2015
Novena to St. John the Baptist - Share this Prayer - #StJohntheBaptist
V. O glorious St. John the Baptist,
R. Greatest prophet among those born of woman, * although thou wast sanctified in thy
mother’s womb * and didst live a most innocent life, * nevertheless it was thy will to
retire into the wilderness, * there to devote thyself to the practice of austerity and
penance; * obtain for us of thy Lord the grace to be wholly detached, * at least in our
hearts, * from earthly goods, * and to practice Christian mortification with interior
recollection * and with the spirit of holy prayer.
V. St. John the Baptist, precursor of Christ,! R. Pray for us.
V. St. John the Baptist, shining lamp of the world,! R. Pray for us.
V. St. John the Baptist, angel of purity before thy birth,! R. Pray for us.
V. O most zealous Apostle,
R. Who, without working any miracle on others, * but solely by the example of thy life
of penance * and the power of thy word, * didst draw after thee the multitudes, * in
order to dispose them to receive the Messias worthily * and to listen to His heavenly
doctrine; * grant that it may be given unto us, * by means of the example of a holy
life * and the exercise of every good work, * to bring many souls to God, * but
above all * those souls that are enveloped in the darkness of error and ignorance *
and that are led astray by vice.
V. St. John the Baptist, intrepid preacher of truth,! R. Pray for us.
V. St. John the Baptist, voice crying in the wilderness,! R. Pray for us.
V. St. John the Baptist, miiracle of mortification and penance,! R. Pray for us.
V. O Martyr invincible,
R. Who, for the honor of God and the salvation of souls, * didst with firmness and
constancy * withstand the impiety of Herod * even at the cost of thine own life, * and didst rebuke him
openly * for his wicked and dissolute life; * by thy prayers obtain for us a heart, * brave and generous, *
in order that we may overcome all human respect * and openly profess our faith * in loyal obedience to
the teachings of Jesus (☨) Christ, * our divine Master.
V. St. John the Baptist, example of profound humility,! R. Pray for us.
V. St. John the Baptist, great defender of holy matrimony,! R. Pray for us.
V. St. John the Baptist, glorious martyr of zeal for God’s holy law,! R. Pray for us.
V. O God, we rejoice at the apostolate of Saint John the Baptist, though whom we came to know our
Redeemer and King. Through his intercession we implore...
(Name Your Request)
V. We offer this prayer to Thee (☨) God the Father, through Christ Our Lord,
in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God forever and ever.
R. Amen.
Conclude with an Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
Note: The faithful who devoutly offer some prayers in honor of St. John the Baptist, with the intention of so doing for nine continuous days,
may gain: (1) an indulgence of five years once each of the days; and (2) a plenary indulgence on the usual conditions,iracle of mortification and penance,! R. Pray for us.
V. O Martyr invincible,
R. Who, for the honor of God and the salvation of souls, * didst with firmness and
constancy * withstand the impiety of Herod * even at the cost of thine own life, * and didst rebuke him
openly * for his wicked and dissolute life; * by thy prayers obtain for us a heart, * brave and generous, *
in order that we may overcome all human respect * and openly profess our faith * in loyal obedience to
the teachings of Jesus (☨) Christ, * our divine Master.
V. St. John the Baptist, example of profound humility,! R. Pray for us.
V. St. John the Baptist, great defender of holy matrimony,! R. Pray for us.
V. St. John the Baptist, glorious martyr of zeal for God’s holy law,! R. Pray for us.
V. O God, we rejoice at the apostolate of Saint John the Baptist, though whom we came to know our
Redeemer and King. Through his intercession we implore...
(Name Your Request)
V. We offer this prayer to Thee (☨) God the Father, through Christ Our Lord,
in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God forever and ever.
