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April 27, 2009 -  Monday in 3rd Week of Easter      LITURGICAL/THEME MEDITATION: "Doing the works of God" UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENT(S): On the Goal of Sanctity SAINT OF THE DAY St. Louis Mary de Montfort  GENERAL MARIOLOGY THE DIVINE HISTORY AND LIFE OF THE VIRGIN MOTHER OF GOD Book Two - Chapter III   OF THE VIRTUE OF FAITH AND HOW MOST HOLY MARY PRACTICED IT.  DIVINE MERCY Divine Mercy in My Soul Notebook I  TEACHING/TESTIMONY/CONVICTION: Recipes To Die For

DAILY LITURGICAL MEDITATION

"Doing the works of God" Scripture: John 6:22-29 22 On the next day the people who remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 However, boats from Tiber'i-as came near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the people saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Caper'na-um, seeking Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" 26 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal." 28 Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." Meditation: What do you most hunger for – wealth, peace, health, love, the good life? Jesus addressed this issue with those who sought him after the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves. Where they simply hungry for things which satisfy the body or for that which satisfies the heart and soul? Jesus echoes the question posed by the prophet Isaiah: "Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy" (Isaiah 55:2)? There are two kinds of hunger – physical and spiritual. Only God can satisfy the hunger in our heart and soul – the hunger for truth, for life, and for love. Jesus also spoke about the works of God and what we must do to be doing the works of God, namely to believe in God's Son whom he has sent into the world. Jesus offers a new relationship with God which issues in a new kind of life: A life of love and service, and the forgiveness of others which corresponds to God's mercy and kindness; a life of holiness and purity which corresponds to God's holiness; and a life of submission and trust which corresponds to the wisdom of God. This is the work which Jesus directs us to and enables us to perform in the power of the Holy Spirit. Do you hunger for the bread which comes down from heaven and thirst for the words of everlasting life? "Lord Jesus, you alone can satisfy the deepest longing and hunger in our hearts. May I always hunger for the imperishable bread, that I may be satisfied in you alone as the True Bread of Heaven. Nourish and strengthen me that I may serve you with great joy, generosity, and zeal all the days of my life". Psalm 119:23-30 23 Even though princes sit plotting against me, thy servant will meditate on thy statutes. 24 Thy testimonies are my delight, they are my counselors. 25 My soul cleaves to the dust; revive me according to thy word! 26 When I told of my ways, thou didst answer me; teach me thy statutes! 27 Make me understand the way of thy precepts, and I will meditate on thy wondrous works. 28 My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to thy word! 29 Put false ways far from me; and graciously teach me thy law! 30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness, I set thy ordinances before me.   www.dailyscripture.net   RETURN TO TOP

UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENTS

On the Goal of Sanctity "May All of You … Bear Witness to Him Courageously"   VATICAN CITY, APRIL 26, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave to those gathered in St. Peter's Square for the praying of the midday Regina Caeli. The Holy Father had just finished a Mass in which five new saints were proclaimed. * * * In concluding this solemn celebration, I wish to offer cordial greetings to all of you who have wanted to come personally to offer homage to the new saints. I express, before all, my recognition of the delegation from the Italian government and the other civil authorities, in particular, the mayors and prefects of the cities of the four compatriots elevated today to the honor of the altars. I greet the delegation from the Order of Malta. With great affection, I give thanks to the numerous pilgrims coming from many parts of Italy. I hope that this pilgrimage, lived in the mark of sanctity and supported by the grace of the Pauline year, can help each one [of you] to "run" with more joy and energy toward the final "goal," toward "the prize of God's upward calling, in Christ Jesus," (cf. Philippians 3:13-14). In this context, I'd like to mention as well the gathering of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, which is celebrated today. Fifty years after the death of the founder, Father Agostino Gemelli, I hope that the Catholic University be always faithful to its inspiring principles so as to continue offering a valid formation to the young generations. [The Pope then greeted people in several languages. In English, he said:] I greet the English-speaking pilgrims who are here with us today, especially those who have travelled to Rome to be present at the canonization of today’s new saints. Through their intercession, may all of you be filled with joy in the Risen Lord, and bear witness to him courageously in your daily lives. I invoke God’s abundant blessings upon all of you, and upon your families and loved ones at home.   © Copyright 2009 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana   RETURN TO TOP

