Pope Francis "Today Christ is knocking at the door of your heart." Text/Video to Youth in Korea
Pope Francis Mass for Assumption "From Mary, full of grace, we learn that Christian freedom is..." Text/Video in Korea
Feast August 15 : Assumption of Mary into Heaven : Solemnity
Saint August 15 : St. Stanislaus Kostka : Patron of Students and Poland
Saint August 15 : St. Tarsicius : Patron of 1st Communicants
Saint August 15 : Blessed Isidor Bakanja of Zaire
Today's Mass and Readings : Friday August 15, 2014 - Assumption Solemnity
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Pope Francis meets young Koreans
To the young people gathered at the Shrine of the Korean Martyrs at Solmoe, the Pope responded to a series of questions posed to him by some of those present, including the question of a Korean girl who spoke of the suffering of her nation caused by the separation between North and South and all it entails. Speaking "off-the-cuff" in Italian, Pope Francis said in reality there are not two Koreas, there is one - divided Korea - and just like a family that suffers separation, we must pray for our brothers: "Lord - the Pope said - help us acheive unity. That there may be no victory and no defeat, only one family".
And pointing to a common language shared by North and South as a concrete element of hope, the Pope recalled how Joseph crossed the border into Egypt to buy food and found someone - a brother - who spoke his same language.
During his "off-the-cuff" remarks, Pope Francis also answered a question posed by a young Cambodian girl who asked him how to choose between a religious vocation and the desire to work hard to improve the lives of others. He told her that through prayer the Lord will lead her on the right path - whatever path it will be - he said - as long as it brings benefit to others, it will be the right one.
And responding to her remarks regarding the fact that no Cambodian has ever been beatified, although their have been many holy people in the nation, he promised that upon his return to the Vatican he would look into the question.
The Pope's encounter with the young people gathered for the Sixth Asian Youth Day took place at the Sanctuary of Solmoe, the birthplace of St Andrew Kim Taegon. The first Korean priest, St Andrew came from a family that counted 11 martyrs, including his father and grandfather. St Andrew was himself martyred in 1846, only 13 months after his priestly ordination, when he was just 25 years old.
In the first part of his address, which he delivered in English, Pope Francis quoted Saint Peter on Mount Tabor and said: “It is good for us to be here", And he continued: "Truly it is good for us to be here, together, at this shrine of the Korean Martyrs, in whom the Lord’s glory was revealed at the dawn of the Church’s life in this country.”
The Holy Father reflected on the theme of the Sixth Asian Youth Day: “The Glory of the Martyrs Shines on you.” “Just as the Lord made his glory shine forth in the heroic witness of the martyrs,” he told them, “so too he wants to make his glory shine in your lives, and through you, to light up the life of this vast continent. Today Christ is knocking at the door of your heart.”
Pope Francis called on them to “see the things that really matter” and to go out into the world “knocking on the doors of other people’s hearts,” inviting them to welcome Jesus into their lives.
Asian Youth Day, the Pope said, is also an occasion that allows us to see “something of what the Church herself is meant to be in God’s eternal plan.” The Church, he said, “is meant to be a seed of unity for the whole human family,” in contrast to the spirit of the world, which often seems so far from this ideal. Pope Francis spoke of a world where “the seeds of goodness and hope… seem to be choked by weeds of selfishness, hostility and injustice.”
And yet, he said, “this is the world into which you are called to go forth and bear witness to the Gospel of hope, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the promise of his Kingdom.” The Lord, he said, is counting on young people to spread His message. “Are you ready to say ‘yes’ to him?” Pope Francis asked. “Are you ready?”
Pope Francis concluded his address by looking forward to the concluding Holy Mass for Asian World Day, which will take place in Seoul on Sunday, and left the young people with a final blessing:
“May Mary, our Mother, watch over you and keep you ever close to Jesus her Son. And from his place in heaven, may Saint John Paul II, who initiated the World Youth Days, always be your guide. With great affection I give you my blessing.”
Below please find the complete text of Pope Francis’ prepared remarks to the young people of Asia at the Sanctuary of Solmoe:
Dear Young Friends,
“It is good for us to be here!” (Mt 17:4). These words were spoken by Saint Peter on Mount Tabor as he stood in the presence of Jesus transfigured in glory. Truly it is good for us to be here, together, at this shrine of the Korean Martyrs, in whom the Lord’s glory was revealed at the dawn of the Church’s life in this country. In this great assembly, which brings together young Christians from throughout Asia, we can almost feel the glory of Jesus present in our midst, present in his Church which embraces every nation, language and people, present in the power of his Holy Spirit who makes all things new, young and alive!
I thank you for your warm welcome, and for the gift of your enthusiasm, your joyful songs, your testimonies of faith, and your beautiful expressions of the variety and richness of your different cultures. In a special way, I thank the three young people who shared with me your hopes, your problems and your concerns; I listened to them carefully, and I will keep them in mind. I thank Bishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik for his words of introduction and I greet all of you from my heart.
