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March 16, 2009 -  Monday in 3rd Week of Lent     LITURGICAL/THEME MEDITATION: Jesus' word of judgment UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENT(S): On the Pope's Trip to Cameroon and Angola SAINT OF THE DAY St. Clement Mary Hofbauer  GENERAL MARIOLOGY Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces, in the Papal Magisterium of Pope John Paul II  IX. Some Conclusions DIVINE MERCY On God's Will I Desire You Alone  TEACHING/TESTIMONY/CONVICTION: Papal Address on Capitoline Hill

DAILY LITURGICAL MEDITATION

Jesus' word of judgment Gospel Reading:  Luke 4:24-30 24 And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Eli'jah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; 26 and Eli'jah was sent to none of them but only to Zar'ephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Eli'sha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Na'aman the Syrian." 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong. 30 But passing through the midst of them he went away. Old Testament Reading: 2 Kings 5:1-15 14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 15 Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him; and he said, "Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant." Meditation: What can limit God's grace and power in our lives for change and transformation? Indifference and lack of faith for sure! The prophets confronted God's people with their indifference and unbelief. God's grace and mercy is offered freely to those who seek it with sincerity, repentance, and faith. When Naaman, a non-Jew went to Jerusalem to seek a cure, the prophet Elisha instructed him to bathe in the river. In faith he obeyed and was healed. Jesus did not hesitate to confront his own people with their indifference and unbelief. When Jesus spoke in his hometown synagogue he startled his listeners with a seeming rebuke that no prophet or servant of God can receive honor among his own people. He then angered them when he complimented the gentiles who seemed to have shown more faith in God than the "chosen ones" of Israel. They regarded gentiles as "fuel for the fires of hell". Jesus' praise for "outsiders" caused them offence because they were blind-sighted to God's mercy and plan of redemption for all nations. The word of warning and judgment spoken by Jesus was met with hostility by his own people. They forcibly threw him out of the city and would have done him harm had he not stopped them. The Lord offers us freedom and pardon and the grace to walk in his way of righteousness.  His discipline is for our good that we may share his holiness (Hebrews 12:10). "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates reproof is stupid" (Proverbs 12:1).  Do you seek the Lord for instruction and help so you can grow in holiness? "Lord Jesus, teach me to love your ways tht I may be quick to renounce sin and wilfulness in my life. May I delight to do your will." Psalm 42:2-4 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  When shall I come and behold the face of God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me continually, "Where is your God?" 4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul:  how I went with the throng, and led them in procession to the house of God, with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.   www.dailyscripture.net   RETURN TO TOP

UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENTS

On the Pope's Trip to Cameroon and Angola "I Intend to Embrace the Whole African Continent"   VATICAN CITY, MARCH 15, 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! I will be making my first apostolic visit to Africa from Tuesday, March 17, to Monday, March 23. I will travel to Cameroon and to its capital, Yaoundé, to deliver the “instrumentum laboris” for the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, which will take place in October here in the Vatican. From there I will travel to Luanda, the capital of Angola, a country that, after a long civil war, has found peace again and is now called to rebuild itself in justice. With this visit I intend to embrace the whole African continent: its thousands of differences and profound religious soul; its ancient cultures and its toilsome road to development and reconciliation; its grave problems, its painful wounds and its enormous possibilities and hopes. I intend to confirm the African Catholics in faith, to encourage the Christians in their ecumenical commitment, and bring to all the announcement of peace that the Lord has entrusted to his Church. As I prepare myself for this missionary journey, in my soul resounds the words of the Apostle Paul that the liturgy proposes for our meditation on this third Sunday of Lent: “We proclaim Christ crucified,” the Apostle writes to the Christians of Corinth, “a scandal to the Jews and foolishness to the pagans; but for those who are called, whether Jews or Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24). Yes, dear brothers and sisters! I depart for African with the awareness of having nothing else to propose and give to those whom I will meet if not Christ and the Good News of his cross, mystery of supreme love, of divine love that defeats all human resistance and in the end makes forgiveness and love of enemies possible. This is the grace of the Gospel that is capable of transforming the world; this is the grace that can renew Africa, because it generates an irresistible power of peace and of deep and radical reconciliation. The Church does not pursue economic, social and political objectives; the Church proclaims Christ, certain that the Gospel can touch the hearts of all and transform them, renewing persons and society from within. On March 19, during the pastoral visit to Africa, we will celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, patron of the universal Church, and my personal patron. St. Joseph, warned in a dream by an angel, had to flee with Mary to Egypt, in Africa, to take the newly born Jesus to a safe place, far from King Herod who wanted to kill him. The Scriptures were thus fulfilled: Jesus followed in the footsteps of the patriarchs of old and, like the people of Israel, reentered the Promised Land after having been in exile in Egypt. To the heavenly intercession of this great saint I entrust this upcoming pilgrimage and the peoples of all of Africa, with the challenges that face them and the hopes that animate them. I think especially of the victims of hunger, disease, injustices, of the fratricidal conflicts and of every form of violence that, unfortunately, continues to strike adults and children, without sparing missionaries, priests, religious, and volunteers. Brothers and sisters, accompany me on this trip with your prayers, invoking Mary, Mother and Queen of Africa.   RETURN TO TOP

