2014
Death Toll in Palestine 718 - Israel 32 - Please PRAY
Latest from Vatican Information Service News - Pope Francis Appoints and Messages
Today's Mass and Readings : Thurs. July 24, 2014
Saint July 24 : Saint Charbel Makhlouf : Wonderworker of the East
(Vatican Radio) Meriam Ibrahim, the woman who was sentenced to death in Sudan for refusing to renounce her Christian faith, arrived Thursday in Italy and met with Pope Francis in the Casa Santa Marta. During the meeting, she was accompanied by her family: Husband Daniel Wani, Martin (a year and a half), and Maya, born in prison two months ago.
Her family was accompanied by the Italian Deputy Foreign Minister, Lapo Pistelli, who helped arrange her departure from Sudan and travelled with her to Italy.
The head of the Vatican Press Office, Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, said the meeting took place in a “very serene and affectionate” environment, and Pope Francis thanked Meriam for her "courageous witness to perseverance in the Faith."
Fr. Lombardi said Meriam thanked the Pope for his prayers, saying they provided great support and encouragement.
The Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi had earlier welcomed Meriam and her family at Rome's Ciampino airport, calling it ``a day of celebration.''
Meriam Ibrahim was sentenced to death over charges of apostasy, since her father was a Muslim. She married her husband, a Christian, in a church ceremony in 2011. She was told if she accepted Islam she would be freed, but she told the court she would never apostatize from her Christian faith. Her death sentence was overturned in June, but she was then stopped at the airport and blocked from leaving the country by Sudanese officials who questioned the validity of her travel documents. Fr. Lombardi said Pope Francis met with Meriam’s family to show” his closeness, concern and prayers” for all those who suffer for their faith, and especially for Christians who suffer persecution or restrictions on their religious freedom. Meriam and her family will settle in the United States. Shared from Radio Vaticana
Death Toll in Palestine 718 - Israel 32 - Please PRAY
Jerusalem (AsiaNews / Agencies) - With the death of a family of six people - including a five and a three year old child- the death toll on the Palestinian side has risen to 718, since Israel launched its raid on the Gaza Strip and has launched its ground operations. According to Palestinian sources, half of the victims are the result of the land invasion and more than 80% of the dead are civilians.
On the Israeli side, the army announced that 32 soldiers and three civilians have been killed. The civilian casualties include a Thai who worked in a garden centre near the border with the Gaza Strip. Narakorn Kittiyongkul, was one of thousands of Thai working on farms and kibbutzim near the border. The Embassy of Thailand in Israel demanded that their safety be guaranteed even transferring them to 10-20 km from the border.
There was a brief lull in fighting yesterday on the ground to allow ambulances to recover the injured. A spokeswoman for the International Red Cross said that seven ambulances entered Shejaya; nine other Khuzaa; another Beit Hanun.
In Gaza, hundreds of people, mostly women and children, took refuge in the Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius to shelter from the violence around them.
Overnight, the Givati Brigade arrested 150 Palestinians in the Rafah area. According to some officials, the Palestinians were taken from their homes and did not resist. Many of them are still being held for interrogation.
Photos have spread online of prisoners kneeling in a long line, stripped naked, wearing only their undergarments (see photo). Many post comments to point out that this humiliation is an offense to human rights. Others point out that the prisoners might be terrorists and aution must be taken to ensure they are not wearing explosive belts.
Meanwhile, U.S. Air Force federal authorities have the lifted the ban on flights to and from Tel Aviv. The Ben Gurion website confirms a return to normal procedures, but many flights have been canceled.
While the international community presses for a cease-fire, Hamas leader, Khaled Meshal from his residence in Doha (Qatar), has refused any negotiation that does not include the end of the blockade of the Gaza Strip, in place for eight years.
Last night, a spokesman for the UN secretary general, complained that some schools run by the international organization in the Gaza Strip have been used to store weapons, "transforming schools into potential military targets and endangering the lives of innocent children," UN employees and all those who seek refuge in these buildings.
