2015
Catholic #Quote to SHARE "Give me a person of Prayer, and such a one will be capable..." by St. Vincent de Paul
of accomplishing
ANYTHING. " ~St. Vincent de Paul
#PopeFrancis “Moments of rest, especially on Sunday, are sacred because in them we find God" Text/Video
“It is God himself who teaches us the importance of dedicating time to contemplating and enjoying the fruits of our labours, not only in our employment or profession, but through every action by which we as men and women cooperate in God’s creative work, even in times of difficulty,” said Pope Francis. The Pope went on to note that, even in the workplace, we celebrate – a birthday, a marriage, a new baby, a farewell or a welcome, and that true moments of celebration make us pause from our work, because they remind us that we are made in the image and likeness of God, who is not a slave to work, but the Lord of work. “So,” he said, “we must never be slaves to work but rather its master.” Nevertheless, “We know that millions of men and women, even children, are slaves to work. The obsession with economic profit and technical efficiency puts the human rhythms of life at risk,” he continued.
Pope Francis concluded his reflection with a focus on the need to recover attunement to the rhythms of life, which are found most especially in the sense of the sacred that at once draws to and flows from Sunday, the day of rest, and its centerpiece, the Eucharistic celebration. “Moments of rest, especially on Sunday, are sacred because in them we find God,” said Pope Francis, adding that the Sunday Eucharist brings to our celebrations every grace of Jesus Christ: his presence, his love and his sacrifice; his forming us into a community, and his way of being with us. “Everything is transfigured by his grace: work, family, the joys and trials of each day, even our sufferings and death,” he continued. Pope Francis concluded with a prayer: “May we always recognize the family as the privileged place to understand, guide and sustain the gifts which arise from our celebrations, especially the Sunday Eucharist.”
Below, please find the full text of the official English-language summary of the Pope’s reflection, read after the Holy Father delivered the main catechesis in Italian
********************************** We begin now a series of catecheses on three facets of family life: celebration, work and prayer. Let us turn first to celebrations which, as we see from the Story of Creation, are the invention of God, who on the seventh day rested from his work. It is God himself who teaches us the importance of dedicating time to contemplating and enjoying the fruits of our labours, not only in our employment or profession, but through every action by which we as men and women cooperate in God’s creative work, even in times of difficulty. In the workplace too, we celebrate – a birthday, a marriage, a new baby, a farewell or a welcome. True moments of celebration make us pause from our work, because they remind us that we are made in the image and likeness of God, who is not a slave to work, but the Lord of work! And so we must never be slaves to work but rather its master! Yet we know that millions of men and women, even children, are slaves to work. The obsession with economic profit and technical efficiency puts the human rhythms of life at risk. Moments of rest, especially on Sunday, are sacred because in them we find God. The Sunday Eucharist brings to our celebrations every grace of Jesus Christ: his presence, his love and his sacrifice; his forming us into a community, and his way of being with us. Everything is transfigured by his grace: work, family, the joys and trials of each day, even our sufferings and death. May we always recognize the family as the privileged place to understand, guide and sustain the gifts which arise from our celebrations, especially the Sunday Eucharist.
#BreakingNews Government of #Australia stands firm on Traditional #Marriage after Debate
Coalition Stands Firm on Traditional Marriage
Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
12 Aug 2015
12 Aug 2015
PM Tony Abbott said there was strong support for the Coalition's current position - not to change the Marriage Act.
"The Federal Coalition has resoundingly rejected the cop-out of a 'conscience vote on marriage'," Dr David van Gend, President of the Australian Marriage Forum applauded in a statement released late last night.
Dr van Gend described the decision by the Coalition Party Room as a "win for responsible government."
"But above all, this is a win for future children who are now more likely to benefit from the only institution that guarantees them a mother and a father," he said and congratulated the Abbott Government for "holding true to its policy, honouring the truth of marriage and defending the rights of the child."
Managing Director of the Canberra-based Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), Lyle Shelton praised Coalition MPs this morning for maintaining their position, which was originally announced by the PM in the lead up to the 2013 Federal election.
However he warned that the campaign by those wanting to change the definition of marriage to allow same-sex couples to legally wed would continue and while the decision by the Coalition to back traditional marriage was a much needed reprieve, it was by no means a final victory.
Australian Christian Lobby spokesperson Lyle Shelton
At a press conference after the Coalition's marathon six-hour debate over whether or not to allow a free vote on the issue, the Prime Minister insisted that there would be no debate on same-sex marriage in Parliament during the current term of Government, but flagged the possibility of a plebiscite or a Constitutional Referendum in the Government's next term in office.