DAILY LITURGICAL SAINT

March 16, 2009 St. Clement Mary Hofbauer (1751-1820)   Clement might be called the second founder of the Redemptorists, as it was he who carried the congregation of St. Alphonsus Liguori to the people north of the Alps. John, the name given him at Baptism, was born in Moravia into a poor family, the ninth of 12 children. Although he longed to be a priest there was no money for studies, and he was apprenticed to a baker. But God guided the young man's fortunes. He found work in the bakery of a monastery where he was allowed to attend classes in its Latin school. After the abbot there died, John tried the life of a hermit but when Emperor Joseph II abolished hermitages, John again returned to Vienna and to baking. One day after serving Mass at the cathedral of St. Stephen, he called a carriage for two ladies waiting there in the rain. In their conversation they learned that he could not pursue his priestly studies because of a lack of funds. They generously offered to support both him and his friend, Thaddeus, in their seminary studies. The two went to Rome, where they were drawn to St. Alphonsus' vision of religious life and to the Redemptorists. The two young men were ordained together in 1785. Newly professed at age 34, Clement Mary, as he was now called, and Thaddeus were sent back to Vienna. But the religious difficulties there caused them to leave and continue north to Warsaw, Poland. There they encountered numerous German-speaking Catholics who had been left priestless by the suppression of the Jesuits. At first they had to live in great poverty and preached outdoor sermons. They were given the church of St. Benno, and for the next nine years they preached five sermons a day, two in German and three in Polish, converting many to the faith. They were active in social work among the poor, founding an orphanage and then a school for boys. Drawing candidates to the congregation, they were able to send missionaries to Poland, Germany and Switzerland. All of these foundations had eventually to be abandoned because of the political and religious tensions of the times. After 20 years of difficult work Clement himself was imprisoned and expelled from the country. Only after another arrest was he able to reach Vienna, where he was to live and work the final 12 years of his life. He quickly became "the apostle of Vienna," hearing the confessions of the rich and poor, visiting the sick, acting as a counselor to the powerful, sharing his holiness with all in the city. His crowning work was the establishment of a Catholic college in his beloved city. Persecution followed him, and there were those in authority who were able for a while to stop him from preaching. An attempt was made at the highest levels to have him banished. But his holiness and fame protected him and the growth of the Redemptorists. Due to his efforts, the congregation, upon his death in 1820, was firmly established north of the Alps. He was canonized in 1909. Comment: Clement saw his life’s work meet with disaster. Religious and political tensions forced him and his brothers to abandon their ministry in Germany, Poland and Switzerland. Clement himself was exiled from Poland and had to start all over again. Someone once pointed out that the followers of the crucified Jesus should see only new possibilities opening up whenever they meet failure. He encourages us to follow his example, trusting in the Lord to guide us.  http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintofDay RETURN TO TOP

