God's Invisible Hand

I am currently reading God's Invisible Hand: The Life and Work of Francis Cardinal Arinze. Gerald O'Connell presents the transcripts of several interviews he conducted with Cardinal Arinze over four years. The content of the interviews is arranged in chronological order from 1932 to 2002. I'm about halfway through it and already I'm confident in recommending it as a worthy read.

As I read what Cardinal Arinze has to say about "God's Invisible Hand" I can't help but think about the workings of God's hand in my own life. It's amazing to look back and see what events, as insignificant as they seemed at time, have shaped your journey through life.

For instance, I had no intentions of attending the University that I did. It was only a few months before classes started that a new teacher introduced me to the idea of attending this particular school. There I met someone who invited me to my first Mass at St. Joseph's. Over a few years I attended Mass sporadically at St. Joseph's until someone I worked with happened to see me at church one Sunday and invite me to the University parish, St. Thomas Aquinas. Soon after I was attending Mass every Sunday and two years later I'm Catholic!

Along the way there are several key people that had I never met I may not be where I am right now. You never know when the smallest event is going to have a big and long lasting impact.

Litany of the Sacred Heart

Lord, have mercy
Christ, have mercy
Lord, have mercy

God our Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Response: have mercy of us

Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father,
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother,
Heart of Jesus, one with the eternal Word,
Heart of Jesus, Infinite in Majesty,
Heart of Jesus, holy Temple of God,
Heart of Jesus, Tabernacle of the Most High,
Heart of Jesus, House of God and Gate of Heaven,
Heart of Jesus, aflame with love for us,
Heart of Jesus, source of justice and love,
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love,
Heart of Jesus, well-spring of all virtue,
Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise,
Heart of Jesus, king and center of all hearts,
Heart of Jesus, treasure-house of wisdom and knowledge,
Heart of Jesus, in Whom there dwells the fullness of God,
Heart of Jesus, in Whom the Father is well pleased,
Heart of Jesus, from Whose fullness we have all received,
Heart of Jesus, desire of the eternal hills,
Heart of Jesus, patient and full of mercy,
Heart of Jesus, generous to all who turn to you,
Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness,
Heart of Jesus, atonement for our sins,
Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with insults,
Heart of Jesus, broken for our sins,
Heart of Jesus, obedient even to death,
Heart of Jesus, pierced by a lance,
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation,
Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection,
Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation,
Heart of Jesus, victim of our sins,
Heart of Jesus, salvation of all who trust in you,
Heart of Jesus, hope of all who die in you,
Heart of Jesus, delight of all the Saints,

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

V. Jesus, gentle and humble of heart.
R. Touch our hearts and make them like Your own.

Let us pray:
Father, we rejoice in the gifts of love we have received from the heart of Jesus Your Son. Open our hearts to share His life and continue to bless us with His love. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
Amen.

Source: Catholic Youth Networking

World Day of Prayer for Priests

John Paul II has established that on the solemnity of the Sacred Heart the Church will observe the World Day of prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.
Source: worldpriestday.com

St. Thérèse’s Prayer for Priests
‘O Holy Father, may the torrents of love flowing from the sacred wounds of Thy Divine Son bring forth priests like unto the beloved disciple John who stood at the foot of the Cross; priests: who as a pledge of Thine own most tender love will lovingly give Thy Divine Son to the souls of men.

May Thy priests be faithful guardians of Thy Church, as John was of Mary, whom he received into his house. Taught by this loving Mother who suffered so much on Calvary, may they display a mother’s care and thoughtfulness towards Thy children. May they teach souls to enter into close union with Thee through Mary who, as the Gate of Heaven, is specially the guardian of the treasures of Thy Divine Heart.

Give us priests who are on fire, and who are true children of Mary, priests who will give Jesus to souls with the same tenderness and care with which Mary carried the Little Child of Bethlehem.

Mother of sorrows and of love, out of compassion for Thy beloved Son, open in our hearts deep wells of love, so that we may console Him and give Him a generation of priests formed in thy school and having all the tender thoughtfulness of thine own spotless love.’

Luukas is not doing well

From his mom by way of Defenders of the Catholic Faith forum

The doctors don't know how long he will live. He is not conscious and in a couple of months strong epilepsy might come as an addition to the whole situation. Within time things will only get worse. He is more likely to get infections and they are not going to treat them not to make him suffer longer. How will we live? We want to have more children, go to church and other places...'

Things aren't looking good for Baby Luukas. However, God does work miracles and we should never give up on the power of prayer. This family is going through an unimaginably difficult time right now. Please pray for Luukas' family that they find comfort in the love of Christ and understanding in the acceptance of His will.

