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"

February 9, 2009 -  Monday in 5th Week of Ordinary Time     LITURGICAL/THEME MEDITATION: "Immediately the people recognized Jesus" UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENT(S): Cardinal Egan Speaks Out on Holocaust SAINT OF THE DAY St. Jerome Emiliani  GENERAL MARIOLOGY POPE JOHN PAUL II ON BLESSED MARY  Mary’s ‘hidden life’ is example to mothers DIVINE MERCY On Mercy The Mysteries of Your Mercy  TEACHING/TESTIMONY/CONVICTION: On Sickness and God's Healing Love

DAILY LITURGICAL MEDITATION

"Immediately the people recognized Jesus" Scripture:  Mark 6:53-56 53 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennes'aret, and moored to the shore. 54 And when they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him, 55 and ran about the whole neighborhood and began to bring sick people on their pallets to any place where they heard he was. 56 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or country, they laid the sick in the market places, and besought him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched it were made well. Meditation: Do you recognize the Lord's presence in your life? The gospel records that when Jesus disembarked from the boat the people immediately recognized him. What did they recognize in Jesus? A prophet, a healer, the Messiah, the Son of God? For sure they recognized that Jesus had power from God to heal and to make whole bodies, limbs, minds, and hearts that were beset with disease, affliction, and sin. What happened when they pressed upon him and touched the fringe of his garment? They were made well. The Lord Jesus is ever ready to meet our needs as well. Do you approach him with expectant faith? Faith is an entirely free gift which God makes to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Believing and trusting in God to act in our lives is only possible by the grace and help of the Holy Spirit who moves the heart and converts it to God. The Holy Spirit opens the eyes of the mind and helps us to understand, accept, and believe God's word. How do we grow in faith? By listening to God's word with trust and submission. Faith also grows through testing and perseverance. The Lord wants to teach us how to pray in faith for his will for our lives and for the things he wishes to give us to enable us to follow him faithfully and serve him generously. Jesus gave his disciples the perfect prayer which acknowledges God as our Father who provides generously for his children. The Lord's prayer teaches us to seek first the kingdom of God and to pray that God's will be accomplished in our lives. The Lord in turn, gives us what we need to live each day for his glory. The Lord is never too distant nor too busy to meet us and to give his blessing. Do you pray to the Father with confidence that he will show you his will and give you what you need to follow him? Ask the Lord to increase your faith and gratitude for his merciful love and provision for your life. "Lord Jesus, let my heart sing for joy in your presence. Give me eyes of faith to recognize your presence and fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may walk in your way of love and peace." Psalm 132:6-10 6 Lo, we heard of it in Eph'rathah, we found it in the fields of Ja'ar. 7 "Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool!" 8 Arise, O LORD, and go to thy resting place, thou and the ark of thy might. 9 Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness, and let thy saints shout for joy. 10 For thy servant David's sake do not turn away the face of thy anointed one.   www.dailyscripture.net   RETURN TO TOP

UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENTS

Pope, German Chancellor Note Agreement on Shoah Telephone Conversation Shows Common Ground   VATICAN CITY, FEB. 8, 2009 (Zenit.org).- After talking by telephone today, Benedict XVI and the German chancellor say they share a common view of the tragedy of the Holocaust. Angela Merkel requested to speak with the Pope about the Shoah -- a conversation that is the latest development in ongoing turmoil surrounding Bishop Richard Williamson, a Society of St. Pius X prelate who was shown on television denying the Holocaust at almost the same time as his excommunication was being lifted. The Pontiff was unaware of the bishop's views on the Holocaust when he decreed the lifting of the excommunication. And the lifting of the excommunication has not affected the status of the Society of St. Pius X, a group which continues without canonical recognition in the Church. According to a Holy See communiqué, the conversation between the Pope and Merkel developed in "a climate of great respect," in which both the Holy Father and the chancellor "expressed their respective points of view." This conversation, according to the joint declaration of both spokespersons, Ulrich Wilhem and Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, was "cordial and constructive" and was "marked by the common and deeply held adherence to the Shoah's ever valid warning for humanity." According to the note, the two leaders spoke of the declarations made by Benedict XVI last Jan. 28 at the general audience, and Merkel's own declarations last week. At that audience, the Pope affirmed that the Shoah should be "for everyone, a warning against forgetting, against negating or reductionism, because violence committed against even one human being is violence against all." The Pontiff also stated, "As I renew with affection the expression of my total and indisputable solidarity with our brother recipients of the First Covenant, I hope that the memory of the Shoah moves humanity to reflect on the unpredictable power of evil when it conquers the human heart." He added: "May the Shoah teach especially, as much the old generations as the new ones, that only the tiring path of listening and dialogue, of love and pardon, leads peoples, cultures and religions of the world to the desired encounter of fraternity and peace in the world." Reaction These declarations were considered "insufficient" according to what Merkel declared last Tuesday. "On the part of the Vatican and the Pope, it has to be left definitively clear that negationism is not permitted and that there should be positive dealings with Judaism," she affirmed. That same day, Father Lombardi reiterated again on Vatican Radio that the Pope "recognizes and condemns with complete clarity the Holocaust of the Jewish people in the times of Nazism." And the next day, the Vatican Secretariat of State published a statement affirming that "the viewpoints of Bishop Williamson on the Shoah are absolutely unacceptable and firmly rejected by the Holy Father." The note also clarified that the four bishops, though liberated from excommunication, do not have a "canonical function in the Church and they do not licitly exercise a ministry in it," and that the Society of St. Pius X continues with the same "juridical situation" and "does not enjoy any canonical recognition in the Catholic Church." It added that Bishop Williamson, "to be admitted to episcopal functions in the Church, must also distance himself in an absolutely unmistakable and public way from his position on the Shoah." Last Thursday, Merkel offered a more positive view of the Vatican's repeated declarations: "The attitude of the Vatican leaves it clear that the negation of this tragedy cannot be permitted without expecting consequences." Persistent Meanwhile, according to the German press on Saturday, Bishop Williamson refused to retract his views while he "doesn't find the historical proof" to derail his thesis on what happened in the German Nazi camps. In these declarations, published by the German newspaper Der Spiegel, the bishop further reiterated his criticism of the Second Vatican Council. In contrast with this posture, last Friday the Society of St. Pius X made public the expulsion of one of its members, the priest Floriano Abrahamowicz, by his Italian superior, Father Davide Pagliarani, "for grave reasons of discipline." Father Abrahamowicz is known in Italy for his declarations against Vatican II and for his affirmation that the Nazi gas chambers were "only used to disinfect." A note from the society stated that "the expulsion, though sorrowful, has been necessary to avoid that once again the image of the Society of St. Pius X be distorted, and therefore, its work at the service of the Church be harmed." RETURN TO TOP

DAILY LITURGICAL SAINT

February 9, 2009 St. Jerome Emiliani (1481?-1537)   A careless and irreligious soldier for the city-state of Venice, Jerome was captured in a skirmish at an outpost town and chained in a dungeon. In prison Jerome had a lot of time to think, and he gradually learned how to pray. When he escaped, he returned to Venice where he took charge of the education of his nephews—and began his own studies for the priesthood. In the years after his ordination, events again called Jerome to a decision and a new lifestyle. Plague and famine swept northern Italy. Jerome began caring for the sick and feeding the hungry at his own expense. While serving the sick and the poor, he soon resolved to devote himself and his property solely to others, particularly to abandoned children. He founded three orphanages, a shelter for penitent prostitutes and a hospital. Around 1532 Jerome and two other priests established a congregation dedicated to the care of orphans and the education of youth. Jerome died in 1537 from a disease he caught while tending the sick. He was canonized in 1767. In 1928 Pius Xl named him the patron of orphans and abandoned children. Comment: Very often in our lives it seems to take some kind of “imprisonment” to free us from the shackles of our self-centeredness. When we’re “caught” in some situation we don’t want to be in, we finally come to know the liberating power of Another. Only then can we become another for “the imprisoned” and “the orphaned” all around us. Quote: “‘The father of orphans and the defender of widows is God in his holy dwelling. God gives a home to the forsaken; he leads forth prisoners to prosperity; only rebels remain in the parched land’ (Psalm 68).... We should not forget the growing number of persons who are often abandoned by their families and by the community: the old, orphans, the sick and all kinds of people who are rejected…. We must be prepared to take on new functions and new duties in every sector of human activity and especially in the sector of world society, if justice is really to be put into practice. Our action is to be directed above all at those men and nations which, because of various forms of oppression and because of the present character of our society, are silent, indeed voiceless, victims of injustice” (Justice in the World, 1971 World Synod of Bishops). http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintofDay RETURN TO TOP

