TRÁI TIM MẸ:  NƠI CON NƯƠNG NÁU - ĐƯỜNG ĐẾN VỚI CHÚA

"Chúa Giêsu muốn dùng con để làm cho Mẹ được nhận biết và yêu mến"

October 27, 2008 –  Monday of 30th Week in Ordinary Time       DAILY LITURGICAL/THEME MEDITATION: "Ought not this woman, whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed?" UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENT(S): Synod Presents 55 Propositions to Pope SAINT OF THE DAY  Blessed Bartholomew of Vicenza  GENERAL MARIOLOGY THE SECRET OF THE ROSARY - Twenty-eighth Rose DIVINE MERCY On Thanksgiving: Thanking God For Everything  TEACHING/TESTIMONY/CONVICTION: On the Word and Words   Monthly Index

DAILY LITURGICAL MEDITATION

Monday (10/27):  "Ought not this woman, whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed?" Scripture:  Luke 13:10-17 10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And there was a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your infirmity." 13 And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and she praised God. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day." 15 Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger, and lead it away  to water it? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?" 17 As he said this, all his adversaries were put to shame; and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him. Meditation: Is there anything that keeps you bound up or oppressed? Infirmity, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, can befall us for a variety of reasons and God can use it for some purpose that we do not understand. When Jesus encountered an elderly woman who was spent of her strength and unable to stand upright, he gave her words of faith and freedom and he restored her to health. She must have suffered much, both physically and spiritually for eighteen years, since Jesus remarked that Satan had bound her. How can Satan do this? The scriptures indicate that Satan can act in the world with malice and can cause injuries of a spiritual nature, and indirectly even of a physical nature. Satan's power, however, is not infinite. He cannot prevent the building up of God's kingdom or reign in our lives. Jesus demonstrates the power and authority of God's kingdom in releasing people who are oppressed by physical and emotional sickness, by personal weakness and sin, and by the harrassment of the evil one in their lives. It took only one word from Jesus to release this woman instantly of her infirmity. Do you believe in the power of Jesus to release you from affliction and oppression? The Jewish leaders were indignant that Jesus would perform such a miraculous work on the Sabbath, the holy day of rest. They were so caught up in their ritual observance of the Sabbath that they lost sight of God's mercy and goodness. Jesus healed on the Sabbath because God does not rest from showing his mercy and love, ever. God's word has power to change us, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Is there anything that keeps you bound up or that weighs you down? Let the Lord speak his word to you and give you freedom. "Lord Jesus, you grant freedom to those who seek you. Give me freedom to walk in your way of love and to praise and worship you always. Show me how I can bring your mercy and healing love to those in need around me." Psalm 68 1 Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered; let those who hate him flee before him! 2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before fire, let the wicked perish before God! 3 But let the righteous be joyful; let them exult before God;  let them be jubilant with joy! 4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds;  his name is the LORD, exult before him! 5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. 6 God gives the desolate a home to dwell in; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity;  but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.   RETURN TO TOP

UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENTS

Synod Presents 55 Propositions to Pope Assembly Approves Every Proposal   VATICAN CITY, OCT. 26, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The work sessions of the world Synod of Bishops on the Word of God concluded at midday Saturday, with the approval of 55 propositions that the synodal assembly presented to Benedict XVI. The proposals were voted on electronically by the 244 synod fathers present in the hall. To be approved, each proposition needed a two-thirds majority. All of the propositions that were presented were approved, confirming the evaluation of this synod as exhibiting perhaps more consensus than any synod since the Second Vatican Council reinstituted this assembly. Part 1 The first part includes propositions on the Word of God in the faith of the Church. The proposals in this sections include suggestions so that Catholic communities better understand and live their deep relationship with the Word, Jesus Christ, who can be found in the reading and meditating Scripture. They highlight the role of the Holy Spirit, the Church and tradition, as well as the intimate relationship between Scripture and the Eucharist. Three propositions present the Word of God as a Word of reconciliation, a Word of commitment in favor of the poor, and the base of natural law. This section also considers the relationship between the Old and New Testaments. Part 2 The second part of the document (propositions 14-37) considers the Word of God in the life of the Church. Among other things, concrete ideas are offered to improve homilies, a revision of the Lectionary is suggested, and lectio divina is promoted. It is suggested that women be allowed to be instituted lectors. This section also urges overcoming division between exegetes and theologians, or exegetes and pastors. Proposition 37 has a historical value, because it takes up the contribution make by Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople. Part 3 Propositions 38-54, on the Word of God in the mission of the Church, speaks of the Word in relation to art and culture, and the translations and availability of the Bible. This section also considers the transmission of the Word in the media, as well as the fundamentalist reading of the Bible and the phenomenon of sects. It also takes into account proposals on interreligious dialogue, the promotion of pilgrimages and studies in the Holy Land, dialogue with Judaism and Islam, and the relationship between the Word and protection of the environment. The concluding proposition is dedicated to Mary, and invites a promotion of the Angelus and the rosary -- contemplation of the Word though the eyes of the Mother of Christ. Public The propositions were prepared by a team led by the relator-general of the synod, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, archbishop of Quebec and by the special secretary, Archbishop Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya of Kinshasa, Congo. The team spent the entire night working so as to present the propositions for vote. Normally the propositions are not made public, but Benedict XVI has asked the secretariat of the synod to publish a provisional, non-official Italian translation.   RETURN TO TOP