This afternoon I would like to reflect with you on part of the theme of this Sixth Asian Youth Day: “The Glory of the Martyrs Shines on You”. Just as the Lord made his glory shine forth in the heroic witness of the martyrs, so too he wants to make his glory shine in your lives, and through you, to light up the life of this vast continent. Today Christ is knocking at the door of your heart. He calls you to rise, to be wide awake and alert, and to see the things in life that really matter. What is more, he is asking you to go out on the highways and byways of this world, knocking on the doors of other people’s hearts, inviting them to welcome him into their lives.
This great gathering of Asian young people also allows us to see something of what the Church herself is meant to be in God’s eternal plan. Together with young people everywhere, you want to help build a world where we all live together in peace and friendship, overcoming barriers, healing divisions, rejecting violence and prejudice. And this is exactly what God wants for us. The Church is meant to be a seed of unity for the whole human family. In Christ, all nations and peoples are called to a unity which does not destroy diversity but acknowledges, reconciles and enriches it.
How distant the spirit of the world seems from that magnificent vision and plan! How often the seeds of goodness and hope which we try to sow seem to be choked by weeds of selfishness, hostility and injustice, not only all around us, but also in our own hearts. We are troubled by the growing gap in our societies between rich and poor. We see signs of an idolatry of wealth, power and pleasure which come at a high cost to human lives. Closer to home, so many of our own friends and contemporaries, even in the midst of immense material prosperity, are suffering from spiritual poverty, loneliness and quiet despair. God seems to be removed from the picture. It is almost as though a spiritual desert is beginning to spread throughout our world. It affects the young too, robbing them of hope and even, in all too many cases, of life itself.
Yet this is the world into which you are called to go forth and bear witness to the Gospel of hope, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the promise of his Kingdom. In the parables, Jesus tells us that the Kingdom comes into the world quietly, growing silently yet surely wherever it is welcomed by hearts open to its message of hope and salvation. The Gospel teaches us that the Spirit of Jesus can bring new life to every human heart and can transform every situation, even the most apparently hopeless. This is the message which you are called to share with your contemporaries: at school, in the workplace, in your families, your universities and your communities. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we know that he has “the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68), that his word has the power to touch every heart, to conquer evil with good, and to change and redeem the world.
Dear young friends, in this generation the Lord is counting on you! He entered your hearts on the day of your Baptism; he gave you his Spirit on the day of your Confirmation; and he strengthens you constantly by his presence in the Eucharist, so that you can be his witnesses before the world. Are you ready to say “yes” to him? Are you ready?
Now it is time for me to go. I look forward to seeing you in these days and speaking to you again when we gather for Holy Mass on Sunday. For now, let us thank the Lord for the blessings of this time together and ask him for the strength to be faithful and joyful witnesses of his love throughout Asia and the entire world.
May Mary, our Mother, watch over you and keep you ever close to Jesus her Son. And from his place in heaven, may Saint John Paul II, who initiated the World Youth Days, always be your guide. With great affection I give you my blessing.
Pope Francis Mass for Assumption "From Mary, full of grace, we learn that Christian freedom is..." Text/Video in Korea
This will demand of everyone a renewed conversion to the word of God and a passionate concern for the poor, the needy and the vulnerable in our midst". Present at the Mass which was celebrated in Latin and in Korean, were also some survivors and family victims of the tragic Se-Wol ferry accident in April during which over 300 people died.
Please find below the text of the Pope's homily:
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, In union with the whole Church, we celebrate the Assumption of Our Lady, body and soul, into the glory of heaven. Mary’s Assumption shows us our own destiny as God’s adoptive children and members of the body of Christ.
Like Mary our Mother, we are called to share fully in the Lord’s victory over sin and death, and to reign with him in his eternal Kingdom. The “great sign” presented in today’s first reading – a woman clothed in the sun and crowned by stars (cf. Rev 12:1) – invites us to contemplate Mary enthroned in glory beside her divine Son. It also invites us to acknowledge the future which even now the Risen Lord is opening before us.
Koreans traditionally celebrate this feast in the light of their historical experience, seeing the loving intercession of Our Lady at work in the history of the nation and the lives of its people. In today’s second reading, we heard Saint Paul tell us that Christ is the new Adam, whose obedience to the Father’s will has overturned the reign of sin and bondage and inaugurated the reign of life and freedom (cf. 1 Cor 15:24-25). True freedom is found in our loving embrace of the Father’s will. From Mary, full of grace, we learn that Christian freedom is more than liberation from sin. It is freedom for a new, spiritual way of seeing earthly realities. It is the freedom to love God and our brothers and sisters with a pure heart, and to live a life of joyful hope for the coming of Christ’s Kingdom.