GENERAL MARIOLOGY

POPE JOHN PAUL II ON BLESSED MARY GENERAL AUDIENCE Wednesday, 29 January 1997  Mary’s ‘hidden life’ is example to mothers 1. The Gospels offer very sparse information about the years the Holy Family spent in Nazareth. St Matthew tells of the decision taken by Joseph, after the return from Egypt, to make Nazareth the Holy Family’s permanent home (cf. Mt 2:22-23), but then gives no further information except that Joseph was a carpenter (Mt 13:55). For his part, St Luke twice mentions the Holy Family’s return to Nazareth (cf. Lk 2:39, 51) and gives two brief references to the years of Jesus’ childhood, before and after the episode of the pilgrimage to Jerusalem: “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him” (Lk 2:40), and “Jesus increased in wisdom, age and grace before God and men” (Lk 2:52). In relating these brief remarks about Jesus’ life, Luke is probably referring to Mary’s memories of a period of profound intimacy with her Son. The union between Jesus and the one who was “full of grace” goes far beyond what normally exists between mother and child, because it is rooted in a particular supernatural condition and reinforced by the special conformity of both to the divine will. Thus we can conclude that the atmosphere of tranquillity and peace in the house of Nazareth and their constant seeking to fulfil God’s plan gave an extraordinary and unique depth to the union of mother and son. 2. Mary’s awareness that she was carrying out a task entrusted to her by God gave a higher meaning to her daily life. The simple, humble chores of everyday life took on special value in her eyes, since she performed them as a service to Christ’s mission. Mary’s example enlightens and encourages the experience of so many women who carry out their daily tasks exclusively in the home. It is a question of a humble, hidden, repetitive effort, and is often not sufficiently appreciated. Nonetheless, the long years Mary spent in the house of Nazareth reveal the enormous potential of genuine love and thus of salvation. In fact, the simplicity of the lives of so many housewives, seen as a mission of service and love, is of extraordinary value in the Lord’s eyes. One can certainly say that for Mary life in Nazareth was not dominated by monotony. In her contact with the growing Jesus, she strove to penetrate the mystery of her Son through contemplation and adoration. St Luke says: “Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Lk 2:19; cf. 2:51). “All these things”: they are the events in which she was both participant and spectator, starting with the Annunciation; but above all, it is the life of her Child. Every day of intimacy with him is an invitation to know him better, to discover more deeply the meaning of his presence and the mystery of his person. 3. Someone might think that it was easy for Mary to believe, living as she did in daily contact with Jesus. In this regard, however, we must remember that the unique aspects of her Son’s personality were usually hidden; even if his way of acting was exemplary, he lived a life similar to that of his peers. During his 30 years of life in Nazareth, Jesus did not reveal his supernatural qualities and worked no miracles. At the first extraordinary manifestations of his personality, associated with the beginning of his preaching, his relatives (called “brothers” in the Gospel), assume — according to one interpretation — responsibility for taking him home, because they feel his be-haviour is not normal (cf. Mk 3:21). In the dignified and hard-working atmosphere of Nazareth, Mary strove to understand the workings of Providence in her Son’s mission. A subject of particular reflection for his Mother, in this regard, was certainly the statement Jesus made in the temple of Jerusalem when he was 12 years old: “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Lk 2:49). Meditating on this, Mary could better understand the meaning of Jesus' divine sonship and her own motherhood, as she endeavoured to discern in her Son’s conduct the traits revealing his likeness to the One he called “my Father”. 4. Communion of life with Jesus in the house of Nazareth led Mary not only to advance “in her pilgrimage of faith” (Lumen gentium, n. 58), but also in hope. This virtue, cultivated and sustained by her memory of the Annunciation and of Simeon’s words, embraced the whole span of her earthly life, but was practised especially during the 30 years of silence and hiddenness spent in Nazareth. At home, the Blessed Virgin experiences hope in its highest form; she knows she will not be disappointed even if she does not know the times or the ways in which God will fulfil his promise. In the darkness of faith and in the absence of extraordinary signs announcing the beginning of her Son's messianic task, she hopes, beyond all evidence, awaiting the fulfilment of God's promise. A setting for growth in faith and hope, the house of Nazareth becomes a place of lofty witness to charity. The love that Christ wanted to pour forth in the world is kindled and burns first of all in his Mother’s heart: it is precisely in the home that the proclamation of the Gospel of divine love is prepared. Looking at Nazareth, contemplating the mystery of the hidden life of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin, we are invited to reflect on the mystery of our life which — St Paul recalls — “is hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3). It is often a life that seems humble and obscure in the world’s eyes, but which, following Mary’s example, can reveal unexpected possibilities of salvation, radiating the love and peace of Christ http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/audiences/1997/index.htm  RETURN TO TOP