"Going into the next election we will have more to say, but the disposition is that in the next term of Parliament we will put it to the people," Mr Abbott said.
It is understood Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Social Services Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Joe Hockey aired proposals for a referendum to be taken to the next election, and was an idea backed by many of the other 90 MPs who spoke either for or against a "conscience vote" on the issue in the Coalition Party Room last night.
The Australian Marriage Act currently defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others
While ACL's Lyle Shelton believes a plebiscite or Constitutional Referendum would let the people decide the issue rather than Parliamentarians, he says it was vital that there is equal funding on both sides of the debate and urged Parliament to impose a ban on overseas donations from either side.
In the recent Irish plebiscite which resulted in a "yes" vote for same-sex marriage, more than $16 million from the US and other countries poured in to support the campaign waged by advocates for same-sex marriage.
But even more important, Mr Shelton believes is that any referendum or plebiscites canvass the consequences of changing the Australian Marriage Act and redefining marriage from "the union between a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others," to "the union of two people" which would allow same-sex couples to be married under Australian law.
"The debate cannot continue with networks like Channel 7 and Channel 10 refusing to run innocuous commercials putting the other side of the argument," he says in reference to the free-to-air channels decision not to run the Marriage Alliance's "Tip of the Iceberg" ads.
He also takes issue with the word 'bigotry' which was used by journalists on social media last night and insisted that the use of this word must be dropped from the public discourse on same-sex marriage so that there is complete freedom to put an alternate view.
"Many Australians don't know that same-sex couples already have full equality under the law. If Australians were allowed to know this and be informed of the consequences of redefining marriage, I would be very confident a referendum would support the status quo," he said.
Dr David van Gend founder and President of the Australian Marriage Forum
"We need to unpack what 'Marriage Equality' means," he says.
He also cited the recent Sexton Marketing Poll commissioned by the newly-formed Marriage Alliance which found that as an issue of importance to ordinary Australians, same sex marriage comes way down the list, ranking at number 13 on the political issues Australians are most concerned about; far below health, education, job security, terrorism and the cost of living.
"Despite years of relentless media and celebrity championing of same-sex marriage, Australians still think it is a low order issue and want a more informed debate," he says.
The Coalition's decision not to allow a conscience vote or a debate on any of the four Bills currently either tabled or set to be tabled in Parliament to change the Marriage Act, during Abbott Government's current term in office is a chance to explore the issue, Mr Shelton says.
US same sex lobbyists behind $16 million in funds for Irish campaign for marriage equality
Speaking after the Coalition Party Room meeting last night, Mr Abbott said that there had been a strong view by that if the Government was to drop the clear position it took to the last election supporting traditional marriage, even if it were to simply adjust the policy to the extent of having a free vote, would mean a lot of people who had voted for the Coalition would see this as a broken promise and feel "dudded." Shared from Archdiocese of Sydney
#BreakingNews over 400,000 sign Petition to #PopeFrancis for Traditional Marriage at #Synod
A filial appeal from Manila to the pope to stand by marriageMore than 400,000, including bishops and cardinals, have signed an open letter to the pope by a Catholic lay movement. For them, even the slightest moral concessions can have disastrous effects. The religious marriage is the only way to overcome the “ideological colonisation” taking place in the world.
Manila (AsiaNews) – More than 400,000 people, including 105 prelates, have signed a ‘Filial Appeal’, urging Pope Francis to stand by the traditional marriage in the forthcoming Synod on the Family in October.
Convinced that even slight moral concessions can have disastrous effects, this plea was spearheaded by concerned lay Catholics. However, 105 prelates, including bishops and cardinals, are among the signatories. The petition will remain open until mid-September.
An association of lay people, the ‘Filial Appeal’, drew up the appeal, joined by 47 pro-life organisations like Pro-Life Philippines, Rosary for Life and Human Life International.
In addition to demands to the Synod, the group is circulating a booklet titled ‘Preferential Option for the Family’ with 100 questions and answers. Prepared by Mgrs Aldo's Cillo Pagotto, Robert Vasa and Athanasius Schneider, it deals with the topics before the upcoming Ordinary Synod.
In their press release, the petitioners ask Francis to stand up for traditional marriage. Seeing it as the only way Catholics can overcome “ideological colonisation,” they explain a papal intervention is needed to counter the ‘anti-Christian forces’ allegedly undermining people’s moral convictions.