Today, in venerating Mary, Queen of Heaven, we also turn to her as Mother of the Church in Korea. We ask her to help us to be faithful to the royal freedom we received on the day of our Baptism, to guide our efforts to transform the world in accordance with God’s plan, and to enable the Church in this country to be ever more fully a leaven of his Kingdom in the midst of Korean society. May the Christians of this nation be a generous force for spiritual renewal at every level of society. May they combat the allure of a materialism that stifles authentic spiritual and cultural values and the spirit of unbridled competition which generates selfishness and strife. May they also reject inhumane economic models which create new forms of poverty and marginalize workers, and the culture of death which devalues the image of God, the God of life, and violates the dignity of every man, woman and child. As Korean Catholics, heirs to a noble tradition, you are called to cherish this legacy and transmit it to future generations. This will demand of everyone a renewed conversion to the word of God and a passionate concern for the poor, the needy and the vulnerable in our midst. In celebrating this feast, we join the Church throughout the world in looking to Mary as our Mother of Hope. Her song of praise reminds us that God never forgets his promise of mercy (cf. Lk 1:54-55). Mary is the one who is blessed because “she believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord” (Lk 1:45). In her, all God’s promises have been proved trustworthy. Enthroned in glory, she shows us that our hope is real; even now it reaches as “a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (Heb 6:19) to where Jesus is seated in glory. This hope, dear brothers and sisters, the hope held out by the Gospel, is the antidote to the spirit of despair that seems to grow like a cancer in societies which are outwardly affluent, yet often experience inner sadness and emptiness. Upon how many of our young has this despair taken its toll! May they, the young who surround us in these days with their joy and confidence, never be robbed of their hope! Let us turn to Our Lady and implore the grace to rejoice in the freedom of the children of God, to use that freedom wisely in the service of our brothers and sisters, and to live and work as signs of the hope which will find its fulfillment in that eternal Kingdom where to reign is to serve. Amen.
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2014
Feast August 15 : Assumption of Mary into Heaven : Solemnity
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The Assumption is the oldest feast day of Our Lady, but we don't know how it first came to be celebrated.
Its origin
is lost in those days when Jerusalem was restored as a sacred city, at
the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine (c. 285-337). By then it had
been a pagan city for two centuries, ever since Emperor Hadrian (76-138)
had leveled it around the year 135 and rebuilt it as in honor of
Jupiter.
For 200
years, every memory of Jesus was obliterated from the city, and the
sites made holy by His life, death and Resurrection became pagan
temples.
After the
building of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 336, the sacred sites
began to be restored and memories of the life of Our Lord began to be
celebrated by the people of Jerusalem. One of the memories about his
mother centered around the "Tomb of Mary," close to Mount Zion, where
the early Christian community had lived.
On the hill
itself was the "Place of Dormition," the spot of Mary's "falling
asleep," where she had died. The "Tomb of Mary" was where she was
buried.
At this time, the "Memory of Mary" was being celebrated. Later it was to become our feast of the Assumption.
For a time,
the "Memory of Mary" was marked only in Palestine, but then it was
extended by the emperor to all the churches of the East. In the seventh
century, it began to be celebrated in Rome under the title of the
"Falling Asleep" ("Dormitio") of the Mother of God.
Soon the
name was changed to the "Assumption of Mary," since there was more to
the feast than her dying. It also proclaimed that she had been taken up,
body and soul, into heaven.
That belief
was ancient, dating back to the apostles themselves. What was clear from
the beginning was that there were no relics of Mary to be venerated,
and that an empty tomb stood on the edge of Jerusalem near the site of
her death. That location also soon became a place of pilgrimage. (Today,
the Benedictine Abbey of the Dormition of Mary stands on the spot.)
At the
Council of Chalcedon in 451, when bishops from throughout the
Mediterranean world gathered in Constantinople, Emperor Marcian asked
the Patriarch of Jerusalem to bring the relics of Mary to Constantinople
to be enshrined in the capitol. The patriarch explained to the emperor
that there were no relics of Mary in Jerusalem, that "Mary had died in
the presence of the apostles; but her tomb, when opened later . . . was
found empty and so the apostles concluded that the body was taken up
into heaven."
In the
eighth century, St. John Damascene was known for giving sermons at the
holy places in Jerusalem. At the Tomb of Mary, he expressed the belief
of the Church on the meaning of the feast: "Although the body was duly
buried, it did not remain in the state of death, neither was it
dissolved by decay. . . . You were transferred to your heavenly home, O
Lady, Queen and Mother of God in truth."
All the
feast days of Mary mark the great mysteries of her life and her part in
the work of redemption. The central mystery of her life and person is
her divine motherhood, celebrated both at Christmas and a week later
(Jan. 1) on the feast of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. The
Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8) marks the preparation for that
motherhood, so that she had the fullness of grace from the first moment
of her existence, completely untouched by sin. Her whole being throbbed
with divine life from the very beginning, readying her for the exalted
role of mother of the Savior.
The
Assumption completes God's work in her since it was not fitting that the
flesh that had given life to God himself should ever undergo
corruption. The Assumption is God's crowning of His work as Mary ends
her earthly life and enters eternity. The feast turns our eyes in that
direction, where we will follow when our earthly life is over.
The feast
days of the Church are not just the commemoration of historical events;
they do not look only to the past. They look to the present and to the
future and give us an insight into our own relationship with God. The
Assumption looks to eternity and gives us hope that we, too, will follow
Our Lady when our life is ended.
