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"

December 22, 2008 –  Monday in the 4th Week of Advent      DAILY LITURGICAL/THEME MEDITATION: Joyful Expectation of the Messiah UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENT(S): On the Angelus SAINT OF THE DAY Blessed Jacopone da Todi  GENERAL MARIOLOGY In Defense of the Theotókos DIVINE MERCY On Saving Souls How Many Souls Are Calling Out  TEACHING/TESTIMONY/CONVICTION: Misreporting Religion   Monthly Index

DAILY LITURGICAL MEDITATION

Monday (12/22): Joyful Expectation of the Messiah Scripture: Luke 1:46-56 46 And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, 52 he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever." 56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home. Old Testament Reading: 1 Samuel 1:24-28 “For this child I prayed; and the LORD has granted me my petition which I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD." (1 Sam. 1:24-25) Meditation: Do you know the mercy and favor of the Lord? Those who hunger for the Lord will not be disappointed. The Lord himself will fill them with the fruits of his peace, joy, and righteousness. We see God's boundless love manifested in the promise of a Redeemer. As the events leading to the birth of our Savior unfold we see all the prophecies, promises and prayers of the Old Testament being fulfilled because "God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son" (John 3:16). The Gospel of Luke reveals the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in Mary's life. When Elizabeth and Mary greeted one another they were filled with the Holy Spirit and with a joyful anticipation of the fulfilment of God's promise to give a Savior. John the Baptist, even before the birth of the Messiah, pointed to his coming and leapt for joy in the womb of his mother as the Holy Spirit revealed to him the presence of the King to be born. The Holy Spirit is God's gift to us to enable us to know and experience the indwelling presence of God and the power of his kingdom. The Holy Spirit is the way in which God reigns within each of us. Mary accepted her mission with uncompromising faith and obedience. She acted with unwavering trust and faith because she believed that God would fulfill the word he had spoken. Her great hymn of praise echoes the song of Hannah (see 1 Samuel 2:1-10) and proclaims the favor of the Lord: God exalts the lowly and he fills the hungry with good things. Hannah like Mary had been without child and God in a marvelous way gave her a son, named Samuel, whom she dedicated at an early age to the service of the Lord (1 Sam. 1:24ff.)  Mary, too, would lose her son to a servant ministry that would take him to the cross. Christmas is a time for renewing our faith and hope in God and in his promises and for deepening our love for God and for neighbor. Do you seek the Lord Jesus and the power of his Holy Spirit so that you may be renewed in faith, hope, and love? "Lord Jesus, help me to earnestly seek you with humility and confidence. Increase my faith in your promises, strengthen within me the hope of heaven and eternal life, and set my heart on fire with burning love for you and for your kingdom. May I always praise and magnify your great mercy and glory." Psalm 89:2-5, 27, 29 2 For thy steadfast love was established for ever, thy faithfulness is firm as the heavens. 3 Thou hast said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant: 4 `I will establish your descendants for ever, and build your throne for all generations.'" [Selah] 5 Let the heavens praise thy wonders, O LORD, thy faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! 27 And I will make him the first-born, the highest of the kings of the earth. 29 I will establish his line for ever and his throne as the days of the heavens.   RETURN TO TOP

UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENTS

On the Angelus "Allows Us to Relive the Decisive Moment When God Knocked at Mary's Heart"   VATICAN CITY, DEC. 21, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is the address Benedict XVI delivered today before reciting the Angelus together with those gathered in St. Peter's Square. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, This Sunday's Gospel presents to us once again the account of the Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38), the mystery to which we return every day in reciting the Angelus. This prayer allows us to relive the decisive moment when God knocked at Mary's heart and, having received her "yes," began to take flesh in her and from her. The collect prayer of today's Mass is the same prayer that is recited at the end of the Angelus: "Lord, fill our hearts with your love, and as you revealed to us by an angel the coming of your Son as man, so lead through his suffering and death to the glory of his resurrection." With the feast of Christmas just a few days away, we are invited to fix our gaze upon the ineffable mystery that Mary carried for nine months in her virginal womb: the mystery of God who becomes man. This is the first hinge of Redemption. The second is Jesus' death and resurrection, and these two inseparable hinges manifest a single divine plan: to save humanity and its history, assuming it to the very end by completely taking on all the evil that oppresses it. Beyond the historical dimension of this mystery of salvation, there is a cosmic dimension: Christ is the sun of grace who, with his light, "transfigures and inflames the universe with expectation" (Liturgy). The time of the Christmas feast is linked with the winter solstice, when the days of the northern hemisphere begin to get longer again. In this connection, perhaps not many people know that St. Peter's Square is a meridian: the great obelisk, in fact, casts its shadow upon a line that runs along the pavement toward the fountain below this window, and in these days the shadow is the longest of the year. This reminds us of the function of astronomy in marking the times of prayer. The Angelus, for example, is recited in the morning, at noon and in the evening. The meridian, which in the past served for helping one to know " true noon," was the standard for clocks. The fact that the winter solstice occurs precisely today, Dec. 21, at this exact hour, gives me the opportunity to greet all those who are participating in various ways in the events of the International Year of Astronomy, 2009, marking the 4th centenary of Galileo Galilee's first observations with his telescope. There have been practitioners of this science among my predecessors of venerable memory, such as Sylvester II, who taught it, Gregory XIII, to whom we owe our calendar, and St. Pius X, who knew how to build solar clocks. If the heavens, according to the beautiful words of the psalmist, " narrate the glory of God" (Psalm 19 [18], 2), even the laws of nature, which in the course of centuries many men and women of science have helped us to understand better, are a great stimulus to contemplating the works of the Lord with gratitude. Let us return now to contemplating of Mary and Jesus, who await the birth of Jesus, and learn from them the secret of recollection for tasting the joy of Christmas. Let us prepare to welcome with faith the Redeemer who comes to be with us, the Word of God's love for humanity of every age. [After praying the Angelus, the Holy Father greeted the crowds in several languages. In Italian, he said:] I am happy to greet the [49] new priests of the Legionaries of Christ, who received ordination at the hands of Cardinal Angelo Sodano yesterday at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Dear friends, may the love of Christ that moved St. Paul in his mission always animate your ministry. I bless you and your loved ones from my heart!   RETURN TO TOP

DAILY LITURGICAL SAINT

December 22, 2008 Blessed Jacopone da Todi (d. 1306)   Jacomo, or James, was born a noble member of the Benedetti family in the northern Italian city of Todi. He became a successful lawyer and married a pious, generous lady named Vanna. His young wife took it upon herself to do penance for the worldly excesses of her husband. One day Vanna, at the insistence of Jacomo, attended a public tournament. She was sitting in the stands with the other noble ladies when the stands collapsed. Vanna was killed. Her shaken husband was even more disturbed when he realized that the penitential girdle she wore was for his sinfulness. On the spot, he vowed to radically change his life. He divided his possessions among the poor and entered the Third Order of St. Francis. Often dressed in penitential rags, he was mocked as a fool and called Jacopone, or "Crazy Jim," by his former associates. The name became dear to him. After 10 years of such humiliation, Jacopone asked to be a member of the Franciscan Order. Because of his reputation, his request was initially refused. He composed a beautiful poem on the vanities of the world, an act that eventually led to his admission into the Order in 1278. He continued to lead a life of strict penance, declining to be ordained a priest. Meanwhile he was writing popular hymns in the vernacular. Jacopone suddenly found himself a leader in a disturbing religious movement among the Franciscans. The Spirituals, as they were called, wanted a return to the strict poverty of Francis. They had on their side two cardinals of the Church and Pope Celestine V. These two cardinals, though, opposed Celestine’s successor, Boniface VIII. At the age of 68, Jacopone was excommunicated and imprisoned. Although he acknowledged his mistake, Jacopone was not absolved and released until Benedict XI became pope five years later. He had accepted his imprisonment as penance. He spent the final three years of his life more spiritual than ever, weeping "because Love is not loved." During this time he wrote the famous Latin hymn, Stabat Mater. On Christmas Eve in 1306 Jacopone felt that his end was near. He was in a convent of the Poor Clares with his friend, Blessed John of La Verna. Like Francis, Jacopone welcomed "Sister Death" with one of his favorite songs. It is said that he finished the song and died as the priest intoned the Gloria from the midnight Mass at Christmas. From the time of his death, Brother Jacopone has been venerated as a saint. Comment: “Crazy Jim,” his contemporaries called Jacopone. We might well echo their taunt, for what else can you say about a man who broke into song in the midst of all his troubles? We still sing Jacopone’s saddest song, the Stabat Mater, but we Christians claim another song as our own, even when the daily headlines resound with discordant notes. Jacopone’s whole life rang our song out: “Alleluia!” May he inspire us to keep singing.   RETURN TO TOP