GENERAL MARIOLOGY

Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces, in the Papal Magisterium of Pope John Paul II  By Msgr. Arthur Burton Calkins    IX. Some Conclusions At the end of this study, it may be helpful to state what we have found and what I have attempted to do. 1. Even from what has been presented here, it should now be apparent that Pope John Paul II has left us a remarkably coherent body of teaching on Mary’s maternal mediation in the course of his long pontificate of over twenty-six years. 2. His most recognized contribution on this topic is his treatment in Redemptoris Mater which effectively re-launched discussion of Mary’s mediation in academic and mariological circles. It was conducted with exclusive reference to the pronouncements of the Second Vatican Council’s chapter 8 of Lumen Gentium, but with great care to insist on Mary’s mediation as being "mediation in Christ" and uniquely "maternal mediation." It was, in effect, a maximalist interpretation of the conciliar teaching and it also developed the concept of mediation on the "ontological level" flowing from God’s eternal designs, a new acquisition in terms of magisterial teaching, at least insofar as I am aware. 3. Over and above, anterior and subsequent to his treatment of Marian mediation in Redemptoris Mater, however, John Paul II consistently made frequent reference to Mary’s mediation in speeches, homilies and in all forms of papal documents. These references—often passing, but of notable depth and beauty—are seen to be fully consonant with the tradition and the magisterium of his predecessors, and shed unexpected light on the mystery of Marian mediation. They are not obiter dicta, but form part of his ordinary magisterium. 4. More than any of his predecessors, John Paul II has contextualized Mary’s presence in the mystery of Christ. This is particularly true of his treatment of Our Lady in the brief, but profoundly rich passages about her in his Encyclicals Redemptor Hominis and Dives in Misericordia. These also help to orient what he presented at greater length in Redemptoris Mater and to provide a truly valuable point of entrance into the mystery of Marian mediation. 5. Likewise, closely allied to his thought on Mary’s presence in the mystery of Christ, is his meditation on Mary’s role in the Father’s plan and what he had described in Redemptoris Mater as her belonging to the "ontological level" of mediation. All of these are different facets of the same mystery. 6. His development of what I have characterized as Mary’s role as "Reverser of the Curse," proceeds from the classic formulation of Mary as the "New Eve" presented by St. Irenaeus. In doing so, he emphasizes Mary as the one through whom the grace of God reaches man. 7. The great majority of those who have gained prominence as the major arbiters of the discipline of mariology since the Council and up to the present, hold for a "minimalist" interpretation of the Second Vatican Council’s teaching on Marian mediation. They thus want to proscribe the use of the classical terminology of Marian mediation, by mandating a methodology which is an effective break with the Roman Catholic tradition—and they enlist Pope John Paul II as upholding their position. 8. From what I have presented here, it should be apparent that the late Pope did not follow their prescriptions. While "Mediatrix of all graces" has effectively become prohibited terminology in academic mariological circles, we see that the Pope used the expression at least nine times and gave many other indications that he firmly believed that, according to the divine plan, Mary is truly the "Mediatrix of all graces." At the very least, we can say his teaching clearly demonstrates that the term is not forbidden and that there need be no "rupture" with the pre-conciliar understanding and use of this title. 9. I already know the evaluation of my presentation here that will be made by the Marian minimalists. Just as was the case with the Pope’s use of the term Coredemptrix, which I have carefully documented (88),they will readily dismiss the Pope’s usage of the title Mediatrix of all graces as "marginal and therefore devoid of doctrinal weight"(89)because it does not occur in papal documents of the highest level of importance. My response is that these papal statements, nonetheless, constitute a fundamental component of the ordinary magisterium of the Roman Pontiff and this is so, precisely in view of the frequency with which he returned to this theme (90),revealing ever new facets of unexpected beauty. 10. In further responding to the inevitable attempts to undervalue the teaching of Pope John Paul II on Mary as Mediatrix of all graces, I am pleased to quote Pope Benedict XVI again, who specifically tells us: "We know that the Pope was a man of the Council, that he internalized the spirit and the word of the Council. Through these writings he helps us understand what the Council wanted and what it didn’t." 11. While I am convinced that the doctrine on Mary as Mediatrix of all graces is the very heart of Pope John Paul II’s teaching on Marian mediation, I make no pretense here of having covered, or even alluded to, all of the aspects of his teaching on this vast topic. I have been primarily interested in establishing the truth of Mary’s distribution of graces (the second phase of Marian mediation or the application of the fruits of the redemption or "descending" mediation—all terms which we have been enjoined to avoid) in the magisterium of Pope John Paul II, precisely because this is under attack. Dr. Manfred Hauke has already provided an excellent introduction to Mary’s maternal mediation in the cycle of the seventy Marian catecheses given at general audiences from 6 September 1995 to 19 November 1997 (91).There remains much more to delineate in terms of "ascending" Marian mediation, i.e., of going "to Jesus through Mary," which is another major element in the Pope’s magisterium on this topic and which I have barely been able to touch upon in this presentation. I have not presented his exegesis of the Visitation (Lk 1:39-56) or the Cana narratives Jn 2:1-11) or of Mary’s presence in the Upper Room (Acts 1:14), which certainly bear on Mary’s role as Mediatrix. Nor have I analyzed the topic of Mary’s mediation as intercession—not that this is of no interest—but rather because Marian minimalists would prefer to reduce Marian mediation to this dimension alone. 12. While it is apparent that the thought of John Paul II cannot be described as fitting into the classic scholastic mold, neither does it contradict the great insights of the scholastics. His approach is uniquely his own and it is obvious that, especially from the time that he discovered Louis de Montfort, he never stopped pondering on Mary’s place in his life, in the life of his country, and in the life of the Church. The result of this pondering (cf. Lk 2:19, 51) is an immense enrichment of Marian doctrine for the entire Church. Much still remains to be explored, but I am convinced that what I have presented here is a further enhancement and refinement of the Church’s doctrine on Marian mediation. A final reflection: One might be tempted to ask: How conscious was Pope John Paul II of being an agent in the development of Marian doctrine? How did this doctrine come to him? Was he aware of the Marian gems that he was lavishly scattering in the course of his daily teaching? Why did he make some of his most beautiful statements on Mary’s mediation of graces in some of the most unexpected places? We will most probably never know in this life. What is most important, however, is the great patrimony of Marian teaching which he has left us and which still needs to be discovered, analyzed, assimilated, and handed on. For this, we must give thanks to the Lord and Our Lady, and the Servant of God, Pope John Paul II!  http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1617&Itemid=40    RETURN TO TOP