R. Amen.
Conclude with an Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
Note: The faithful who devoutly offer some prayers in honor of St. John the Baptist, with the intention of so doing for nine continuous days,
may gain: (1) an indulgence of five years once each of the days; and (2) a plenary indulgence on the usual conditions,
 |
24-06-2015 - Year XXII - Num. 118
|
Summary |
| - General audience: the wounds of the family |
| - The Pope receives the participants in the meeting for dialogue between Buddhists and Catholics |
| - Pope's Message for the 50th anniversary of the Joint Working Group between the Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches |
| - Other Pontifical Acts |
| General audience: the wounds of the family Vatican City, 24 June 2015 (VIS) – Following his recent catechesis on external threats to the family, such as poverty and illness, during today's general audience the Pope spoke about those wounds that are produced as a result of family cohabitation. In all families there are moments of discord, but when harmful words, acts and indifference are ignored, they can be aggravated and transformed into arrogance, hostility and contempt, which can become deep lacerations, dividing husband and wife and inducing them to seek understanding, support and consolation elsewhere. “But often, these forms of support do not think of the good of the family. … And frequently the effects of separation have an impact on the children”. “But do we still know what a wound to the soul is? Do we feel the weight of the mountain that crushes the soul of a child, in families in which the members treat each other badly and harm each other, to the point of breaking the bonds of conjugal trust?” asked the Pope. … When adults lose their head … when the father and mother harm each other, the soul of the child suffers greatly, feeling a sense of desperation. And they are wounds that leave a lifelong mark”. “In the family, everything is interconnected: when its soul is wounded at some point, the infection spreads throughout. … Husband and wife are one flesh”, emphasised the Pope, “But their creatures are flesh of their flesh. If we think of the severity with which Jesus warns adults not to offend the little ones, we can also better understand his word on the grave responsibility of safeguarding the conjugal bond that is at the origin of the human family. When a man and a woman become one flesh, all the wounds and neglect of the father and mother are brought to bear on the living flesh of the children”. The Holy Father also spoke about those cases in which separation is inevitable or indeed morally necessary “to remove the weaker spouse, or young children, from the wounds caused by arrogance and violence, debasement and exploitation, estrangement and indifference”. However, he said, there is no lack of those who, thanks to God, “supported by faith and love for their children, bear witness to their faithfulness in a bond in which they have believed, however impossible it may seem to revive it. Not all separated people have this vocation, though. Not all recognise, in their solitude, the Lord's call to them. We find many families in irregular situations around us. And this poses many questions: how can we help them? How can we accompany them? How can we accompany them so the children do not become hostages to their father or mother?”. The Pope concluded his catechesis by asking the Lord for “great faith, to look upon reality through the eyes of God; and great charity, to be near to people with a merciful heart”. |
| The Pope receives the participants in the meeting for dialogue between Buddhists and Catholics Vatican City, 24 June 2015 (VIS) – Before today's general audience in St. Peter's Square, the Pope received in the room adjacent to the Paul VI Hall the participants in the Meeting for Dialogue between Buddhists and Catholics of the United States on the theme “Suffering, liberation and fraternity”, organised by the Focolare Movement and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and inaugurated yesterday at Castel Gandolfo by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the dicastery. The meeting, which ends on 27 June, has involved the participation of around fifty delegates from New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington, representing Catholics and Buddhist communities of different traditions. The Holy Father thanked them for their visit to the Vatican, “a visit that is close to my heart as it is a visit of fraternity, dialogue and friendship. These are things that do great good, that are healthy. In this historical moment, so scarred by wars and hatred, these small gestures are seeds of peace and fraternity. I thank you, and may the Lord bless you”. |