The 14th Ordinary Synod on the family will be held in Vatican from 4 to 25 October 2015, on ‘The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and the contemporary world’.
The official working document, the Instrumentum laboris, was presented on 23 June 2015. Its topics include listening to the challenges of the family, the discernment of the family vocation, and the mission of the family today. Shared from AsiaNewsIT
Today's Mass Readings and Video : Wed. August 12, 2015
Wednesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 415
Reading 1DT 34:1-12
Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo,
the headland of Pisgah which faces Jericho,
and the LORD showed him all the land—
Gilead, and as far as Dan, all Naphtali,
the land of Ephraim and Manasseh,
all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea,
the Negeb, the circuit of the Jordan
with the lowlands at Jericho, city of palms,
and as far as Zoar.
The LORD then said to him,
“This is the land
which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
that I would give to their descendants.
I have let you feast your eyes upon it, but you shall not cross over.”
So there, in the land of Moab, Moses, the servant of the LORD,
died as the LORD had said; and he was buried in the ravine
opposite Beth-peor in the land of Moab,
but to this day no one knows the place of his burial.
Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died,
yet his eyes were undimmed and his vigor unabated.
For thirty days the children of Israel wept for Moses
in the plains of Moab, till they had completed
the period of grief and mourning for Moses.
Now Joshua, son of Nun, was filled with the spirit of wisdom,
since Moses had laid his hands upon him;
and so the children of Israel gave him their obedience,
thus carrying out the LORD’s command to Moses.
Since then no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses,
whom the LORD knew face to face.
He had no equal in all the signs and wonders
the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt
against Pharaoh and all his servants and against all his land,
and for the might and the terrifying power
that Moses exhibited in the sight of all Israel.
the headland of Pisgah which faces Jericho,
and the LORD showed him all the land—
Gilead, and as far as Dan, all Naphtali,
the land of Ephraim and Manasseh,
all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea,
the Negeb, the circuit of the Jordan
with the lowlands at Jericho, city of palms,
and as far as Zoar.
The LORD then said to him,
“This is the land
which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
that I would give to their descendants.
I have let you feast your eyes upon it, but you shall not cross over.”
So there, in the land of Moab, Moses, the servant of the LORD,
died as the LORD had said; and he was buried in the ravine
opposite Beth-peor in the land of Moab,
but to this day no one knows the place of his burial.
Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died,
yet his eyes were undimmed and his vigor unabated.
For thirty days the children of Israel wept for Moses
in the plains of Moab, till they had completed
the period of grief and mourning for Moses.
Now Joshua, son of Nun, was filled with the spirit of wisdom,
since Moses had laid his hands upon him;
and so the children of Israel gave him their obedience,
thus carrying out the LORD’s command to Moses.
Since then no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses,
whom the LORD knew face to face.
He had no equal in all the signs and wonders
the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt
against Pharaoh and all his servants and against all his land,
and for the might and the terrifying power
that Moses exhibited in the sight of all Israel.
Responsorial PsalmPS 66:1-3A, 5 AND 8, 16-17
R. (see 20a and 10b) Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire!
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth;
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God: “How tremendous are your deeds!”
R. Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire!
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
Bless our God, you peoples;
loudly sound his praise.
R. Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire!
Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me.
When I appealed to him in words,
praise was on the tip of my tongue.
R. Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire!
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth;
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God: “How tremendous are your deeds!”
R. Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire!
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
Bless our God, you peoples;
loudly sound his praise.
R. Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire!
Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me.
When I appealed to him in words,
praise was on the tip of my tongue.
R. Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire!
Alleluia2 COR 5:19
R. Alleluia, alleluia.God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 18:15-20
Jesus said to his disciples:
“If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church.
If he refuses to listen even to the Church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.”
“If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church.
If he refuses to listen even to the Church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.”
Saint August 12 : St. Jane Frances de Chantal : #Foundress : Patron of #Forgotten
 Feast Day: |
August 12
Born:
January 28, 1572, Dijon, Burgundy, France
Died:
December 13, 1641, Moulins, France
Canonized:
July 16, 1767, Rome by Pope Clement XIII
Major Shrine:
Annecy, SavoyPatron of:
forgotten people; in-law problems; loss of parents; parents separated from children; widows
Born at Dijon, France, 28 January, 1572; died at the Visitation Convent Moulins, 13 December, 1641.