DIVINE MERCY

Dairy from St. Faustina On God's Will I Desire You Alone I desire to come out of this retreat a saint, even though human eyes will not notice this, not even those of the superiors. I abandon myself entirely to the action of Your grace. Let Your will be accomplished entirely in me, O Lord (Diary, 1326). O Lord, You who penetrate my whole being and the most secret depths of my soul, You see that I desire You alone and long only for the fulfillment of Your holy will, paying no heed to difficulties or sufferings or humiliations or to what others might think (Diary, 1360). RETURN TO TOP

CATHOLIC  TEACHING/CONVICTION/TESTIMONY

Papal Address on Capitoline Hill "The Heart of Rome Is a Poetic Heart"   VATICAN CITY, MARCH 15, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a Vatican translation of the address Benedict XVI gave March 9 to the people gathered in the square outside the senatorial palace at the Capitoline Hill. * * * Dear Brothers and Sisters, After meeting the Administrators of the City, I am very glad to offer my cordial greeting to all of you who have gathered on this square on the Capitoline Hill, towards which the colonnade, with which Bernini completed the splendid structure of the Vatican Basilica, reaches out embracing it in spirit. Having lived for so many years in Rome, by now I have become somewhat Roman; but I feel more Roman as your Bishop. Thus with deeper participation I address my thoughts, through each one of you, to all "our" fellow citizens, who in a certain way you are representing today: to the families, communities and parishes, to the children, to the young and the old and to the disabled and the sick, to the volunteers, to the social workers, the immigrants and pilgrims. I thank the Cardinal Vicar who has accompanied me on my Visit and I encourage all those priests, consecrated and lay people who actively collaborate with the public Administrations for the good of Rome, its suburbs and bordering towns, to persevere in their commitment. A few days ago, while I was speaking with the parish priests and clergy of Rome, I said that the heart of Rome is a "poetic heart", to stress that beauty is as it were "a natural privilege... a natural charism". Rome is beautiful because of the vestiges of her antiquity, the cultural institutions and monuments that tell of her history, the churches and their numerous artistic masterpieces. However, Rome is beautiful above all because of the generosity and holiness of so many of her children who have left eloquent traces of their passion for the beauty of God, the beauty of love that does not age or wither. The Apostles Peter and Paul were witnesses to this, as were the throng of martyrs at the beginning of Christianity; many men and women who Roman by birth or by adoption did their utmost through the centuries to serve young people, the sick, the poor and all the needy. I limit myself to mentioning but a few: St Lawrence the Deacon, St Frances of Rome, whose feast is celebrated today, St Philip Neri, St Gaspare del Bufalo, St Giovanni Battista de Rossi, St Vincent Pallotti, Bl. Anna Maria Taigi and the husband and wife Blesseds Luigi and Maria Beltrami Quattrocchi. Their example shows that when a person encounters Christ he does not withdraw into himself but is open to the needs of others and, in every social milieu, puts the good of others before his own interests. There is a real need for such men and women in our time too because many families and many young people and adults are in precarious and sometimes even dramatic situations; these situations can only be overcome together, as Rome's history, which knew many a difficult time, also teaches. In this regard, a verse by Ovid, the great Latin poet, springs to mind. In one of his elegies he encouraged the Romans of his time with these words: "Perfer et obdura: multo graviora tulisti hold out and persist: you have got through far more difficult situations"(cf. Trist., lib. v, el. xi v. 7). In addition to the necessary solidarity and the proper commitment of all, we can always count on the unfailing help of God who never abandons his children. Dear friends, when you return to your homes, your communities and your parishes, tell everyone you meet that the Pope assures them all of his understanding, his spiritual closeness and his prayers. Please bring each one, especially the sick, the suffering and those in the most difficult situations my remembrance and God's Blessing, which I now impart to you through the intercession of Sts Peter and Paul, St Frances of Rome, Co-Patron of Rome. And especially of Mary Salus populi romani. May God bless and protect Rome and all its inhabitants always! © Copyright 2009 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana   RETURN TO TOP

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