| Pope's Message for the 50th anniversary of the Joint Working Group between the Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches Vatican City, 24 June 2015 (VIS) – Yesterday afternoon Pope Francis sent a message to the general secretary of the World Council of Churches, the Reverend Olav Fykse Tveit, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Joint Working Group between the Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches. The text was read by Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, during a commemorative congress held at the Centro Pro Unione in Rome. Francis writes that this occasion offers “a moment to thank the Lord for all that the ecumenical movement has achieved since its beginning over one hundred years ago, inspired by a longing for the unity which Christ intended for his body, the Church, and by an emerging sense of sorrow for the scandal of division between Christians”. Since its inauguration in 1965, the Joint Working Group has been active “not only in ecumenical issues, but also in the areas of interreligious dialogue, peace and social justice, and works of charity and humanitarian aid”. He added that the Joint Working Group “should not be an inward-looking forum”, but instead should increasingly become “a 'think tank', open to all the opportunities and challenges facing the Churches today in their mission of accompanying suffering humanity on the path to the Kingdom, by imbuing society and culture with Gospel truths and values”. In the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, continued the Pope, “I noted that realities are more important than ideas. The Joint Working Group must be oriented to addressing the real concerns of the Churches throughout the world. In this way, it will be better suited to proposing collaborative steps that not only draw the Churches closer together, but also ensure that they offer an effective diakonia suited to the people's needs”. In fulfilling this task, “the Joint Working Group distinguishes itself by its own character and aims. The nine reports produced thus far bear witness to the growing understanding and appreciation of the bonds of brotherhood and reconciliation which, in the context of the changing landscape of Christianity in the modern world, sustain Christians in their common witness and evangelising mission. We must recognise, though, that in spite of the many ecumenical achievements of the past half century, Christian mission and witness still suffer due to our divisions. Disagreements on various subjects – in particular anthropological, ethical and social issues, as well as issues related to the understanding of the nature and conditions of the unity we seek – demand further sustained efforts. Our dialogue must continue”. The Pope concluded his message by encouraging the Group to further its discussion on crucial ecumenical issues and to promote ways for Christians to testify together to the real, though imperfect, communion shared by all the baptised. “May we always trust that the Holy Spirit will continue to assist and guide our journey, often in new and sometimes unexpected ways”, exclaimed Francis. |
| Other Pontifical Acts Vatican City, 24 June 2015 (VIS) – The Holy Father has appointed: - Bishop Rafael Biernaski, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Curitiba, Brazil, as bishop of Blumenau (area 3,835, population 671,282, Catholics 460,056, priests 67, permanent deacons 53, religious 79), Brazil. - Bishop Joao Santos Cardoso of Sao Raimundo Nonato, Brazil, as bishop of Bom Jesus da Lapa (area 56,300, population 403,000, Catholics 321,000, priests 33, religious 52), Brazil. |
#BreakingNews 2 Girl Suicide Bombers in #Nigeria Kill 30 in 24 hours - Please PRAY
20 people were killed by a young female suicide bomber at a bus station in Maiduguri, northeast Nigeria, on June 22, 2015. The bomb Tuesday killed 10 people and injured more than 30 others. The bomber detonated her explosives at a weekly market in the Wagir village. Yobe state has repeatedly come under attack by Boko Haram militants. Boko Haram is suspected of carrying out the attack. A day earlier, a 17-year old girl killed 20 people and injured 50 in a suicide attack on a bus station in neighboring Madiguri. President Muhammadu Buhari has made defeating Boko Haram his priority since assuming office on May 29. There is now a four-nation regional military coalition trying to reclaim Nigerian territory seized by the group. The coalition consists of Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Buhari told Nigerians on Monday that the country is broke.
#BreakingNews Heat Wave in #Pakistan causes over 224 deaths - Please Pray
Temperature hits 45 Celsius, with 224 deathsThe death toll hit 202 in Karachi. An additional 12 died 12 in Punjab. The poor and Muslims are the most affected. More than 150 bodies have been taken to the Edhi morgue, which usually receives about 20 bodies a day. Power outages have crippled the water supply system.
Karachi (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Some 224 people are now believed to have died during a heatwave in Pakistan's southern Sindh province.
Karachi is the worst hit with temperatures soaring to 45 degrees Celsius, with power outages caused by increased demand.
The government has called in the military to help relief efforts by setting up heatstroke treatment centres around the city.
The heat wave coincides with the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, a time when devout Muslims abstain from all food and drink during daylight hours.