SHARED FROM ASIA NEWS IT
Latest from Vatican Information Service News - Pope Francis Appoints and Messages
| - TELEGRAM FOR THE AVIATION ACCIDENT IN MAGONG | ||||||||||||
| - POPE'S MESSAGE FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARGENTINE SHRINE OF ST. PANTALEON | ||||||||||||
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
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| TELEGRAM FOR THE AVIATION ACCIDENT IN MAGONG Vatican City, 24 July 2014 (VIS) – Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin has sent a telegram on behalf of Pope Francis to the archbishop of Taipei and president of the regional Conference of bishops of China, John Huong Shan-chuan, with reference to the accident that occurred at Magong airport, Taiwan, in which a TransAsia Airways aircraft had to make an emergency landing, resulting in 48 deaths and leaving 10 injured. In the text, the Holy Father expresses his sadness for the accident, as well as his closeness to the relatives of the victims, and assures them of his prayers for all those affected by the tragedy, asking God to grant them consolation, strength and peace. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| POPE'S MESSAGE FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARGENTINE SHRINE OF ST. PANTALEON Vatican City, 24 July 2014 (VIS) – The shrine is “a temple that seems still, but that the people of God carry forward. In this way it has moved ahead for fifty years in the hearts of the many faithful who have come to venerate the saint, to implore for health, and to profess their faith. In this way it has moved into the heart of the area, projecting itself onto the whole city”, said the Pope in the message he sent to the faithful who will meet in the neighbourhood of Mataderos in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the shrine of St. Pantaleon. “I ask the Lord to grant you the grace to continue on your path, to continue this pilgrimage of the heart in the midst of this great city”. The Holy Father went on to recall with nostalgia the time during which, as archbishop of Buenos Aires, he personally visited the parish dedicated to the doctor saint of Nicomedia. “I wish to be close to you to be able to relive in some way the occasions in which I was able to visit the shrine on 27 July to help the priests in confession. I returned home spiritually strengthened by this witness of faith. The good I received is unimaginable. And I wish to give thanks for all this good. May the Lord reward you plentifully”. The pontiff concluded by assuring the faithful of his closeness and prayer and asked them to pray for him. “In these days of celebration … I am close to you. … May Jesus bless you and the Holy Virgin protect you”. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS Vatican City, 24 July 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has appointed Ref. Joy Alappat as auxiliary of the eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle of Chicago of the Syro-Malabars (Catholics 87,000, priests 53, religious 31), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Parappukara, India, in 1956 and was ordained a priest in 1981. He holds a master's degree in theology from the St.Joseph's Pontifical Institute, Aluva, and the Adheva University, Wattair, and completed the Clinical Pastoral Education programme at Georgetown University, U.S.A. He has held a number of pastoral roles both in India – in the eparchal cathedral in Chalakudy and as chaplain of the Syro-Malabar community in Chennai – and in the U.S.A., as chaplain of Georgetown University, and parish priest in New Milford, Newark and Garfield. He is currently rector of the eparchal Cathedral in Bellwood, Illinois.
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Today's Mass and Readings : Thurs. July 24, 2014
Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 398
Reading 1JER 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13
This word of the LORD came to me:
Go, cry out this message for Jerusalem to hear!
I remember the devotion of your youth,
how you loved me as a bride,
Following me in the desert,
in a land unsown.
Sacred to the LORD was Israel,
the first fruits of his harvest;
Should any presume to partake of them,
evil would befall them, says the LORD.
When I brought you into the garden land
to eat its goodly fruits,
You entered and defiled my land,
you made my heritage loathsome.
The priests asked not,
“Where is the LORD?”
Those who dealt with the law knew me not:
the shepherds rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
and went after useless idols.
Be amazed at this, O heavens,
and shudder with sheer horror, says the LORD.
Two evils have my people done:
they have forsaken me, the source of living waters;
They have dug themselves cisterns,
broken cisterns, that hold no water.
Go, cry out this message for Jerusalem to hear!
I remember the devotion of your youth,
how you loved me as a bride,
Following me in the desert,
in a land unsown.
Sacred to the LORD was Israel,
the first fruits of his harvest;
Should any presume to partake of them,
evil would befall them, says the LORD.
When I brought you into the garden land
to eat its goodly fruits,
You entered and defiled my land,
you made my heritage loathsome.
The priests asked not,
“Where is the LORD?”
Those who dealt with the law knew me not:
the shepherds rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
and went after useless idols.
Be amazed at this, O heavens,
and shudder with sheer horror, says the LORD.
Two evils have my people done:
they have forsaken me, the source of living waters;
They have dug themselves cisterns,
broken cisterns, that hold no water.
Responsorial Psalm PS 36:6-7AB, 8-9, 10-11
R. (10a) With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.
O LORD, your mercy reaches to heaven;
your faithfulness, to the clouds.
Your justice is like the mountains of God;
your judgments, like the mighty deep.
R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.
How precious is your mercy, O God!
The children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They have their fill of the prime gifts of your house;
from your delightful stream you give them to drink.
R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.
For with you is the fountain of life,
and in your light we see light.
Keep up your mercy toward your friends,
your just defense of the upright of heart.
R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.
O LORD, your mercy reaches to heaven;
your faithfulness, to the clouds.
Your justice is like the mountains of God;
your judgments, like the mighty deep.