Optional Memorial

St. Paulinus, Bishop of Nola: Born at Bordeaux about 354; died 22 June, 431. He sprang from a distinguished family of Aquitania and his education was entrusted to the poet Ausonius. He became governor of the Province of Campania, but he soon realized that he could not find in public life the happiness he sought. From 380 to 390 he lived almost entirely in his native land. He married a Spanish lady, a Christian named Therasia. To her, to Bishop Delphinus of Bordeaux and his successor the Presbyter Amandus, and to St. Martin of Tours, who had cured him of some disease of the eye, he owed his conversion. He and his brother were baptized at the same time by Delphinus. When Paulinus lost his only child eight days after birth, and when he was threatened with the charge of having murdered his brother, he and his wife decided to withdraw from the world, and to enter the monastic life. They went to Spain about 390. More from the Catholic Encyclopedia on New Advent


St. John Fisher: Cardinal, Bishop of Rochester, and martyr; born at Beverley, Yorkshire, England, 1459 (?1469); died 22 June, 1535. John was the eldest son of Robert Fisher, merchant of Beverley, and Agnes his wife. His early education was probably received in the school attached to the collegiate church in his native town, whence in 1484 he removed to Michaelhouse, Cambridge. He took the degree of B.A. in 1487, proceeded M.A. in 1491, in which year he was elected a fellow of his college, and was made Vicar of Northallerton, Yorkshire. In 1494 he resigned his benefice to become proctor of his university, and three years later was appointed Master of Michaelhouse, about which date he became chaplain and confessor to Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby, mother of King Henry VII. In 1501 he received the degree of D.D., and was elected Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University. Under Fisher's guidance, the Lady Margaret founded St. John's and Christ's Colleges at Cambridge, and also the two "Lady Margaret" professorships of divinity at Oxford and Cambridge respectively, Fisher himself being the first occupant of the Cambridge chair. More from the Catholic Encyclopedia on New Advent

St. Thomas More: He was the sole surviving son of Sir John More, barrister and later judge, by his first wife Agnes, daughter of Thomas Graunger. While still a child Thomas was sent to St. Anthony's School in Threadneedle Street, kept by Nicholas Holt, and when thirteen years old was placed in the household of Cardinal Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Lord Chancellor. Here his merry character and brilliant intellect attracted the notice of the archbishop, who sent him to Oxford, where he entered at Canterbury Hall (subsequently absorbed by Christ Church) about 1492. His father made him an allowance barely sufficient to supply the necessaries of life and, in consequence, he had no opportunity to indulge in "vain or hurtful amusements" to the detriment of his studies. At Oxford he made friends with William Grocyn and Thomas Linacre, the latter becoming his first instructor in Greek. Without ever becoming an exact scholar he mastered Greek "by an instinct of genius" as witnessed by Pace (De fructu qui ex doctrina percipitur, 1517), who adds "his eloquence is incomparable and twofold, for he speaks with the same facility in Latin as in his own language". Besides the classics he studied French, history, and mathematics, and also learned to play the flute and the viol. After two years' residence at Oxford, More was recalled to London and entered as a law student at New Inn about 1494. In February, 1496, he was admitted to Lincoln's Inn as a student, and in due course was called to the outer bar and subsequently made a bencher. His great abilities now began to attract attention and the governors of Lincoln's Inn appointed him "reader" or lecturer on law at Furnival's Inn, his lectures being esteemed so highly that the appointment was renewed for three successive years. More from the Catholic Encyclopedia on New Advent

I think it is worthwhile to note that Saints John Fisher and Thomas More both defied Henry VIII as Supreme Head of the Church in England, remaining loyal to the Church in Rome and the papacy even to thier own executions. With all that is going on in the Anglican Communion, especially in the Episcopal Church in the US, this may be a good time to ask these Saints for their intercessions for the return of many of our seperated Christians home to the Catholic Church.

Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga

St. Aloysius was born in Castiglione, Italy. The first words St. Aloysius spoke were the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. He was destined for the military by his father (who was in service to Philip II), but by the age of 9 Aloysius had decided on a religious life, and made a vow of perpetual virginity. To safeguard himself from possible temptation, he would keep his eyes persistently downcast in the presence of women. St. Charles Borromeo gave him his first Holy Communion. A kidney disease prevented St. Aloysius from a full social life for a while, so he spent his time in prayer and reading the lives of the saints. Although he was appointed a page in Spain, St. Aloysius kept up his many devotions and austerities, and was quite resolved to become a Jesuit. His family eventually moved back to Italy, where he taught catechism to the poor. When he was 18, he joined the Jesuits, after finally breaking down his father, who had refused his entrance into the order. He served in a hospital during the plague of 1587 in Milan, and died from it at the age of 23, after receiving the last rites from St. Robert Bellarmine. The last word he spoke was the Holy Name of Jesus. St. Robert wrote the Life of St. Aloysius. From: Catholic Online

It was revealed to him that he would pass on the Octave of Corpus Christi, and though he appeared much better in the days preceeding the Feast, Saint Aloysius Gonzaga did in fact turn and die on the Octave of Corpus Christi, June 21st, 1591.