GENERAL MARIOLOGY

In Defense of the Theotókos  St. Cyril of Alexandria I see this joyful assembly of holy bishops who, at the invitation of the blessed Mother of God, Mary ever Virgin, have gathered here with enthusiasm. And although I am sad, the presence of these holy Fathers fills me with joy. Among us is fulfilled the sweet words of the psalmist David: "Behold how good and sweet it is, brethren, to dwell together in unity." Hail Mary Theotókos, venerable treasure of the whole world, star who never sets, crown of virginity, scepter of the orthodox law, indestructible Mother and Virgin, for the sake of the one who is called "blessed" in the holy Gospels, the one who "comes in the name of the Lord." We hail you, who held in your virginal womb him whom the heavens cannot contain; it is you through whom the Holy Trinity is glorified and adored throughout the earth; through whom the heavens exult; through whom the angels and archangels rejoice; through whom the demons are put to flight; through whom the tempter, the devil, is cast down from heaven; through whom the fallen creature is raised up to heaven; through whom that all creation, once imprisoned by idolatry, has reached knowledge of the truth; through whom holy baptism has come to believers, with "oil of gladness"; through whom churches have been founded throughout the world; through whom nations are brought to repentance. What more shall I say? It is through you the light of the only-begotten Son of God has shone "for those who dwelt in darkness and in the shadow of death"; it is through you that the prophets proclaimed the future, that the apostles preach salvation to the nations, that the dead are raised and the kings reign, in the name of the Trinity. Is there a single person who can worthily sing the praises of Mary? She is both mother and virgin. What a marvel! A marvel which overwhelms me! Who has ever heard it said that the builder was prevented from dwelling in the temple which he himself built? Should one criticize him who gave his servant the title of mother? Thus the whole world rejoices. May it be given us to worship and adore the unity, to worship and adore the indivisible Trinity, by singing the praises of Mary ever virgin, that is the holy church, and those of her Son and immaculate Spouse, to whom be glory for ever and ever, Amen. St. Cyril of Alexandria, homily given at the Council of Ephesus, June 22, 431.  RETURN TO TOP

DIVINE MERCY

Dairy from St. Faustina On Saving Souls How Many Souls Are Calling Out My Jesus, penetrate me through and through so that I might be able to reflect You in my whole life. Divinize me so that my deeds may have supernatural value. Grant that I may have love, compassion, and mercy for every soul without exception (Diary, 1242). The Lord gave me to know how much He desires a soul to distinguish itself by deeds of love. And in spirit I saw how many souls are calling out to us, "Give us God." And the blood of the Apostles boiled up within me. I will not be stingy with it; I will shed it all to the last drop for immortal souls (Diary, 1249). RETURN TO TOP