DAILY LITURGICAL SAINT

April 27, 2009 St. Louis Mary de Montfort (1673-1716)   Louis's life is inseparable from his efforts to promote genuine devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus and mother of the Church.Totus tuus(completely yours) was Louis's personal motto; Karol Wojtyla chose it as his episcopal motto. Born in the Breton village of Montfort, close to Rennes (France), as an adult Louis identified himself by the place of his Baptism instead of his family name, Grignion. After being educated by the Jesuits and the Sulpicians, he was ordained as a diocesan priest in 1700. Soon he began preaching parish missions throughout western France. His years of ministering to the poor prompted him to travel and live very simply, sometimes getting him into trouble with Church authorities. In his preaching, which attracted thousands of people back to the faith, Father Louis recommended frequent, even daily, Holy Communion (not the custom then!) and imitation of the Virgin Mary's ongoing acceptance of God's will for her life. Louis founded the Missionaries of the Company of Mary (for priests and brothers) and the Daughters of Wisdom, who cared especially for the sick. His book, True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, has become a classic explanation of Marian devotion. Louis died in Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, where a basilica has been erected in his honor. He was canonized in 1947. Comment: Like Mary, Louis experienced challenges in his efforts to follow Jesus. Opposed at times in his preaching and in his other ministries, Louis knew with St. Paul, “Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:7). Any attempt to succeed by worldly standards runs the risk of betraying the Good News of Jesus. Mary is “the first and most perfect disciple,” as the late Raymond Brown, S.S., described her. Quote: “Mary is the fruitful Virgin, and in all the souls in which she comes to dwell she causes to flourish purity of heart and body, rightness of intention and abundance of good works. Do not imagine that Mary, the most fruitful of creatures who gave birth to a God, remains barren in a faithful soul. It will be she who makes the soul live incessantly for Jesus Christ, and will make Jesus live in the soul” (True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin).  http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintofDay RETURN TO TOP

GENERAL MARIOLOGY

THE DIVINE HISTORY AND LIFE OF THE VIRGIN MOTHER OF GOD BOOK TWO  Treats of the Presentation of the Princess of Heaven in the Temple, the Favors She Received at the Hand of God, the Sublime Perfection with which She Observed the Rules of the Temple, the Heavenly Excellence of Her Heroic Virtues and Visions, Her Most Holy Espousal and other Events up to the Incarnation of the Son of God CHAPTER III.  OF THE VIRTUE OF FAITH AND HOW MOST HOLY MARY PRACTICED IT.   Saint Paul calls the patriarch Abraham the father of all the faithful (Rom. 6, 11), because he first received the promise, hoping against hope (Rom. 4, 18); He wishes to extol the excellence of the Patriarch's faith because he believed the promise of the Lord, that Sarah, his wife, would bear him a son though she was sterile, and, according to the laws of nature, incapable of conception; moreover, in offering his son as a sacrifice at God's command, he relinquished at the same time the prospect of the countless offspring, which the Lord had promised to him. This all, and many other sayings and promises of the Lord were made impossible of fulfillment according to the laws of nature, yet Abraham believed, that the divine power could execute them in a supernatural manner. Therefore he merited to be called the Father of all the believers and to receive the seal of his faith which justified him, namely circumcision. But our supereminent Lady, Mary, possesses much greater rights and titles to be called the Mother of faith and of all the faithful. In her hand is hoisted the standard and ensign of faith for all the believers in the law of grace. First indeed, according to the order of time, was the Patriarch and consequently he was ordained to be the father and head of the Hebrew people: great was his belief in the promises concerning Christ our Lord and in the works of the Most High. Nevertheless incomparably more admirable was the faith of Mary in all these regards and She excels him in dignity. Greater difficulty and incongruity was there that a virgin should Conceive and bring forth, than that an aged and sterile woman should bear fruit; and the patriarch Abraham was not so certain of the sacrifice of Isaac, as Mary was of the inevitable sacrifice of her most holy Son. She is the One, who perfectly believed and hoped in all the mysteries, and She shows to the whole Church, how it must believe in the Most High and in the works of his Redemption. Having thus understood the faith of Mary our Queen, we must admit Her to be the Mother of the faithful and the prototype of the Catholic faith and of holy hope. And in order to conclude this chapter, I will add, that Christ, our Redeemer and Teacher, as He was a comprehensor and as his most holy soul enjoyed the highest glory and the beatific vision, had no necessity or occasion for faith, nor could He in his own actions give us an example of this virtue. But what the Lord could not do in his own Person, He did in the person of his most holy Mother, constituting Her as the Foundress, the Mother and the example of faith in his evangelical Church. And thus on the day of universal accounting this sovereign Mistress and Queen shall in an especial manner assist her most holy Son in the judgment of those, who, in spite of such an example, have not believed during their stay on earth.    RETURN TO TOP