R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.
How precious is your mercy, O God!
The children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They have their fill of the prime gifts of your house;
from your delightful stream you give them to drink.
R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.
For with you is the fountain of life,
and in your light we see light.
Keep up your mercy toward your friends,
your just defense of the upright of heart.
R. With you is the fountain of life, O Lord.
Gospel MT 13:10-17
The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?”
He said to them in reply,
“Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted
and I heal them.
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
“Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?”
He said to them in reply,
“Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted
and I heal them.
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
Free Catholic Movie : St. Charbel : Wonderworker - Drama
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Throughout his journey, Saint Charbel turns his back on his worldly life and moves into the St. Maron Monastery. After receiving his ordination into priesthood, he moves on to live in seclusion in Mount Annaya. Devoting his time in prayer and all his time to Christ. It was through his time in seclusion and his constant dedication that he began to manifest miracles like the gift of healing and clairvoyance. If you are interested to know more about this remarkable saint, then this movie is one of the best introductions you can get.
Novena to St. Charbel : Miracle Prayer to Wonderworker - SHARE
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| Day One :Oh. Miraculous Saint Charbel, from whose immaculate body, which overpowers corruption, radiates the scent of heaven, come to my rescue and grant me from God the grace which I am in need of ( name the grace). Amen. Oh, Saint Charbel pray for me. Oh Lord, who was bestowed on Saint Charbel the grace of faith, I plead to you to grant me through his intercession that divine grace to live according to your commandments and Bible. The glory is yours till the end. Amen. FOR PRAYERS, INSPIRATIONAL STORIES AND FREE MOVIES LIKE http://facebook.com/catholicnewsworld  Oh, Saint Charbel, vase of perfume, intercede for me.Oh, God of complete benevolence, who honored Saint Charbel by giving him the grace to perform miracles, have mercy on me and grant me what I ask from you through his intercession. The Glory is yours till the end. Amen. (once) Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory to the father. Day Three : Oh, Saint Charbel, the amiable, who shines like a bright star in the church sky,brighten my way, and fortify my hope. From you I ask for the grace (name the grace). Ask for it from Jesus the crucified whom you perpetually worship. Amen. Oh, Saint Charbel, the example of patience and silence, intercede for me. Oh, Lord Jesus, who sanctified Saint Charbel and helped him to carry his cross, give me the courage to bear life's difficulties with patience and submission to your divine will through Saint Charbel's intercession, to you is gratefulness forever. Amen. (Once) Our Father, Hail Mary, and glory be to the father. Day Four : Oh Father, Saint Charbel, the affectionate, I resort to you. My confidence in you fills my heart. With the power of your intercession with God, I am waiting for the Grace which I ask from you (name the grace). Show me your affection once more. Oh, Saint Charbel, garden of virtue, intercede for me. Oh, God, you, who granted Saint Charbel the grace of your resemblance, grant me the help to grow in the Christian virtues and have mercy on me to be able to praise you till the end. Amen. (Once) Our Father Hail Mary, and Glory to be the Father.  Day Five : Oh, Saint Charbel, loved by God, enlighten me, help me and teach me how to please God. Hurry to my rescue. Oh affectionate Father; I beg of you to ask God for this grace (name the grace). Oh, Saint Charbel, friend of the crucified, intercede for me. Oh, God hear my demand through Saint Charbel's intercession. Save my poor heart and give me peace. Calm the troubles of my soul. Glory to you till the end. (Once) Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father. Day Six :Oh, Saint Charbel, all powerful intercessor, I ask you to fulfill the grace which I am in need of (name the grace). A single word from you to Jesus is enough to forgive me, to have mercy on me and to grant me my wish. Oh, Saint Charbel, joy of heaven and earth, intercede for me. Oh, God, who chose Saint Charbel to defend us before your divine power, grant me through his intercession this grace (name the grace) to glorify you with him till the end. Amen. (Once) Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father. Day Seven : Oh, Saint Charbel, loved by everyone, helper of the needy; I have firm hope in your intercession before God. Fulfill this grace for me (name the grace). Oh, Saint Charbel, a star that counsels the bewildered, intercede for me. Oh, God, my numerous sins hinder your grace to reach me. Grant me the grace to repent. Answer me through Saint Charbel’s intercession. Return the joy to my sad heart and grant me my demand. You, the embodiment of graces, glory and gratefulness be to you. (Once) Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father. Day Eight : Oh, Saint Charbel, whenever I see you kneeling down on the cane mat, fasting, abstaining and absorbed in calling God, my hope and my faith in you augment. I beg of you to help me to receive the grace that I am asking for (name the grace). Oh, Saint Charbel, absorbed in God, intercede for me. Oh, Jesus, the most peaceful, you who has raised your beloved Charbel to biblical perfection, I solemnly ask you to grant me the grace to spend the rest of my life according to your demand. I love you, oh God, my savior. Amen. (Once) Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father.  