In Karachi alone, the authorities have reported at least 202 deaths. An additional 12 have died in the southern part of Punjab province.
Most of the victims are poor, suffering from fever, dehydration and gastric problems.
Some 140 deaths have been confirmed at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre with another 62 at the Karachi Civil Hospital, Provincial Health Minister Jam Mehtab Dehar said. However, the actual death toll could be much higher, as other hospitals have not yet provided their data.
Meanwhile, local media reports indicate that since Saturday more than 150 bodies were taken to the Edhi morgue (pictured) in Sohrab Goth, which usually receives about 20 bodies a day.
In light of the situation, the Sindh provincial government has imposed a state of emergency in all hospitals, cancelling leave for doctors and other medical staff, and increasing stocks of medical supplies.
Sher Shah, a veteran medical practitioner and former president of the Pakistan Medical Association, said Karachi's poor were most at risk. Devout Muslims are also at risk since Ramadan began last Friday.
Power cuts from the city's main utility, K-Electric, have exacerbated the effects of the heat wave. In Karachi, a city of some 20 million people, power shortages have crippled the water supply system, hampering the pumping of millions of litres of water to consumers.
So far, this year's toll is the second highest in the country's history. The all-time record temperature in Karachi is 47C (117F), recorded in 1979.
The weather is expected to be even more hot and humid today, but thunderstorms should bring cooler temperatures towards the end of the week.
The scorching heat is not unusual for the summer months, but the prolonged lack of power seems to have worsened the situation.
In recent weeks, the heat has caused more than 1,700 deaths in neighbouring India.
Shared from AsiaNewsIT
Today's Mass Readings and Video : Wed. June 24, 2015
Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist - Mass during the Day
Lectionary: 587
Reading 1IS 49:1-6
Hear me, O coastlands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The LORD called me from birth,
from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Though I thought I had toiled in vain,
and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,
yet my reward is with the LORD,
my recompense is with my God.
For now the LORD has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
that Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
listen, O distant peoples.
The LORD called me from birth,
from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Though I thought I had toiled in vain,
and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,
yet my reward is with the LORD,
my recompense is with my God.
For now the LORD has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
that Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
Responsorial PsalmPS 139:1B-3, 13-14AB, 14C-15
R. (14) I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. I praise you for I am wonderfully made.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
My soul also you knew full well;
nor was my frame unknown to you
When I was made in secret,
when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.
R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. I praise you for I am wonderfully made.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
My soul also you knew full well;
nor was my frame unknown to you
When I was made in secret,
when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.
R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
Reading 2ACTS 13:22-26
In those days, Paul said:
“God raised up David as king;
of him God testified,
I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;
he will carry out my every wish.
From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise,
has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel;
and as John was completing his course, he would say,
‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.
Behold, one is coming after me;
I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’
“My brothers, sons of the family of Abraham,
and those others among you who are God-fearing,
to us this word of salvation has been sent.”
You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
“No. He will be called John.”
But they answered her,
“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
“What, then, will this child be?”
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
The child grew and became strong in spirit,
and he was in the desert until the day
of his manifestation to Israel.
“God raised up David as king;
of him God testified,
I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;
he will carry out my every wish.
From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise,
has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel;
and as John was completing his course, he would say,
‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.
Behold, one is coming after me;
I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’
“My brothers, sons of the family of Abraham,
and those others among you who are God-fearing,
to us this word of salvation has been sent.”
AlleluiaSEE LK 1:76
R. Alleluia, alleluia.You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 1:57-66, 80
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her childshe gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
“No. He will be called John.”
But they answered her,
“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
“What, then, will this child be?”
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
The child grew and became strong in spirit,
and he was in the desert until the day
of his manifestation to Israel.