The prayer
for the feast reads: "All-powerful and ever-living God: You raised the
sinless Virgin Mary, mother of your Son, body and soul, to the glory of
heaven. May we see heaven as our final goal and come to share her
glory."
In 1950, in
the Apostolic Constitution , Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Assumption of
Mary a dogma of the Catholic Church in these words: "The Immaculate
Mother of God, the ever-virgin Mary, having completed the course of her
earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heaven."
With that, an ancient belief became Catholic doctrine and the Assumption was declared a truth revealed by God.
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Saint August 15 : St. Stanislaus Kostka : Patron of Students and Poland
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Born at
Rostkovo near Prasnysz, Poland, about 28 October, 1550; died at Rome
during the night of 14-15 August, 1568. He entered the Society of Jesus
at Rome, 28 October, 1567, and is said to have foretold his death a few
days before it occurred. His father, John Kostka, was a senator of the
Kingdom of Poland and Lord of Zakroczym; his mother was Margaret de
Drobniy Kryska, the sister and niece of the Dukes Palatine of Masovia
and the aunt of the celebrated Chancellor of Poland, Felix Kryski. The
marriage was blessed with seven children, of whom Stanislas was the
second. His older brother Paul survived him long enough to be present at
the celebration of the beatification of Stanislas in 1605. The two
brothers were first taught at home, the main feature of this early
education being the firmness, even severity, of their training; its
results were the excellent habits of piety, modesty, temperance, and
submission. After this they were sent to Vienna with their tutor to
attend the Jesuit college that had been opened four years before,
reaching Vienna, 25 July, 1564. Among the students of the college
Stanislas was soon conspicuous not only for his amiability and
cheerfulness of expression, but also for his religious fervour and
angelic piety. This spirit of devotion continued to grow during the
three years he remained in Vienna. His brother Paul said of him during
the process of beatification: "He devoted himself so completely to
spiritual thing that he frequently became unconscious, especially in the
church of the Jesuit Fathers at Vienna. It is true," added the witness,
"that this had happened at home to my brother at Easter when he was
seated at table with our parents and other persons." Among other
practices of devotion he joined while at Vienna the Congregation of St.
Barbara, to which many students of the Jesuit college belonged. If the
confidences he then made to his tutor and later to a fellow-member of
the Society at Rome are to be believed, it was Saint Barbara who brought
two angels to him during the course of a serious illness, in order to
give him the Eucharist. So much piety, however, did not please the older
brother Paul; his exasperation led him to treat with violence the
innocent Stanislas. The latter finally lost patience, and one night
after Stanislas had again suffered the harsh comments and blows of his
brother he turned on Paul with the words: "Your rough treatment will end
in my going away never to return, and you will have to explain my
leaving to our father and mother." Paul's sole reply was to swear
violently at him.
Meantime the
thought of joining the Society of Jesus had already entered the mind of
the saintly young man. It was six months, however, before he ventured
to speak of this to the superiors of the Society. At Vienna they
hesitated to receive him, fearing the tempest that would probably be
raised by his father against the Society, which had just quieted a storm
that had broken out on account of other admissions to the Company.
Stanislas quickly grasped the situation and formed the plan of applying
to the general of the Society at Rome. The distance was five hundred
leagues, which had to be made on foot, without equipment, or guide, or
any other resources but the precariouscharity that might be received on
the road. The prospective dangers and humiliations of such a journey,
however, did not alarm his courage. On the morning of the day on which
he was to carry out his project he called his servant to him early and
told him to notify his brotherPaul and his tutor in the course of the
morning that he would not be back that day to dinner. Then he started,
taking the first opportunity to exchange the dress of gentleman for that
of a mendicant, which was the only way to escape the curiosity of those
he might meet. By nightfall Paul and the tutor comprehended that
Stanislas had turned from them as he had threatened. They were seized
with a fierce anger, and as the day was ended the fugitive had gained
twenty-four hours over them. They started to follow him, but were not
able to overtake him; either their exhausted horses refused to go
farther, or a wheel of their carriage would break, or, as the tutor
frankly declared, they had mistaken the route, having left the city by a
different road from the one whichStanislas had taken. It is noticeable
that in his testimony Paul gives no explanation of his ill-luck.
Stanislas
stayed for a month at Dillingen, where the provincial of that time, the
Blessed Peter Canisius, put the young aspirant's vocation to the test by
employing him in the boarding-school. Subsequently he went on to Rome,
where he arrived 25 October, 1567. As he was greatly exhausted by the
journey, the general of the order, St. Francis Borgia, would not permit
him to enter the novitiate of Saint Andrew until several days later.