DAILY LITURGICAL SAINT

October 27, 2008 Blessed Bartholomew of Vicenza (c. 1200-1271) Dominicans honor one of their own today, Blessed Bartholomew of Vicenza. This was a man who used his skills as a preacher to challenge the heresies of his day. Bartholomew was born in Vicenza around 1200. At 20 he entered the Dominicans. Following his ordination he served in various leadership positions. As a young priest he founded a military order whose purpose was to keep civil peace in towns throughout Italy. In 1248, Bartholomew was appointed a bishop. For most men, such an appointment is an honor and a tribute to their holiness and their demonstrated leadership skills. But for Bartholomew, it was a form of exile that had been urged by an antipapal group that was only too happy to see him leave for Cyprus. Not many years later, however, Bartholomew was transferred back to Vicenza. Despite the antipapal feelings that were still evident, he worked diligently—especially through his preaching—to rebuild his diocese and strengthen the people’s loyalty to Rome. During his years as bishop in Cyprus, Bartholomew befriended King Louis the Ninth of France, who is said to have given the holy bishop a relic of Christ’s Crown of Thorns. Bartholomew died in 1271. He was beatified in 1793.     RETURN TO TOP

GENERAL MARIOLOGY

THE SECRET OF THE ROSARY FOR RENEWAL AND SALVATION By St. Louis Marie de Montfort     (continued)   Twenty-eighth Rose 88 St. Augustine assures us that there is no spiritual exercise more fruitful or more useful than the frequent reflection on the sufferings of our Lord. Blessed Albert the Great, who had St. Thomas Aquinas as his student, learned in a revelation that by simply thinking of or meditating on the passion of Jesus Christ, a Christian gains more merit than if he had fasted on bread and water every Friday for a year, or had beaten himself with the discipline once a week till blood flowed, or had recited the whole Book of Psalms every day. If this is so, then how great must be the merit we can gain from the Rosary, which commemorates the whole life and passion of our Lord? Our Lady one day revealed to Blessed Alan de la Roche that, after the holy sacrifice of the Mass, which is the first and most living memorial of our Lord's passion, there was indeed no more excellent devotion or one of greater merit than that of the Rosary, which is like a second memorial and representation of the life and passion of Jesus Christ. 89 Fr. Dorland relates that in 1481 our Lady appeared to the Venerable Dominic, a Carthusian devoted to the holy Rosary, who lived at Treves, and said to him: "Whenever one of the faithful, in a state of grace, says the Rosary while meditating on the mysteries of the life and passion of Christ, he obtains full and entire remission of all his sins." She also said to Blessed Alan, "I want you to know that, although there are numerous indulgences already attached to the recitation of my Rosary, I shall add many more to every five decades for those who, free from serious sin, say them with devotion, on their knees. And whosoever shall persevere in the devotion of the holy Rosary, with its prayers and meditations, shall be rewarded for it; I shall obtain for him full remission of the penalty and the guilt of all his sins at the end of his life. "And let this not seem incredible to you; it is easy for me because I am the Mother of the King of heaven, and he calls me full of grace. And being filled with grace, I am able to dispense it freely to my dear children." 90 St. Dominic was so convinced of the efficacy of the Rosary and its great value that, when he heard confessions, he hardly ever gave any other penance, as we have seen in the story I told you of the lady in Rome to whom he gave only a single Rosary. St. Dominic was a great saint and other confessors also ought to walk in his footsteps by asking their penitents to say the Rosary with meditation on the sacred mysteries, rather than giving them other penances which are less meritorious and less pleasing to God, less likely to help them to advance in virtue, and not as efficacious in helping them to avoid sin. Moreover, while saying the Rosary, people gain numerous indulgences which are not attached to many other devotions. 91 As Abbot Blosius says, "The Rosary, with meditation on the life and passion of Christ, is certainly most pleasing to our Lord and his blessed Mother and is a very successful means of obtaining all graces; we can say it for ourselves as well as for those who have been recommended to our prayers and for the whole Church. Let us turn, then, to the holy Rosary in all our needs, and we shall infallibly obtain the graces we ask for from God to attain our salvation.  RETURN TO TOP