Born at Dijon, France, 28 January, 1572; died at the Visitation Convent Moulins, 13 December, 1641.
Her father was president of the Parliament of Burgundy, and leader of the royalist party during the League that brought about the triumph of the cause of Henry IV. In 1592 she married Baron de Chantal, and lived in the feudal castle of Bourbilly. She restored order in the household, which was on the brink of ruin, and brought back prosperity. During her husband's absence at the court, or with the army, when reproached for her extremely sober manner of dressing, her reply was: "The eyes which I must please are a hundred miles from here". She found more than once that God blessed with miracles the care she gave the suffering members of Christ. St. Francis de Sales' eulogy of her characterizes her life at Bourbilly and everywhere else: "In Madame de Chantal I have found the perfect woman, whom Solomon had difficulty in finding in Jerusalem". Baron de Chantal was accidently killed by a harquebus while out shooting in 1601. Left a widow at twenty-eight, with four children, the broken-hearted baroness took a vow of chastity. In all her prayers she besought God to send her a guide and God, in a vision, showed her the spiritual director He held in reserve for her. In order to safeguard her children's property, she was obliged to go and live at Monthelon in the home of her father-in-law, who was ruled over by an arrogant and wicked servant. This was real servitude, which she bore patiently and gently for seven years. At last her virtue triumphed over the ill will of the old man and house keeper.
During Lent, 1604, she visited her father at Dijon, where St. Francis de Sales was preaching at the Sainte Chapelle. She recognized in him the mysterious director who had been shown her, and placed herself under his guidance. Then began an admirable correspondence between the two saints. Unfortunately, the greater number of letters are no longer in existence, as she destroyed them after the death of the holy bishop. When she had assured the future security of children, and when she had provided the education of Celse-Benigne, her fourteen year old son, whom she left to her father and her brother, the Archbishop of Bourges, she started for Annecy, where God was calling her to found the Congregation of the Visitation. She took her two remaining daughters with her, the elder having recently married the Baron of Thorens, a brother of St. Francis de Sales. Celse-Benigne, impetous like those of her race, barred his mother's way by lying across the threshold. Mme de Chantal stopped, overcome: " Can the tears of a child shake her resolution? " said a holy and learned priest, the tutor of Celse-Benigne. "Oh! no", replied the saint, "but after all I am a mother!" And she stepped over child's body.The Congregation of the Visitation was canonically established at Annecy on Trinity Sunday, 6 June, 1610. Its aim was to receive, with a view to their spiritual advancement, young girls and even widows who had not the desire or strength to subject themselves to the austere ascetical practices in force in all the religious orders at that time. St. Francis de Sales was especially desirous of seeing the realization of his cherished method of attaining perfection, which consisted in always keeping one's will united to the Divine will, in taking so to speak one's soul, heart, and longings into one's hands and giving them into God's keeping, and in seeking always to do what is pleasing to Him. "I do always the things that please him" (John, viii, 29). The two holy founders saw their undertaking prosper. At the time of the death of St. Francis de Sales in 1622, the order already counted thirteen houses; there were eighty-six when St. Jane Frances died; and 164 when she was canonized. The remainder of the saint's life was spent under the protection of the cloister in the practice of the most admirable virtues. If a gentle kindness, vivified and strengthened by a complete spirit of renunciation, predominates in St. Francis de Sales, it is firmness and great vigour which prevails in St. Jane Frances; she did not like to see her daughters giving way to human weakness. Her trials were continuous and borne bravely, and yet she was exceedingly sensitive. Celse-Benigne was an incorrigible duellist. She prayed so fervently that he was given the grace to die a Christian death on the battle-field, during the campaign against the Isle of Re (1627). He left a daughter who became the famous Marquise de Sevigne. To family troubles God added interior crosses which, particularly during the last nine years of her life, kept her in agony of soul from which she was not freed until three months before her death. Her reputation for sanctity was widespread. Queens, princes, and princesses flocked to the reception-room of the Visitation. Wherever she went to establish foundations, the people gave her ovations. "These people", she would say confused, "do not know me; they are mistaken". Her body is venerated with that of St. Francis de Sales in the church of the Visitation at Annecy. She was beatified in 1751, canonized in 1767, and 21 August was appointed as her feast day.
The life of the saint was written in the seventeenth century, with inimitable charm, by her secretary, Mother de Chaugy. Monsignor Bougaud, who died Bishop of Laval, published in 1863 a "Histoire de Sainte Chantal" which had a great and well-deserved success.Shared from EWTN
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