2016
Free Catholic Movie : St. Patrick The Irish Legend with Actor Pat Bergin
St. Patrick: The Irish Legend (2000) TV Movie - 100 min - Drama | Adventure | Fantasy - A young Christian boy's home area is attacked by invading Irish tribes. Taken captive, he is taken back to Ireland to become a slave. Enduring many hardships, he finds friends.
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Director: Robert Hughes Writers: Martin Duffy, Robert Hughes Stars: Patrick Bergin, Luke Griffin, Alan Bates |
Catholics Mourn Suicide of Fr. Virgilio Elizondo of #NotreDame - Please Pray for his Soul....
OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller:
I join the priests of the Archdiocese of San Antonio as we are deeply saddened and stunned by the news of the death of Father Virgilio Elizondo on March 14. This is an occasion for great sorrow, as his death was sudden and unexpected.Father Virgil had served as rector of San Fernando Cathedral, and pursued scholarly work in Latino theology, evangelization, faith and spirituality, and culture. He had also been a long-time theology professor at the University of Notre Dame, and was the author of several books. At this devastatingly sad time for Father Virgil’s family -- especially his sister -- as well as his brother clergy, co-workers and friends, we offer our most profound sympathies. Our thoughts and prayers are with them all. I pray for all those who mourn Father Virgil and for the repose of his soul. In this Year of Mercy, we now commend him to the saving mercy of our God, who is compassionate and full of mercy and love. This is most fitting and proper. Eternal rest, grant unto him O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.
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A lawsuit was filed against Fr. Elizondo in May 2015 accusing him of sexually abusing a boy in the 1980s. He denied the allegation and reportedly planned to fight it in court.
Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, released a statement saying "I am very sad to hear the news of Father Virgilio’s passing. He was a good friend and a brother priest and I will miss him."
"His death is a deep loss for the Church," Archbishop Gomez said. "I am praying for him and his family. May the Virgin of Guadalupe, whom he loved so much, embrace him in her maternal compassion."
Novena to St. Patrick SHARE this #Miracle #Prayer - #StPatrick
Blessed saint Patrick, glorious Apostle of Ireland, who didst become a friend and father to me for ages before my birth, hear my prayer and accept, for God, the sentiments of gratitude and veneration with which my heart is filled. Through thee I have inherited that faith which is dearer than life. I now make thee the representative of my thanks, and the mediator of my homage to Almighty God. Most holy Father and patron of my country, despise not my weakness; remember that the cries of little children were the sounds that rose, like a mysterious voice from heaven, and invited thee to come amongst us. Listen, then, to my humble supplication; may my prayer ascend to the throne of God, with the praises and blessings which shall ever sanctify thy name and thy memory.
May my hope be animated by the patronage and intercession of our forefathers, who now enjoy eternal bliss and owe their salvation, under God, to thy courage and charity. Obtain for me grace to love God with my whole heart, to serve him with my whole strength, and to persevere in good purposes to the end, o faithful shepherd of the Irish flock, who wouldst have laid down a thousand lives to save one soul, take my soul, and the souls of my countrymen, under thy special care. Be a father to the Church of Ireland and her faithful people.
Grant that all hearts may share the blessed fruits of that Gospel thou didst plant and water. Grant that, as our ancestors of old had learned, under thy guidance, to unite science with virtue, we too, may learn, under thy patronage, to consecrate all Christian duty to the glory of God. I commend to thee my native land, which was so dear to thee while on earth. Protect it still, and, above all, direct its chief pastors, particularly those who teach us. Give them grace to walk in thy footsteps, to nurture the flock with the word of life and the bread of salvation, and to lead the heirs of the Saints thou hast formed to the possession of that glory which they, with Thee, enjoy in the kingdom of the Blessed: through Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. V. Pray for us, O glorious saint Patrick. R. And obtain for us the intention of this Novena.
Today's Mass Readings and Video : Thursday March 17, 2016
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Lectionary: 254
Reading 1GN 17:3-9
When Abram prostrated himself, God spoke to him:
“My covenant with you is this:
you are to become the father of a host of nations.
No longer shall you be called Abram;
your name shall be Abraham,
for I am making you the father of a host of nations.
I will render you exceedingly fertile;
I will make nations of you;
kings shall stem from you.
I will maintain my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
throughout the ages as an everlasting pact,
to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
I will give to you
and to your descendants after you
the land in which you are now staying,
the whole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession;
and I will be their God.”
God also said to Abraham:
“On your part, you and your descendants after you
must keep my covenant throughout the ages.”
“My covenant with you is this:
you are to become the father of a host of nations.
No longer shall you be called Abram;
your name shall be Abraham,
for I am making you the father of a host of nations.
I will render you exceedingly fertile;
I will make nations of you;
kings shall stem from you.
I will maintain my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
throughout the ages as an everlasting pact,
to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
I will give to you
and to your descendants after you
the land in which you are now staying,
the whole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession;
and I will be their God.”
God also said to Abraham:
“On your part, you and your descendants after you
must keep my covenant throughout the ages.”