DIVINE MERCY

Dairy from St. Faustina On Mercy The Mysteries of Your Mercy Above all things, I trust in You, Jesus, for You are unchangeable. My moods change, but You are always the same, full of mercy (Diary, 1489). † O incomprehensible God, my heart dissolves in joy that You have allowed me to penetrate the mysteries of Your mercy! Everything begins with Your mercy and ends with Your mercy (Diary, 1506). All grace flows from mercy, and the last hour abounds with mercy for us. Let no one doubt concerning the goodness of God; even if a person's sins were as dark as night, God's mercy is stronger than our misery (Diary, 1507). RETURN TO TOP

CATHOLIC  TEACHING/CONVICTION/TESTIMONY

On Sickness and God's Healing Love "We Are Made for Life"   VATICAN CITY, FEB. 8, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered today before praying the midday Angelus with those gathered in St. Peter's Square. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, Today the Gospel (cf. Mark 1:29-39) -- in direct continuation with last Sunday -- presents us with Jesus, who after having preached on the Sabbath in the synagogue of Capernaum, cured many ill people, beginning with Simon's mother-in-law. Entering his house, he found her in bed with a fever and immediately, taking her by the hand, he healed her and had her get up. After sunset, he healed a multitude of people afflicted with all sorts of ills. The experience of the healing of the sick occupies a good portion of the public mission of Christ and it invites us once again to reflect on the meaning and value of illness in every situation in which the human being can find himself. This opportunity comes also because of the World Day of the Sick, which we will celebrate next Wednesday, Feb. 11, liturgical memorial of the Virgin Mary of Lourdes. Despite the fact that illness is part of human existence, we never manage to get used to it, not only because sometimes it comes to be burdensome and grave, but essentially because we are made for life, for complete life. Precisely our "internal instinct" makes us think of God as plenitude of life, and even more, as eternal and perfect Life. When we are tested by sickness and our prayers seem in vain, doubt wells up in us and, filled with anguish, we ask ourselves: What is God's will? It is precisely to this question that we find an answer in the Gospel. For example, in the passage of today we read: "He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him" (Mark 1:34). In another passage from St. Matthew, it says: "He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people" (Matthew 4:23). Jesus does not leave room for doubt: God -- whose face he himself has revealed -- is the God of life, who frees us from all evil. The signs of this, his power of love are the healings that he carries out: He thus shows that the Kingdom of God is near, restoring men and women to their full integrity in spirit and body. I refer to these healings as signs: They guide toward the message of Christ, they guide us toward God and make us understand that man's truest and deepest illness is the absence of God, who is the fount of truth and love. And only reconciliation with God can give us true healing, true life, because a life without love and without truth would not be a true life. The Kingdom of God is precisely the presence of truth and love, and thus it is healing in the depths of our being. Thanks to the action of the Holy Spirit, the work of Jesus is prolonged in the mission of the Church. Through the sacraments, it is Christ who communicates his life to the multitude of brothers and sisters, as he cures and comforts innumerable sick people through so many activities of health care service that Christian communities promote with fraternal charity, thereby showing the face of God, his love. It is true: How many Christians all over the world -- priests, religious and laypeople -- have given and continue giving their hands, eyes and hearts to Christ, true physician of bodies and souls! Let us pray for all the ill, especially for those who are most grave, and who can in no way take care of themselves, but depend entirely on the care of others; may every one of them be able to experience, in the solicitude of those who are near to them, the power of the love of God and the richness of his grace that saves us. Mary, health of the sick, pray for us. [After praying the Angelus, he said:] In these weeks, strong political tensions are taking place in Madagascar, which have also provoked popular disturbances. Because of this, the bishops of the island have convoked for today a day of prayer for national reconciliation and social justice. Intensely concerned by the particularly critical moment that the country is going through, I invite you to unite yourselves to the Catholics of Madagascar to entrust to the Lord those who have died in the manifestations and to invoke from him, through the intercession of Most Holy Mary, the return of harmony of thought, social tranquility and civil co-existence. As I said just a moment ago, next Feb. 11, memorial of the Virgin Mary of Lourdes, the World Day of the Sick is celebrated. In the afternoon, I will meet with the sick and other pilgrims in St. Peter's Basilica, after the holy Mass that the president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry, Cardinal Lozano Barragán, will preside over. From now, I assure my special blessing to all the sick, the health care workers and the volunteers of every part of the world. [Translation by ZENIT] [The Pope then greeted the people in several languages. In English, he said:] I greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors here today including those from the Saint Patrick's Evangelization school in London. Today's Gospel reminds us of the duty to bring Christ's Good News to all the world. May your time in Rome be filled with joy and deepen your resolve to draw others to our Lord and his love. God bless you all! © Copyright 2009 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana   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