During the ten remaining months of his life, according the testimony of
the master of novices, Father Giulio Fazio, he was a model and mirror of
religious perfection. Notwithstanding his very delicate constitution he
did not spare himself the slightest penance ("Monument hist. Societatis
Jesu, Sanctus Franciscus Borgia", IV, 635). He had such a burning fever
his chest that he was often obliged to apply cold compresses. On the
eve of the feast of St. Lawrence, Stanislas felt a mortal weakness made
worse by a high fever, and clearly saw that his last hour had come. He
wrote a letter to the Blessed Virgin begging her to call him to the
skies there to celebrate with her the glorious anniversary of her
Assumption (ibid., 636). His confidence in the Blessed Virgin, which had
already brought him many signal favours, was this time again rewarded;
on 15 August, towards four in the morning, while he was wrapt in pious
utterances to God, to the saints, and to the Virgin Mary, his beautiful
soul passed to its Creator. His face shone with the most serene light.
The entire city proclaimed him a saint and people hastened from all
parts to venerate his remains and to obtain, if possible, some relics
(ibid., 637). The Holy See ratified the popular verdict by his
beatification in 1605; he was canonized on 31 December, 1726. St.
Stanislas is one of the popular saints of Poland and many religious
institutions have chosen him as the protector of their novitiates. The
representations of him in art are very varied; he is sometimes depicted
receiving Holy Communion from the hands of angels; sometimes receiving
the Infant Jesus from the hands of the Virgin; or he is shown in the
midst of a battle putting to flight the enemies of his country. At times
he is depicted near a fountain putting a wet linen cloth on his breast.
He isinvoked for palpitations of the heart and for dangerous cases of
illness ( Cahier, "Caractéristiques des Saints").
This account
has been drawn almost exclusively from the depositions of witnesses
cited for the process of canonization of Stanislas (cf. Archivio della
Postulazione generale d. C. d. G., Roma). The accompanying portrait is
by Scipione Delfine and the oldest of St. Stanislas in existence. Having
probably been painted at Rome the year of his death, perhaps after
death, it may be regarded as the best likeness. The face is strikingly
Slavonic, a fact that is not noticeable in his other portraits.
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Saint August 15 : St. Tarsicius : Patron of 1st Communicants
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Martyr. The
only positive information concerning this Roman martyr is found in the
poem composed in his honour by Pope Damasus ("Damasi epigrammata", ed.
Ihm, 14). In these lines Damasus compares Tarsicius to the protomartyr
Stephen: just as the latter was stoned by the people of Judea so
Tarsicius, carrying the Blessed Sacrament, was attacked by a heathen
rabble, and he suffered death rather "than surrender the Sacred Body [of
Christ] to the raging dogs". This tradition so positively asserted by
Damasus is undoubtedly historical. Nothing definite is known concerning
the personality of this martyr of the Eucharist. He may have been a
deacon, as Damasus compares him to Stephen. An addition to the
sixth-century legend of the martyrdom of Pope St. Stephen makes
Tarsicius, for some unknown reason, an acolyte; this addition, however,
is based on the poem of Damasus. It is evident that the death of this
martyr occurred in one of the persecutions that took place between the
middle of the third century and the beginning of the fourth. He was
buried in the Catacomb of St. Callistus, and the inscription by Damasus
was placed later on his tomb. In the seventh century his remains rested
in the same grave as those of Pope Zephyrinus; according to Willpert
they lay in the burial vault above ground (cella trichora) which was
situated towards the west over the Catacomb of St. Callistus. The feast
of the saint is observed on 15 August.
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Saint August 15 : Blessed Isidor Bakanja of Zaire
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One of "the
least brothers" of Jesus, was born in northeast Zaire (then, Belgian
Congo) sometime between 1885 and 1890. His baptismal record is the first
document about him, as he was attracted to Christ when he was about 18
years of age, working for white colonizers as an assistant mason. He
never forgot the lessons taught him by the Trappist missionaries from
Westmalle Abbey in Belgium: a follower of Jesus should be characterized
by prayer and witness. He should be recognized by the rosary and
scapular (Mary's habit, as it was rendered in Isidore's native tongue).
Mild, honest, respectful by nature, Isidore worked conscientiously and
prayed faithfully, as many non-Christian witnesses attested. Often with
rosary in hand, he looked for opportunities to share his new-found faith
with others, to the extent that many thought of him as a catechist. He
definitively left his native village because there were no fellow
followers of Christ there. In a larger settlement, he found employment
with the agent of a Belgian company that controlled the rubber
plantations in the region. He was hired as a domestic boy. Many of the
agents were avowed atheists, who hated the missionaries because of the
latter's defence of the natives' rights and their denouncing of
injustices perpetrated against them. "Mon pere" was a pejorative name
given to priests and to all that had to do with religion. Isidore soon
experienced the hatred of the agents for Catholicism. He asked for leave
to return home; permission was refused. He was told to stop teaching
his fellow workers how to pray: "You'll have the whole village praying
and no one will want to work", one agent shouted at him. Isidore was
told to discard his scapular. When he did not, he was twice flogged. The
second time, the agent flew into one of his rages. He jumped at
Isidore, tore the scapular from around his neck and threw him to the
ground. He had two servant boys hold Isidore by his hands and feet and a
third domestic flogged him. The whip was made of elephant hide with
nails protruding at the end. The writhing Isidore asked for mercy. "My
God, I'm dying", he muttered. But the colonizer kept kicking Isidore in
the neck and head, and ordered his domestic to scourge him harder still.