DIVINE MERCY

Divine Mercy In my soul   NOTEBOOK II The Mercy of the Lord I will sing Forever. Divine Mercy in my soul. Sr. Faustina, Diary Notebook II   On one occasion, when I entered the chapel, I saw the walls of a building in a stat of disrepair [a torn down building]. The windows were without panes, and the doors had only frames with no paneling. Then I heard these words in my soul: this is where the convent will be. I was a little disappointed that these ruins were to be the convent. Thursday. I felt urged to undertake as soon as possible the task which the Lord was asking of me. While making my confession, I was holding to my own opinion over that of the confessor. At first, I did not realize this, but when I was making my Holy Hour I saw the Lord Jesus as He appears in the image, and He told me that I must repeat to my confessor and my superiors everything He says to me or asks of me… and do only what you receive permission to do. And he gave me to know how displeased He was with persons who are self-willed, and I recognized that I was one of these. I saw this shadow of self-will in myself, and I threw myself in the dust before His Majesty and, with a broken heart, begged His Pardon. But Jesus did not let me remain in this state for long. His divine gaze filled my heart with such joy that I have no words to express it. And Jesus gave me to know that I should ask Him more questions and seek His advice. Truly, how sweet is the look of my Lord; His eyes penetrate my soul to its most secret depths. My spirit communicates with God without any word being spoken. I am aware that He is living in me and I in Him. All at once, I saw the image in some small chapel and at that moment I saw that the chapel became an enormous and beautiful temple. And in this temple I saw the Mother of God with the infant in Her arms. And a moment later, the infant Jesus disappeared from the arms of His Mother, and I saw the living image of Jesus Crucified. The Mother of God told me to do what She had done, that, even when joyful, I should always keep my eyes fixed on the cross, and She told me that the graces God was granting me were not for me alone, but for other souls as well. When I see the infant Jesus during Holy Mass, it is not always the same; sometimes He is very joyous, and sometimes He is not even looking at the chapel. At present, He is often very joyful when our confessor [father Sopocko] offers Holy Mass, I was greatly surprised that the infant Jesus loves him so much. Sometimes I see him dressed in a colorful pinafore. Before I came to Vilnius and met this confessor, I once saw a rather small church and near it, this congregation. The convent had twelve cells; each nun was to live separately. I saw the priest [father Sopocko] who was helping me to prepare the convent and whom I was to meet some years later, but whom I already knew from the vision. I saw how he was arranging everything in the convent with great care, assisted by another priest [probably father Wantuchowski] whom I have not yet met. I saw the iron grating, covered with a dark curtain, and the sisters did not go to the church. On the feast day of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God, during Holy Mass, I heard the rustling of garments and saw the most Holy Mother of God in a most beautiful radiance. Her white garment was girdled with a blue sash. She said to me: You give Me great joy when you adore the Holy Trinity for the graces and privileges which were accorded Me. And She immediately disappeared. Penances and Mortification. Interior mortifications take the first place, but besides this, we must practice exterior mortifications, strictly determined, so that all can practice them. These are: on three days a week, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, there will be a strict fast; each Friday, all the sisters – each one in her own cell – will take the discipline for the length of the recitation of Psalm 50 and all will do this at the same time; namely, three o’clock; and this will be offered for dying sinners. During the two great fasts, ember days and vigils, the food will consist of a piece of bread and some water, once a day. Let each sister observe these mortifications which are prescribed for all. But if anyone desires to do something more, she should ask the superior for permission. One more general mortification: no sister is allowed to enter the cell of another without special permission from the superior, but the superior should sometimes unexpectedly enter the cells of the sisters, not in order to spy, but in the spirit of love and the responsibility which she has before God. None of the sisters will lock anything; the rule will be the general key for all.   RETURN TO TOP

