him to accept the canonry. The house belonging to it, however, he would not use, but employed the rent for good purposes. For a number of years John was afraid, on account of his sickness, to enter the confessional, and it was his custom to send to other priests the sinners whom he had brought to repentance by his instructions and sermons. In 1738 a dangerous sickness befell him, and to regain his health he went to Cività Castellana, a day's journey from Rome. The bishop of the place induced him to hear confessions, and after reviewing his moral theology he received the unusual faculty of hearing confessions in any of the churches of Rome. He showed extraordinary zeal in the exercise of this privilege, and spent many hours every day in hearing the confessions of the illiterate and the poor whom he sought in the hospitals and in their homes. He preached to such five and six times a day in churches, chapels, convents, hospitals, barracks, and prison cells, so that he became the apostle of the abandoned, a second Philip Neri, a hunter of souls. In 1763, worn out by such labours and continued ill-health, his strength began to ebb away, and after several attacks of paralysis he died at his quarters in Trinità de' Pellegrini. He was buried in that church under a marble slab at the altar of the Blessed Virgin. God honoured his servant by miracles, and only seventeen years after his death the process of beatification was begun, but the troubled state of Europe during the succeeding years prevented progress in the cause until it was resumed by Pius IX, who on 13 May, 1860, solemnly pronounced his beatification. As new signs still distinguished him, Leo XIII, on 8 December, 1881, enrolled him among the saints. (Taken From Catholic Encyclopedia) |
source: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/J/stjohnbaptistederossi.asp#ixzz1vePCtw5Q