After 100, those assisting lost count of the number of blows. Isidore's
back was one open wound; some of his bones were exposed. After
scourging he was thrown, legs chained, into a hut for processing rubber.
He could not even move to relieve himself. Since an inspector was due,
Isidore was banished to another village. But because he could not walk,
he fell by the wayside and hid in the forest. He dragged himself before
the inspector, who was horrified at the sight of this modern Job. The
inspector himself left a written account of his impression: "I saw a man
come from the forest with his back torn apart by deep, festering,
malodorous wounds, covered with filth, assaulted by flies. He leaned on
two sticks in order to get near me -he wasn't walking; he was dragging
himself". The agent appeared on the scene and tried to kill "that animal
of mon pere", but the inspector even physically prevented him. He took
Isidore to his own settlement, hoping to help him heal. But Isidore felt
death in his bones. He told someone who had pity on him: "if you see my
mother, or if you go to the judge, or if you meet the priest, tell them
that I am dying because I am a Christian". Two missionaries spent
several days with him. He devoutly received the last sacraments. He told
them the reason for his beating: "The white man did not like
Christians.... He did not want me to wear the scapular.... He yelled at
me when I said my prayers". The missionaries urged Isidore to forgive
the agent; he assured them that he had already done so and that he
nursed no hatred for him. This "animal of mon pere", this convert of
two-and-a-half years proved that he knew what it meant to follow Jesus -
even to the point of being flogged like him, even to the point of
carrying the cross, even to the point of dying. The missionaries urged
Isidore to pray for the agent. "Certainly I shall pray for him. When I
am in heaven, I shall pray for him very much". His agony - more painful
than the actual flogging - lasted six months. He died on either 8 or 15
august 1909, rosary in hand and the scapular of Our Lady of Mt Carmel
around his neck.
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Today's Mass and Readings : Friday August 15, 2014 - Assumption Solemnity
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Mass during the Day
Lectionary: 622
Reading 1RV 11:19A; 12:1-6A, 10AB
God’s temple in heaven was opened,
and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.
Then another sign appeared in the sky;
it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,
and on its heads were seven diadems.
Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky
and hurled them down to the earth.
Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth,
to devour her child when she gave birth.
She gave birth to a son, a male child,
destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.
Her child was caught up to God and his throne.
The woman herself fled into the desert
where she had a place prepared by God.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed One.”
and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.
Then another sign appeared in the sky;
it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,
and on its heads were seven diadems.
Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky
and hurled them down to the earth.
Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth,
to devour her child when she gave birth.
She gave birth to a son, a male child,
destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.
Her child was caught up to God and his throne.
The woman herself fled into the desert
where she had a place prepared by God.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed One.”
Responsorial Psalm PS 45:10, 11, 12, 16
R. (10bc) The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
The queen takes her place at your right hand in gold of Ophir.
R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear,
forget your people and your father’s house.
R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
So shall the king desire your beauty;
for he is your lord.
R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
They are borne in with gladness and joy;
they enter the palace of the king.
R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through man,
the resurrection of the dead came also through man.
For just as in Adam all die,
so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order:
Christ the firstfruits;
then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
then comes the end,
when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father,
when he has destroyed every sovereignty
and every authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death,
for “he subjected everything under his feet.”
The queen takes her place at your right hand in gold of Ophir.
R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear,
forget your people and your father’s house.
R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
So shall the king desire your beauty;
for he is your lord.
R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
They are borne in with gladness and joy;
they enter the palace of the king.
R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
Reading 21 COR 15:20-27
Brothers and sisters:Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through man,
the resurrection of the dead came also through man.
For just as in Adam all die,
so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order:
Christ the firstfruits;
then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
then comes the end,
when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father,
when he has destroyed every sovereignty
and every authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death,
for “he subjected everything under his feet.”
Gospel LK 1:39-56
Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.
SHARE Petition to Save People of Iraq from Genocide - Sign Now!
This
Petition initiated by Catholic Professor Dr. Robert Georg has already
gained the signatures of many famous leaders from faith traditions, can
be found here.
Please Sign and SHARE to Save the Lives of so many....
A Plea on Behalf of Victims of ISIS/ISIL Barbarism in Iraq
The
so-called Islamic State of Iraq (ISIS/ISIL) is conducting a campaign of
genocide against Christians, Yazidis, and others in Iraq. In its
fanatical effort to establish a caliphate, ISIS/ISIL has engaged in
crimes against humanity by deliberately causing mass starvation and
dehydration, and by committing unconscionable acts of barbarism against
noncombatants, including defenseless women, children, and elderly
persons.
It
is imperative that the United States and the international community
act immediately and decisively to stop the ISIS/ISIL genocide and
prevent the further victimization of religious minorities. This
goal cannot be achieved apart from the use of military force to degrade
and disable ISIS/ISIL forces. President Obama was right to order
airstrikes against ISIS/ISIL to stop its advance on key cities, as well
as to provide humanitarian assistance to people fleeing their assaults.
Much more needs to be done, however, and there is no time to waste.