CATHOLIC  TEACHING/CONVICTION/TESTIMONY

Recipes To Die For Euthanasia Advocates Gaining Ground   By Father John Flynn, LC ROME, APRIL 26, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Proponents of legalized euthanasia continue to wage their campaign in a number of countries, and with some success. In Britain, Dr. Philip Nitschke, a longtime activist for euthanasia, is promoting sales of a home kit to help people commit suicide. This latest move by the well-known advocate of euthanasia is causing widespread criticism in the United Kingdom, according to an article published in the Australian newspaper April 20. As a result, Nitschke’s invitation to speak on May 14 at a debate to be held by the Oxford Union was withdrawn. It would be illegal to sell the kit, which tests the strength of a drug, Nembutal, in Nitschke’s home country of Australia, so that is why it is being launched in Britain. A book he published in 2005, “The Peaceful Pill Handbook,” was also banned in Australia. It’s not the first time Nitschke has caused an uproar in the United Kingdom, as the Observer newspaper explained on March 29. Last year his organization, Exit International, ran a series of workshops advising people on how to commit suicide. One of them was cancelled after the local council in Bournemouth objected. The Swiss-based assisted suicide clinic Dignitas has also recently been in the headlines. Dignitas accepts clients from overseas who want to put an end to their lives and has attracted a lot of attention. According to an April 3 report in the London-based Times newspaper, the founder of Dignitas, Ludwig Minelli, plans to help a healthy woman die together with her husband who is terminally sick. The wife is healthy, but the Canadian couple has made a suicide pact to die together. According to the article, Minelli described suicide as a “marvelous opportunity” that should not be restricted to the sick or disabled people. The Times also reported that the Zurich University Clinic found that more than a fifth of people who had died at Dignitas did not have a terminal illness. Privacy right In the United States the situation is no better. Late last year a judge in the state of Montana ruled that a local law making assisted suicide illegal violates the state constitution. According to an article in the Dec. 29 issue of the Weekly Standard magazine, Judge Dorothy McCarter held that the ban contravenes the state constitution’s right to privacy. As well, she invoked a clause in the constitution upholding human dignity, arguing that the terminally ill have a right to die with dignity. Her decision, however, is being appealed. Pro-euthanasia forces won a battle in the state of Washington in November when voters approved a referendum legalizing assisted suicide. With the vote, Washington joined Oregon as the second state to approve suicide. According to a Nov. 5 report in the Seattle Times, the proposal was modeled on the law in Oregon and allows the terminally ill, who must be mentally-competent adult residents of Washington, and who are medically predicted to have six months or less to live, to request and self-administer lethal medication prescribed by a physician. Euthanasia campaigners enjoyed a hefty financial advantage, the Seattle Times noted. Supporters of the initiative had about $4.9 million in funds, while opponents only raised around $1.9 million. Problems in Oregon Following Oregon’s path could lead to some nasty surprises for Washington state residents. Last year, news came out that some terminally ill persons in Oregon were denied treatment for their illnesses by authorities, and instead were offered assisted suicide. A July 28 report by Fox News described how Randy Stoup, who suffered from prostate cancer, was denied financial help by the local state health plan for chemotherapy to treat his condition. The Lane Individual Practice Association, which runs the health plan, responded to Stoup’s request by offering to pay for the cost of assisted suicide. According to the report, other terminally-ill patients in Oregon have received similar responses to their requests for assistance. Then, a report published Oct. 8 by the news service HealthDay, gave details on a study of 46 people who had requested assisted suicide in Oregon in 2007. Researchers from the Oregon Health and Sciences University discovered that none of the 46 were evaluated by a psychologist or psychiatrist to evaluate if they were suffering from problems such as depression that can spur some people to put an end to their lives. They also checked the records of another 58 patients who requested assisted suicide in 2008. It turned out that 15 met the criteria for depression and 13 for anxiety. By the end of the study, three of those who received assistance to commit suicide met the criteria for depression. The researchers concluded that the way the assisted suicide regime is being practiced in Oregon “may not adequately protect all mentally ill patients.” Manual More worrying news came with the recent discovery that Nitschke isn’t the only one distributing suicide manuals. In the United States, the Final Exit Network has a detailed document to instruct those who are assisting people to die, the Associated Press reported April 22. The manual was seized by police in Phoenix who are investigating the Final Exit Network in relation to the death of a local woman. Police are in Georgia, where the group is based, are also looking into the network’s connection with some deaths. In February an investigation led to searches by police in nine states and to four members being charged, including Thomas E. Goodwin, the group’s president. A March 3 story by the Associated Press said that, according to authorities in Georgia, the network may have helped around 200 people to die. It costs $50 to join the group and members are assigned a guide to help them commit suicide. Nonsense The pressures to legalize assisted suicide have not gone unchallenged. The phrase “right to die” was described as a “fashionable piece of nonsense” by Dominic Lawson in an opinion article for the Sunday Times on Dec. 14. We are not talking about a right to die, he clarified, but a right to be killed at a time of their choosing. This requires others to kill, and for that reason a majority of doctors want nothing to do with it, Lawson argued. His argument was confirmed by recent data from a survey carried out by Clive Seale from the Centre for Health Sciences, Queen Mary University of London. Only a third of doctors are in favor of assisted suicide, according to Seale, the Guardian newspaper reported March 24. Nearly 4,000 doctors replied to survey sent out by Seale and the answers were similar to those he obtained in a survey on the matter in 2004. Wesley Smith, associate director of the International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, warned that a right to die can become a duty to die, in an opinion article written for the Telegraph newspaper Feb. 21. Wesley had come to Britain from America to participate in an anti-euthanasia meeting held at the House of Commons. “The whole of society, in fact, is required through its health care and civil institutions to respect the life and dignity of the seriously sick and the dying,” said Benedict XVI in an address given Feb. 25, 2008, to a group who had taken part in a meeting in the Vatican on caring for the dying. The Pope urged greater attention to the needs of the dying, and to their families. This respect for life must take the form of concrete solidarity, he added. A task more demanding than just killing off the sick, but one which is more in accordance with human dignity.   RETURN TO TOP

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