DIVINE MERCY

Dairy from St. Faustina On Thanksgiving Thanking God For Everything †  I do not prefer consolations over bitterness or bitterness over consolations, but thank You, O Jesus, for everything! (Diary, 343). When I awaken I adore the Holy Trinity for a short while and thank God for having deigned to give me yet another day, that the mystery of the incarnation of His Son may once more be repeated in me, and that once again His sorrowful Passion may unfold before my eyes (Diary, 486). RETURN TO TOP

CATHOLIC  TEACHING/CONVICTION/TESTIMONY

On the Word and Words "The Bible Should Not be Robbed of Its Divine Element"   VATICAN CITY, OCT. 26, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today before praying the midday Angelus with crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square. His greeting came after the celebration of Mass to close the world Synod of Bishops on the Word of God in the life and mission of the Church. * * * Dear brothers and sisters: With the Eucharistic celebration in the Basilica of St. Peter, the XII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops has drawn to a close. It had the theme "The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church." Every synodal assembly is a strong experience of ecclesial communion, but this one even more so because at the center of the attention was placed that which enlightens and guides the Church: the Word of God, which is Christ in person. And we have lived each day in a religious listening, marking all the grace and beauty of being his disciples and servants. According to the original meaning of the word "church," we have experienced the joy of being convoked by the Word, and especially in the liturgy, we have found each other from within it on the journey, as in our promised land, which gives us a foretaste of the Kingdom of heaven. One aspect that has been considered is the relationship between the Word and words, that is, between the Divine Word, and the Scripture that expresses it. As the Second Vatican Council teaches in the constitution "Dei Verbum" (No. 12), a good biblical exegesis requires both the historical-critical method and the theological one, because sacred Scripture is the Word of God in human words. This implies that every text should be read keeping in mind the unity of all Scripture, the living tradition of the Church and the light of faith. If it is true that the Bible is also a literary work, even more, the great code of universal culture, it is also true that it should not be robbed of its divine element, but rather should be read in the same Spirit in which it was written. Scientific exegesis and lectio divina are, therefore, both necessary and complementary for seeking, through the literal meaning, the spiritual one, which God wants to communicate to us today. At the end of the synodal assembly, the patriarchs of the Eastern Churches have raised a call, which I make my own, to bring the attention of the international community, of religious leaders and of all men and women of good will, to the tragedy that is being lived in the countries of the East, where Christians are victims of intolerance and cruel violence, slain, threatened, and forced to abandon their homes and wander in search of refuge. I am thinking especially in this moment of Iraq and India. I am sure that the ancient and noble populations of these nations have learned, over the course of centuries of respectful coexistence, to appreciate the contribution that the small, but qualified and hardworking Christian minorities give to the growth of the common homeland. They do not ask for privileges, but only want to continue living in their nation with their countrymen, as they have always done. I ask the respective civil and religious authorities not to spare any effort so that legality and civil coexistence are again re-established and honest and loyal citizens can know that they can count on adequate protection from the institutions of the state. I also hope that the civil and religious leaders of all countries, aware of their roles as guides and reference points for the people, make significant and explicit gestures of friendship and consideration for Christian minorities or those of other religions, and that they make of the defense of their legitimate rights a question of honor. I am also happy to announce here with you what I have just announced in holy Mass: In October of next year, the II Special Assembly of the Synod for Africa will take place in Rome. Before this, if God allows it, in the month of March, it is my intention to travel to Africa, first visiting Cameroon, where I will give the bishops of the continent the "instrumentum laboris" of the synod, and then to Angola, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the evangelization of that country. I entrust the suffering mentioned earlier, as well as the hopes that all of us carry in our hearts, particularly the expectation of the synod of Africa, to Most Holy Mary.   RETURN TO TOP

Monthly Index              General Archive 2008 General Archive 2007 General Archive 2006 General Archive 2005 General Archive 2004

Hits since 3/16/2004 Màn điện toán toàn cầu của Thiếu Nhi Fatima được bắt đầu với trang Main từ ngày 9/12/1999, nhưng mãi tới Mùa Hè 2001 mới tạm xong, cuối cùng đã được chỉnh trang về cả hình thức lẫn nội dung từ mùa hè năm 2002, để rồi chính thức tái ra mắt vào ngày 25/3/2003 cho đến nay.   TNFatima.org do Thiếu Nhi Fatima chủ trương và thực hiện Mọi ý kiến đóng góp xin gửi về Webmaster