Responsorial PsalmPS 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. (8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations –
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations –
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
Verse Before The GospelPS 95:8
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever keeps my word will never see death.”
So the Jews said to him,
“Now we are sure that you are possessed.
Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say,
‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’
Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?
Or the prophets, who died?
Who do you make yourself out to be?”
Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing;
but it is my Father who glorifies me,
of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’
You do not know him, but I know him.
And if I should say that I do not know him,
I would be like you a liar.
But I do know him and I keep his word.
Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day;
he saw it and was glad.”
So the Jews said to him,
“You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
before Abraham came to be, I AM.”
So they picked up stones to throw at him;
but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.
harden not your hearts.
GospelJN 8:51-59
Jesus said to the Jews:“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever keeps my word will never see death.”
So the Jews said to him,
“Now we are sure that you are possessed.
Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say,
‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’
Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?
Or the prophets, who died?
Who do you make yourself out to be?”
Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing;
but it is my Father who glorifies me,
of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’
You do not know him, but I know him.
And if I should say that I do not know him,
I would be like you a liar.
But I do know him and I keep his word.
Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day;
he saw it and was glad.”
So the Jews said to him,
“You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
before Abraham came to be, I AM.”
So they picked up stones to throw at him;
but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.
#PopeFrancis “...the joy of the presence of God, that journeys with His people." #Homiliy for #Lent
(Vatican Radio) Christian hope is a humble and strong virtue that supports us, so that we do not drown under the many difficulties we face in life. That was Pope Francis’ message at the morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta. The Pope said that hope in the Lord never disappoints us; it’s a font of joy and peace in our hearts.
Jesus speaks with the doctors of the law, and affirmed that Abraham “rejoiced in hope” to see His day. Pope Francis preached his homily on this passage from the day’s Gospel, to show how hope is fundamental in the life of the Christian. Abraham, he said, “had his temptations along the path of hope,” but he believed and obeyed the Lord, and so set out on the journey to the promised land.
Hope takes us forward and gives us joy
There is, then, the Pope said, something like a “thread of hope” that joins “the whole story of salvation” and is a “font of joy.”
Today the Church speaks to us of the joy of hope. In the first prayer of the Mass we asked for the grace of God to keep us in the hope of the Church, because it does not ‘fail.’ And Paul, speaking of our father Abraham, tells us: ‘He believed against all hope.’ When there is no human hope, there is that hope that carries us forward, humble, simple—but it gives a joy, at times a great joy, at times only of peace, but the security that hope does not disappoint: hope doesn’t disappoint.
This “joy of Abraham,” this hope, he continued, “grows throughout history.” “At times,” he admitted, “it is hidden, it is not seen; at times, it is clearly manifested.” Pope Francis cited the example of the pregnant Elizabeth, who rejoiced at the visit of her cousin Mary. It is “the joy of the presence of God,” he said, “that journeys with His people. And where there is joy, there is peace. This is the virtue of hope: from joy to peace. This hope, he repeated, “never disappoints,” not even in “moments of slavery,” when the people of God were in a foreign land.
Hope sustains us, so we don’t drown in difficulties
This “thread of hope” begins with Abraham, who spoke with God, and ends with Jesus. Pope Francis dwelt on the characteristics of this hope. If, in fact, one can say that he has faith and charity, it is more difficult to speak about hope:
We are able to say this [about faith and charity] easily, but when we are asked, ‘Do you have hope? Do you have the joy of hope?’ ‘But, father, I don’t understand, can you explain?’ Hope, that humble virtue, that virtue which flows under the water of life, but that bears us up so we don’t drown in so many difficulties, so we do not lose that desire to find God, to find that wonderful face which we will all see one day: hope.
Hope doesn’t disappoint: it is silent, humble, and strong
Today, the Pope said, “would be a good day to think about this: the same God who called Abraham and made him go out of his own land without knowing where he was going, is the same God who goes to the Cross, to fulfil the promise He made.”
It is the same God who, in the fullness of time, ensures that the promise would become a reality for all of us. And what unites that first moment to this last moment is the thread of hope. And that which unites my Christian life to our Christian life, from one moment to another, in order to always go forward — sinners, but going forward — is hope. And what gives us peace in bad moments, in the darkest moments of life, is hope. Hope doesn’t disappoint: it’s always there: silent, humble, but strong.
Saint March 17 : St. Patrick : Patron of: Ireland, #Nigeria, New York, #Engineers, Against snakes
Feast Day:
March 17
Born:
between 387 and 390 at Scotland
Died:between 461 and 464 at Saul, County Down, Ireland
Patron of:
Ireland, Nigeria, Montserrat, New York, Boston, Engineers, against snakes
March 17 is one of the most widely recognized feast days throughout the Church, the feast of Saint Patrick (387-493), patron saint of Ireland. Many myths and legends have arisen regarding the life of Saint Patrick, some culturally-based in Celtic oral storytelling, and some much more modern in support of non-spiritual celebrations. Church historians have compiled the basic facts of Saint Patrick’s life from letters and Confessions that he wrote while alive, as well as survey of the political and historical landscapes of the time. Many of the legendary miracles reported to have been performed by Saint Patrick remain unverified by history, but for many verified by faith in the gentle man responsible for bringing Catholicism to Ireland.