We, the
undersigned, are Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. We are
conservatives, liberals, and moderates. We represent various religious
traditions and shades of belief. None of us glorifies war or
underestimates the risks entailed by the use of military force. Where
non-military means of resolving disputes and protecting human rights are
available, we always and strongly favor those means. However, the
evidence is overwhelming that such means will not be capable of
protecting the victims of the genocide already unfolding at the hands of
ISIS/ISIL. That is why Iraq’s Chaldean Patriarch Sako has requested
military intervention.
Therefore
we call upon the United States and the international community to do
everything necessary to empower local forces fighting ISIS/ISIL in Iraq
to protect their people. No options that are consistent with the
principles of just war doctrine should be off the table. We further
believe that the United States’ goal must be more comprehensive than
simply clamping a short-term lid on the boiling violence that is
threatening so many innocents in ISIS/ISIL’s path. Nothing short of the
destruction of ISIS/ISIL as a fighting force will provide long-term
protection of victims.
We call upon
President Obama and the Congress of the United States to expand
airstrikes against ISIS/ISIL with a view to eroding its military power,
and to provide full air support for Kurdish and other forces fighting
against ISIS/ISIL. Further, we endorse the Washington Post’s call
for the United States to provide arms, ammunition, and equipment to
Kurdish forces, Sunni tribesmen, and others who are currently hampered
in their ability to fight ISIS/ISIL by a lack of sophisticated weapons
and other resources. The U.S. should also assist with intelligence. We
are hopeful that local forces, with adequate support and assistance from
the U.S. and the international community, can defeat ISIS/ISIL.
The
expansion of humanitarian aid to the displaced and fleeing is also
urgent. Local churches and aid agencies are overwhelmed, and we have
grave concerns about how these victims of violent religious persecution
will be cared for this winter. The U.S. can and should take the lead in
providing food, water, medicine, and other essential supplies.
We must be
mindful that in addition to stopping the genocide, the U.S. and Europe
have very concrete interests in disabling ISIS/ISIL. As theWashington Post has warned:
“The
Islamic State forces, which have captured large numbers of U.S.-supplied
heavy weapons, threaten not only the Iraqi and Kurdish governments, but
also Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan. With hundreds of Western recruits,
they have the ambition and capability to launch attacks against targets
in Europe and the United States.”
It is also
worth bearing in mind that our own nation is not without responsibility
for the plight of victims of ISIS/ISIL genocide. What is happening to
these people now, and the further threats they face, would not be
happening but for errors and failures of our nation’s own in Iraq. This
can and should be acknowledged by all, despite disagreements we may
have among ourselves as to precisely what these errors and failures
were, and which political and military leaders are mainly responsible
for them. The point is not to point fingers or apportion blame, but to
recognize that justice as well as compassion demands that we
take the steps necessary to end the ISIL/ISIS campaign of genocide and
protect those who are its victims.
Signers
Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University
Russell Moore, Ph.D., President, The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention
Benjamin S Carson Sr MD,
Emeritus Professor of Neurosurgery,Oncology,Plastic Surgery and
Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Medicine, President and CEO American Business
Collaborative, LLC
James R. Stoner, Jr., Professor of Political Science, Louisiana State University
Gerard V. Bradley, Professor of Law, Notre Dame Univesity
Edward Whelan, President, Ethics and Public Policy Center
Matthew J. Franck, Witherspoon Institute
William Happer, Professor of Physics Emeritus, Princeton University
Prof. Dan Robinson, Philosophy Faculty, Oxford University and Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Georgetown University
and many more...Please Sign...Save a Life
and many more...Please Sign...Save a Life
Image Share from http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/regional/archbishop-urges-prayer-for-christians-being-martyred-and-expelled-in-iraq-1-6203857
Novena to Our Lady : Official for Assumption Feast - Plenary Indulgence
OFFICIAL RACCOLTA NOVENA PRAYER WITH INDULGENCE:To all faithful Christians who, in private or public, in church or in their own houses, shall keep any of the following Novenas, in preparation for the principal feasts of most holy Mary, Pope Pius VII., at the prayer of several holy persons, granted, by Rescripts issued through his Eminence the Cardinal-Vicar, Aug. 4 and Nov. 24, 1808, and Jan. 11, 1800 (all of which are kept in the Segretaria of the Vicariate) -
i. An indulgence of 300 days, daily.
ii. A plenary indulgence to all who shall assist at these Novenas every day, and who shall afterwards, either on the Feast-day itself, to which each Novena respectively has reference, or on some one day in its Octave, after Confession and Communion, pray to our Lord and to the Blessed Virgin ac cording to the pious intention of the Sovereign Pontiff.
Veni Sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda fidelium, et tui amoris in eis ignem accende.
V. Emitte Spiritum tuum, et creabuntur.
R. Et renovabis faciem terrae.
Oremus.
Deus, qui corda fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti: da nobis in eodem Spiritu recta sapere, et de ejus semper consolatione gaudere. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. R. Amen.
TRANSLATION.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy love.
V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray.