Day Nine :Oh, Father, Saint Charbel, here I am at the end of the Novena. My heart gets nourished when I speak to you. I have great hope that I will obtain from Jesus the grace I asked for through your intercession. I repent, and I promise that I will never ever fall into sin. I ask you to fulfill my demand (name the demand). Oh, Saint Charbel, crowned with glory, intercede for me. Oh, Lord, you listened to Saint Charbel’s prayers, and you fulfilled the grace of unison with you, have mercy on me in my moment of distress. Save me from malice which I cannot bear. Glory and gratefulness be to you till the end. Amen. (Once) Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father. | |
Saint July 24 : St. John Boste : Priest and Martyr
St. John Boste
PRIEST AND MARTYR
Feast: July 24
Information:
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Priest and martyr, b. of good Catholic family at Dufton, in Westmoreland, about 1544; d. at Durham, 24 July, 1594. He studied at Queen's College, Oxford, 1569-72, became a Fellow, and was received into the Church at Brome, in Suffolk, in 1576. Resigning his Fellowship in 1580, he went to Reims, where he was ordained priest, 4 March, 1581, and in April was sent to England. He landed at Hartlepool and became a most zealous missioner, so that the persecutors made extraordinary efforts to capture him. At last, after many narrow escapes, he was taken to Waterhouses, the house of William Claxton, near Durham, betrayed by one Eglesfield [or Ecclesfield], 5 July, 1593. The place is still visited by Catholics. From Durham he was conveyed to London, showing himself throughout "resolute, bold, joyful, and pleasant", although terribly racked in the Tower. Sent back to Durham for the July Assizes, 1594, he behaved with undaunted courage and resolution, and induced his fellow-martyr, Bl. George Swalwell [or Swallowell], a convert minister, who had recanted through fear, to repent of his cowardice, absolving him publicly in court. He suffered at Dryburn, outside Durham. He recited the Angelus while mounting the ladder, and was executed with extraordinary brutality; for he was scarcely turned off the ladder when he was cut down, so that he stood on his feet, and in thatposture was cruelly butchered alive. An account of his trial and execution was written by an eye-witness, Venerable Christopher Robinson, who suffered martyrdom shortly afterwards at Carlisle.
[Note: In 1970, John Boste was canonized by Pope Paul VI among the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, whose joint feast day is kept on 25 October.]
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source: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/J/stjohnboste.asp#ixzz1T1nf4w79
2014
Saint July 24 : Saint Charbel Makhlouf : Wonderworker of the East
For a sample of a Maronite Chant, from the monastery of Annaya, click here: Charbel, mouwatinoul’alamain (Miled Tarabay)
Youssef Makhlouf was born in 1828 in Bika’Kafra, the highest village of Lebanon, near the grove of the still-conserved famous cedars of Lebanon. He was the youngest of five children born to a pious mother, who lived the life of a religious within their home. Youssef worked as a shepherd in the fields for most of his childhood, especially following the death of his equally pious father. Following his father’s death, the family was supported by a kind and generous uncle. Youseff was profoundly affected by the example of his two other maternal uncles, who were both monks of the Maronite Lebanese Order. These monks lived in a hermitage approximately three miles away, and young Youssef would often visit them—first with his mother, and late on his own. They would tell him repeatedly: “All here below is nothing, the world is vanity, life is short. The true beauty is God, near Him there is true happiness. Wisdom is to not find oneself with empty hands at the supreme hour.”
The mountain heights of Lebanon
Resound with songs of joy;
The cedars of that ancient land
Stand tall as we employ
Our hymns of praise and thankfulness
For Sharbel's saintly ways,
Lived out in strict humility
That guided all his days.
True monk and hermit of the hills,
Saint Maron's modest son
Scorned wealth and comfort in his life
That heaven's crown be won.
Of Mary, heaven's Queen and Gate,
Devoted son was he,
Who cherished all the ancient rites
With great humility.
True father of the poor,
As you have done, so help us all
To struggle and endure,
That Christ be praised in ev'ry life,
That riches not ensnare
Or rule us in our daily walk;
That strong may be our prayer!
O Father, Son, and Spirit blest,
One God in persons three,
Receive this hymn we offer now,
And keep your Church e'er free
To follow, as Saint Sharbel did,
Enflamed with love so bright
That we, with eyes fixed firm on Christ,
May vanquish sin's dark night.
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