CATHOLIC  TEACHING/CONVICTION/TESTIMONY

Misreporting Religion Blind Spots and Biases in Media Coverage   By Father John Flynn, LC VATICAN CITY, DEC. 21, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Accuracy and objectivity are traits often lacking in the media's coverage of churches and religion in general. A case in point is the recent Newsweek article on same-sex marriage. The magazine published a cover story by Lisa Miller in the Dec. 15 issue arguing that we can't take the Bible as a reliable source on what marriage should be like. Miller also affirmed that neither the Bible nor Jesus explicitly defined marriage as being between a man and a woman. Miller's article was widely criticized for its selective quoting of Bible passages and for simply ignoring much of what Scripture does say about marriage. Newsweek itself acknowledged that her opinions drew thousands of critical e-mails. The ignorance displayed in the Newsweek article is, however, far from an isolated case. On Dec. 15 the reader's editor of the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper had to admit that they had confused Mary's Immaculate Conception with the virgin birth of Jesus in a story published, no less, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception. The editor also had to admit that, as one priest who wrote to them pointed out, this is a frequent mistake. In fact, seven times in the last 10 years the Guardian has had to publish corrections on this topic. Another glaring mistake was made July 7, this time by FoxNews, when it was reported that Webster Cook, a student at the University of Central Florida, smuggled a consecrated host out of a Mass. The reporter misstated that the host is believed by Catholics "to symbolize the body of Christ." Commentators quickly pointed out that the Catholic Church does not believe the Eucharist to be a mere symbol, but to be the true Body of Christ. FoxNews did correct the story, but even so the current version, while acknowledging that Catholics believe it to Christ's body, says that this comes about when the host is "blessed," instead of the correct term, "consecrated." Getting it Trying to understand why the media so often get it wrong on religion is the aim of a collection of essays just published: "Blind Spot: When Journalists Don't Get Religion," (Oxford University Press). Edited by Paul Marshall, Lela Gilbert and Roberta Green Ahmanson, the book's foreword starts by noting that many journalists are simply illiterate when it comes to knowing what the Bible contains. Unfortunately, the foreword commented, a journalist with secular blinkers will simply miss out on many of the most important events and trends of our time. In his contribution, Allen D. Hertzke, professor of political science at Oklahoma University, accused the mainstream press of missing out on one of the great developments in foreign policy in recent times. Hertzke explained that a new human rights movement arose in the mid '90s to defend religious freedom and human rights. Important legislation was passed by the U.S. Congress, including the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. He made an in-depth study of the media coverage during the years that the major legislative bills were passed and concluded that the role of the faith-based alliance of groups that were a major force in the process was often misunderstood. The professor noted, for example, that the New York Times often seemed to struggle to make sense of the legislative processes, often simply characterizing the push as a cause of the "Christian Right," thus ignoring the role played by the diversity of groups ranging from Jews to Tibetan Buddhists. Likewise, Hertzke added, the campaign against trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation is another area where religious groups played a pioneering role, only too often overlooked by the media. Papal focus Catholic journalist and author Amy Welborn dedicated a chapter in the book to the media's coverage of the papacy. She reflected on the coverage of the death of Pope John Paul II, the election of Benedict XVI, and the first couple years of the latter's pontificate. Frequently, Welborn commented, the secular media's coverage has been marred by two flaws: first, a lack of knowledge on the subject; second, a reliance on a template for reporting that frames events in the language of contemporary political categories. One profile of John Paul II published after his death by the Boston Globe described his rule as "authoritarian," and "disciplinarian." Many of the journalists, Welborn observed, portrayed John Paul II as "conservative," and ignored, for example, the pioneering contributions he made in areas such as the theology of the body. When it came to the election of Benedict XVI, Welborn noted that only too often the media characterized the new Pope as being a hardliner and a disciplinarian. Only as time went by did the secular media get around to presenting a fuller picture. Welborn did acknowledge that reporting on the Catholic Church is quite a challenge, given the historical depth and complexity of the subject matter. Deepening their knowledge of the Church would be a step forward for journalists covering Catholicism, she argued. This does not mean losing objectivity, but reporting on events in their proper context. Resisting the temptation to portray every Vatican-related story as a battle between "conservatives" and "liberals" would also be a step forward, Welborn noted. Ignorance Terry Mattingly, a reporter and director of the Washington Journalism Center at the Council for Christian Colleges, wrote on the topic of getting religion into the newsrooms. He also commented on the amazing ignorance by some of the reporters who cover religion. Mattingly observed that he could not imagine that basic mistakes such as those committed in stories on religious matters would be permitted in other areas, such as politics. Among the examples given by Mattingly were stories that could not even correctly describe the names of churches or denominations, blanket labeling of diverse Christian groups as "fundamentalists," and completely misunderstanding religious terminology. This isn't a religious problem, Mattingly argued, but a journalistic one due to newsrooms often being tone-deaf when it comes to religion -- hearing the words but not understanding the music. Mattingly quoted a posting by the editors of the Washington Post back in 1994, when they were advertising for a religion reporter. The "ideal candidate," it said, is "not necessarily religious nor an expert in religion." Of course, he acknowledged, a reporter covering religion should not be chosen on the basis of religious beliefs, but to be a good professional reporter you do need to know the subject matter you are covering. He recommended a number of things that can be done to improve coverage of religion. Mattingly's suggestions ranged from editors ensuring that reporters who cover religion receive better training to a need for more diversity in terms of background and beliefs of those who work in newsrooms. "The media must avoid becoming spokesmen for economic materialism and ethical relativism, true scourges of our time," wrote Benedict XVI in his message for the World Communications Day celebrated on May 4. "Instead, they can and must contribute to making known the truth about humanity, and defending it against those who tend to deny or destroy it, " the Pope urged. An essential part of communicating that truth is to get the basic facts right about religion and the Church.   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