O God, who hast taught the hearts of Thy faithful people by the light of the Holy Spirit; grant us in the same Spirit to relish what is right, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.
HYMN.
O gloriosa Virginum,
Sublimis inter sidera,
Qui te creavit, parvulum
Lactente nutris ubere.
Quod Heva tristis abstulit,
Tu reddis almo germine:
Intrent ut astra flebiles,
Coeli recludis cardines.
Tu regis alti janua,
Et aula lucis fulgida:
Vitam datam per Virginem,
Gentes redemptae plaudite.
Jesu, tibi sit gloria,
Qui natus es de Virgine,
Cum Patre, et almo Spiritu
In sempiterna saecula. Amen.
TRANSLATION.
O Queen of all the Virgin choir,
Enthroned above the starry sky;
Who with pure milk from thy own breast
Thy own Creator didst supply.
What man hath lost in hapless Eve,
Thy sacred womb to man restores;
Thou to the sorrowing here beneath
Hast open’d Heaven’s eternal doors.
Hail, O refulgent Hall of light!
Hail, Gate sublime of Heaven’s high King!
Through thee redeem’d to endless life,
Thy praise let all the nations sing.
O Jesu! born of Virgin bright,
Immortal glory be to Thee;
Praise to the Father infinite,
And Holy Ghost eternally.
GLORY OF MARY AFTER DEATH.
In her Assumption into heaven.
Let us meditate how glorious Mary is in heaven, because she is enthroned there as Queen of the universe, and is ever receiving homage and veneration from countless hosts of angels and of saints; and assisting at her royal throne, let us implore her aid:
i. Sovereign Queen of the universe, who for thy incomparable merit art raised to such high glory in the heavens; in thy pity look upon our miseries, and rule us with the gentle sway of thy protection.
Three Ave Marias.
ii. Sovereign Queen of the universe, who art ever receiving the worship and homage from all the heavenly hosts; accept, we pray thee, these our invocations, offered with such reverence as befits thy dignity and greatness.
Three Ave Marias.
iii. Sovereign Queen of the universe; by that glory which thou hast by reason of thy high place in heaven, vouchsafe to take us into the number of thy servants, and obtain for us grace that, with quick and ready will, we may faithfully keep the precepts of our God and Lord.
Three Ave Maria’s.
Let us take part in the joy of the angels praising Mary, and rejoice because we know that she is raised to the dignity of Queen of the universe; while with the seventh choir we sing:
The Litany of Our Lady :
| Lord, have mercy on us. (Christ have mercy on us.) Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. (Christ graciously hear us.) God, the Father of heaven, (have mercy on us.) God the Son, Redeemer of the world, (have mercy on us.) God the Holy Ghost, (have mercy on us.) Holy Trinity, one God, (have mercy on us.) | |
| Holy Mary, Holy Mother of God, Holy Virgin of virgins, Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church Mother of divine grace, Mother most pure, Mother most chaste, Mother inviolate, Mother undefiled, Mother most amiable, Mother most admirable, Mother of good counsel, Mother of our Creator, Mother of our Savior, Virgin most prudent, Virgin most venerable, Virgin most renouned, Virgin most powerful, Virgin most merciful, Virgin most faithful, Mirror of justice, Seat of wisdom, Cause of our joy, Spiritual vessel, Vessel of honor, Singular vessel of devotion, Mystical rose, Tower of David, Tower of ivory, House of gold, Ark of the covenant, Gate of heaven, Morning star, Health of the sick, Refuge of sinners, Comforter of the afflicted, Help of Christians, Queen of Angels, Queen of Patriarchs, Queen of Prophets, Queen of Apostles, Queen of Martyrs, Queen of Confessors, Queen of Virgins, Queen of all Saints, Queen conceived without original sin, Queen assumed into heaven, Queen of the most holy Rosary. Queen of the family, Queen of Peace, |
p
r a y f o r u s |
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, (spare us, O Lord.)
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, (graciously hear us O Lord.) Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, (have mercy on us.) Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. (That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.) Let us pray. Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto us Thy servants, that we may rejoice in continual health of mind and body; and, by the glorious intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, may be delivered from present sadness, and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness. Through Christ our Lord. (Amen.) | |
R. Super choros angelorum ad coelestia regna.
Oremus.
Famulorum tuorum, quaesumus Domine, delictis ignosce: ut qui tibi placere de actibus nostris non valemus, Genitricis Filii tui Domini nostri intercessione salvemur.
Oremus.
Deus, qui corda fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti: da nobis in eodem Spiritu recta sapere, et de ejus semper consolatione gaudere. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. R. Amen
TRANSLATION.
V. The holy Mother of God is exalted.
R. Into the heavenly kingdom above the angel choirs.
Let us pray.
We beseech thee, Lord, pardon the shortcomings of Thy servants; that we who by our own works are not able to please Thee, may be saved by the intercession of the Mother of thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ.. Who, & c.
Let us pray.
O God, who hast taught the hearts of Thy faithful people by the light of the Holy Spirit; grant us in the same Spirit to relish what is right, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort. Through Christ our Lord. R. AMEN