Saint June 24 : Birth of St. John the Baptist : Patron of #Baptism , Epilepsy and Motorways
Birth of St. John the Baptist
Feast: June 24
THE birth of St. John was foretold by an angel of the Lord to his father, Zachary, who was offering incense in the Temple. It was the office of St. John to prepare the way for Christ, and before he was born into the world he began to live for the Incarnate God. Even in the womb he knew the presence of Jesus and of Mary, and he leaped with joy at the glad coming of the son of man. In his youth he remained hidden, because He for Whom he waited was hidden also. But before Christ's public life began, a divine impulse led St. John into the desert; there, with locusts for his food and haircloth on his skin, in silence and in prayer, he chastened his own soul. Then, as crowds broke in upon his solitude, he warned them to flee from the wrath to come, and gave them the baptism of penance, while they confessed their sins. At last there stood in the crowd One Whom St. John did not know, till a voice within told him that it was his Lord.With the baptism of St. John, Christ began His penance for the sins of His people, and St. John saw the Holy Ghost descend in bodily form upon Him. Then the Saint's work was done. He had but to point his own disciples to the Lamb, he had but to decrease as Christ increased. He saw all men leave him and go after Christ. "I told you," he said, "that I am not the Christ. The friend of the Bridegroom rejoiceth because of the Bridegroom's voice. This my joy therefore is fulfilled." St. John had been cast into the fortress of Machærus by a worthless tyrant whose crimes be had rebuked, and he was to remain there till he was beheaded, at the will of a girl who danced before this wretched king. In this time of despair, if St. John could have known despair, some of his old disciples visited him. St. John did not speak to them of himself, but he sent them to Christ, that they might see the proofs of His mission. Then the Eternal Truth pronounced the panegyric of the Saint who had lived and breathed for Him alone: "Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist" (Taken from Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler)
The nun, 81, passed away after renal failure, aggravated by years of heart problems. The funeral is scheduled tomorrow at the Congregations home in Calcutta. Born into a Hindu family, after her conversion to Catholicism and entrance into the Congregation she opened the contemplative branch of the Sisters of Mother Teresa.
Mumbai (AsiaNews) -, Sister Nirmala Joshi, the first to lead the Missionaries of Charity after Mother Teresa, died last night in Calcutta. She was 81 years old. She had suffered from heart problems for the past few years. After a kidney failure, on Friday, June 19 the doctors wanted to hospitalize her to undergo dialysis. The nun, however, preferred to stay with her sisters: After a Mass celebrated by a Jesuit priest in the hospital, she was discharged. Her funeral is scheduled for 4pm (local time) tomorrow.
Today her body will be laid in the Church of St. John, before being transferred this evening to the Missionaries’ home in Tengra, a Calcutta suburb. Tomorrow the remains will be taken to the headquarters of the Congregation, where the funeral will take place.
Sister Nirmala was born in 1934 in Ranchi, capital of Jharkanda, which at the time, was a part of the province of Bihar and Orissa under the British Empire. His parents were from Nepal and her father was a British army officer, until India’s independence in 1947. Although her parents were Hindus, Nirmala was educated by Christian missionaries in Patna, capital of Bihar state.
It was then that she first met Mother Teresa and expressed her desire to share in her work. She soon became a Catholic and joined the Missionaries of Charity.
A graduate in political science and after a period spent as a lawyer, she became one of the first sisters of the congregation to lead a foreign mission, when she was sent to Panama.
In 1976, Sister Nirmala started the contemplative branch of the Missionaries of Charity, of which she remained in charge until her election as successor to Mother Teresa in 1997, six months after the death of the founder.
Very shy and lover of the contemplative life, Sister Nirmala gave AsiaNews two exclusive interviews: the first on the occasion of the Synod on the Eucharist, the second on the occasion of the 10 anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa, chosen by AsiaNews as our patron.
January 26, 2009 (Republic Day, ed) the Indian government awarded her the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award of the country, for services rendered to the country.
Her term as superior general of the Missionaries of Charity ended March 25, 2009: she was succeeded by German Sister Mary Prema Pierick, who is still at the head of the congregation of Mother Teresa. (NC) Shared from AsiaNewsIT
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