Saint Aloysius Gonzaga is the Patron of Catholic youth. From:catholic-pages.com

Compendium to the Catechism of the Catholic Church

I received my copy yesterday. I recommend that everyone get a copy. It is in an easy to follow question and answer format that will be very beneficial for personal study and discussing the Catholic faith with others. As an added bonus the appendix contains many of the common prayers of the Church in both English and Latin.

Luukas

The little guy is having trouble swallowing and is showing signs of pneumonia. Please take time to pray for Luukas and his family, as well as all children both born and unborn.

Previous posts about Luukas

Corpus Christi Homily

Very good homily from White Around the Collar

4 to 59 in four years

Interesting article about theDominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Founded by Cardinal O'Connor, invited to Michigan by Bishop Mengeling, and funded initially by Monaghan, the Dominican Sisters now number 59, a growth rate of 1400 percent. They are expected to be 70 in all by 2007. Sr. Joseph Andrew, speaking at the luncheon afterward, remarked that, "We are growing so fast we cannot assume a roof over our heads." She added that this was a "good problem" to have.

The average age of the professed Sisters is 28, and the average age of those in the novitiate is 24. Astoundingly, 173 young women attended their vocations retreat in February of this year. I'm sure I wasn't the only person in the room who compared this community to all of the religious orders that are dying because of a lack of vocations.

Mother Assumpta Long, the driving force behind the community, has a simple explanation for their success: "It all begins in the chapel. If it doesn't happen there, it's not going to happen. The most important thing is our religious life."

Hat tip to Matt at Absolutely No Spin

Update on Luukas . . . not good

From his godfather:

The situation is that Luukas breaths himself without ventilator. He looked awake when I have seen him 2 days ago. He is also not anymore in the intensive care. The doctors are however very pesimistic about the brain condotion as on Thursday there was not activity (EEG). So from this point of view there is almost no hope that baby will recover and live conscious life and i am affraid that parents also takes this as fact. I would say they would need now our prayers to recover their hope and trust in the miracle that we are all praying for. So far I understood they are tired but now it is up to us help we have to really believe and really hope instead of them. I personally dont give up and i hope that Luukas will be fine. I thank you also on behalf of parents for your prayers , but continue, we are praying for big miracle

Please remember to keep Baby Luukas and his family in your prayers.

More on Baby Luukas:

June 14
Juen 13
June 12
June 10

The Episcopalians are losing it . . .

From VirtueOnline:

The 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church today passed a resolution essentially condemning the Bible as an "anti-Jewish" document. Not only does the resolution aim to address perceptions of anti-Jewish prejudice in the Bible and Episcopal liturgy, but it suggests that such prejudice is actually "expressed in...Christian Scriptures and liturgical texts."Originated in the Committee on Prayer Book, Liturgy and Music, Resolution C001 directs the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music to "collect and develop materials to assist members of the Church to address anti-Jewish prejudice expressed in and stirred by portions of Christian scriptures and liturgical texts, with suggestions for preaching, congregational education, and lectionary use, and to report to the 76th General Convention." Read Entire Article.

From Northwest Arkansas Times:

The recent ban on abortion in South Dakota is a victory for the "pro-life" movement — and thus, anti-abortionists claim, a victory for "the sanctity of human life." But is it? The South Dakota law bans abortions in all cases except saving the life of the mother. Consider what this would mean for human life — not the "lives" of embryos or primitive fetuses, but the lives of real, living, breathing, thinking women. It would mean that women who wanted to terminate a pregnancy because it resulted from rape or contraceptive failure — or because the would-be father has abandoned her — or because the fetus is malformed — would be forbidden from doing so. It would mean that they would be forced to endure the misery of unwanted pregnancy and the incredible burdens of child rearing. It would mean that women would be sentenced to 18-year terms of enslavement to unwanted children — thereby suffocating their hopes, their dreams, their personal ambitions, their chance of happiness.Read Entire Article

This bit of garbage appeared in one of my local papers, and several others across the country, on Friday. Mr. Beenfeldt, offers one of the most distasteful commentaries I have ever read. Here are a few of my favorite examples with emphasis added.

Consider what this would mean for human life — not the "lives" of embryos or primitive fetuses, but the lives of real, living, breathing, thinking women. It would mean that women who wanted to terminate a pregnancy because it resulted from rape or contraceptive failure — or because the would-be father has abandoned her — or because the fetus is malformed — would be forbidden from doing so.

The quotations around the word lives are Mr. Beenfeldt's. Would-be father? Biologically someone is the father whether they stick around or not. But I think he is using the term "would-be" because he doesn't few, in his words "embryos or primitive fetuses" as real and human.