Saint Patrick was born in Kilpatrick, Scotland, where he lived the first 14 years of his life with his family, Christians, although not overly devout. In late adolescence, Patrick was captured from his family’s home by Irish raiders, and taken back to Ireland as a slave. There, he would spend the next six years in captivity, learning Celtic customs and language, and spending significant periods of time alone, tending sheep in the fields. It was here that Patrick’s’ love of God deepened and his faith took root and bloomed. He prayed incessantly, writing, “the love of God, and His fear increased in me more and more, and the faith grew in me, and the spirit was roused, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers, and in the night nearly the same, so that whilst in the woods and on the mountain, even before the dawn, I was roused to prayer and felt no hurt from it, whether there was snow or ice or rain; nor was there any slothfulness in me, such as I see now, because the spirit was then fervent within me.”
After six years of contemplation, Patrick was visited by an angel who encouraged him to return home to Scotland by escaping his slavery and walking 200 miles to the coast where he would find a ship awaiting him. Patrick did as instructed, finding the crew of s ship willing to take him to Scotland, and returned home to his grateful family. After a few years, Patrick experienced a second call from God, this time in the form of a visitor from Ireland. In his Confessions, he wrote:
I saw a man coming, as it were from Ireland. His name was Victoricus, and he carried many letters, and he gave me one of them. I read the heading: "The Voice of the Irish". As I began the letter, I imagined in that moment that I heard the voice of those very people who were near the wood of Foclut, which is beside the western sea—and they cried out, as with one voice: "We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us!
Patrick felt called to return to Ireland, but wished to be ordained prior to his departure. He undertook rigorous religious study, lasting approximately 14 years, during which time he was first ordained a priest, and later a bishop. Only upon becoming bishop did Patrick feel prepared to return to Ireland. While some legend suggests that Saint Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland, it is far more likely that some small Christian communities existed before his second arrival. His dual mission was that of ministering to the existing Christian communities and converting others to the faith.
Saint Patrick had great success on both accounts, drawing from his familiarity of Celtic and Druid religious beliefs and language. He introduced natural elements into his teaching, including placing the sun on the Celtic Cross as symbolization of the Godhead, illustrating the Resurrection of Christ through the use of bonfires (symbols familiar to the Druids), and most famously, explaining the Holy Trinity through comparison to the shamrock.
Many were converted by his works, and monasteries and convents established (although their formal structure and organization would not be complete until centuries after his death). During his ministry in Ireland, Saint Patrick lived a poor and austere life, accepting only what he needed to live. He was repeatedly arrested and imprisoned, threatened and attacked by chieftains of warring tribes, and suffered great peril. Throughout all struggles, he remained fearless, looking to the Lord for guidance and comfort, and demonstrating great love, humility, and charity towards all he encountered. Numerous miracles and intercessions are reported in his name.
Saint Patrick’s ministry in Ireland spanned over 40 years, during which he laid the foundation for the seat of the Church during the Dark Ages, when Christianity survived in Irish monasteries. He died in Saul, Ireland, where he is believed to be buried. He is reported to have composed the following prayer, referred to as “Saint Patrick’s Breastplate:”
I bind to myself today The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity: I believe the Trinity in the Unity The Creator of the Universe.
I bind to myself today The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism, The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial, The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension, The virtue of His coming on the Judgment Day.
I bind to myself today The virtue of the love of seraphim, In the obedience of angels, In the hope of resurrection unto reward, In prayers of Patriarchs, In predictions of Prophets, In preaching of Apostles, In faith of Confessors,
In purity of holy Virgins, In deeds of righteous men. I bind to myself today The power of Heaven, The light of the sun, The brightness of the moon, The splendor of fire, The flashing of lightning, The swiftness of wind, The depth of sea, The stability of earth, The compactness of rocks.
I bind to myself today God's Power to guide me, God's Might to uphold me, God's Wisdom to teach me, God's Eye to watch over me, God's Ear to hear me, God's Word to give me speech, God's Hand to guide me, God's Way to lie before me, God's Shield to shelter me, God's Host to secure me, Against the snares of demons, Against the seductions of vices, Against the lusts of nature, Against everyone who meditates injury to me, Whether far or near, Whether few or with many.
I invoke today all these virtues Against every hostile merciless power Which may assail my body and my soul, Against the incantations of false prophets, Against the black laws of heathenism, Against the false laws of heresy, Against the deceits of idolatry, Against the spells of women, and smiths, and druids, Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man.
Christ, protect me today Against every poison, against burning, Against drowning, against death-wound, That I may receive abundant reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort, Christ in the chariot seat, Christ in the deck of ships, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.
I bind to myself today The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity: I believe the Trinity in the Unity The Creator of the Universe.
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