It would mean that they would be forced to endure the misery of unwanted pregnancy and the incredible burdens of child rearing. It would mean that women would be sentenced to 18-year terms of enslavement to unwanted children — thereby suffocating their hopes, their dreams, their personal ambitions, their chance of happiness.

If this guy has or ever does father children, I wonder how they would feel readying how daddy thinks they are an "incredible burden" and equatable to "18-year terms of enslavement"?

According to a World Health Organization estimate, 110,000 women worldwide die each year from such illegal abortions and up to six times as many suffer injury from them. Clearly, anti-abortionists believe that such women’s lives are an unimportant consideration in the issue of abortion. Why?

Yes, I am rejoice when mother's die and their children grow up without knowing them. Don't critique that which you are ignorant of. And Mr. Beenfeldt, you are clearly ignorant.

Because, they claim, the embryo or fetus is a human being — and thus to abort it is murder. But an embryo is not a human being, and abortion is not murder. There is no scientific reason to characterize a raisinsize lump of cells as a human being.

This comes from a man with a degree in philosophy. Calling it an embryo is a clear indicator of trying to dehumanize and therefore justify your stance. It is a HUMAN embryo. It comes from humans, shares the DNA pattern of humans, and is in fact human.

Biologically speaking, such an embryo is far more primitive than a fish or a bird.

Analogously, seeds can become mature plants — but that hardly makes a pile of acorns equal to a forest.

You're kidding me right? Did he really just compare a human baby to a fish, bird, or pile of acorns? These two sentences alone make this one of most poorly written things I have ever read. I don't profess to be a great mind or a great writer, as evidenced by this blog, but I'm sure that I could have come up with something more intelligent that that. By far my vote getter for most moronic statement of the year.

The ultimate "justification" of the "pro-life" position is religious dogma. Led by the American Roman Catholic Church and Protestant fundamentalists, the movement’s basic tenet, in the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is that an embryo must be treated "from conception as a person" created by the "action of God."

Let's just get one thing straight. There is one Catholic Church to which some if its members happen to live in America.

The article goes on with more rubbish writing by Mr. Beenfeldt expressing his view that a child isn't human while in the womb. I would like to be there one day when one of his children asks, "where you excited when mommy found out she was expecting me?" What is he going to say, "No, not really, I didn't think you where actually a human until you were five years old and would have preferred a fish or pile of acorns."

Opposition to the Church

In the encyclical letter Humanae Vitae Pope Paul VI says:

It can be foreseen that this teaching will perhaps not be easily received by all. Too numerous are those voices - amplified by the modern means of propaganda - which are contrary to the voice of the Church. To tell the truth, the Church is not surprised to be made, like her divine founder, a "sign of contradiciton," yet she does not because of this cease to proclaim with humble firmness theentire moral law, both natural and evangelica. Of such laws the Church is not the author, nor consequently can she be their arbiter; she is only their depositary and the interpreter, whithout ever being able to declare to be licit that which is not so by reason of its intimate and unchangeable opposition to the true good of man.

Pope Paul VI is of course speaking about human sexuality and artificial birth control, but this caught my eye in context of the seemingly unending flood of rhetoric calling for the Church to change it's teachings on abortion, contraception, homosexuality, ordination of women, etc. I see so many of these people saying that they really do know and love thier Faith and that is why they are advocating change in order to make the Catholic Faith better. I wonder how many of them really do know the Faith? How many love the Faith enough to pick up the writings of the popes and and Church Fathers?

I think this will be a good quote to keep in mind when having "discussions" on various topics with some of my peers.

New Mass translation approved

AP Wire | 06/15/2006 | U.S. bishops approve new Mass translation

LOS ANGELES - The
nation's Roman Catholic bishops signed off Thursday on a new English translation for the Mass that would change prayers ingrained in the memories of millions of American parishioners.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted at its biannual meeting for a new translation after a brief but vigorous debate overseveral small changes in wording. The 173-29 vote on the Order of theMass was aimed at satisfying Vatican calls for a translation that's closer to the Latin version.

Before Mass changes at the parish level, the Americans' version must go to offices in the Holy See for final approval. The bishops' leader on the issue said that process could take years.

"Without a doubt, this is the most significant liturgical action to come before this body for many years," said Bishop Donald Trautman, chairman of the conference's Committee on Liturgy.

"It will take some adapting, but it is not earth-shattering when you think of the changes we went through 40 years ago," he said, referring to the Second Vatican Council, where the Latin Mass was replaced by the vernacular languages in each country.

The new translation alters the wording of key texts spoken byCatholics during worship, including the Nicene Creed, the Gloria, thePenitential Rite, the Sanctus and Communion.