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May 23, 2009 -  Saturday in Sixth Week of Easter      LITURGICAL/THEME MEDITATION: "Ask in Jesus' name, and you will receive, that your joy may be full" UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENT(S): Cardinal George Sees Bit of Hope in Obama Speech; World Jewish Congress Lauds Pope's Holy Land Visit SAINT OF THE DAY St. Felix of Cantalice  GENERAL MARIOLOGY THE DIVINE HISTORY AND LIFE OF THE VIRGIN MOTHER OF GOD Book Three - Chapter I    HER WONDERFUL ESPOUSAL WITH SAINT JOSEPH.  DIVINE MERCY Divine Mercy in My Soul Notebook III  TEACHING/TESTIMONY/CONVICTION: Bishop Says Obama's Address Halted Dialogue

DAILY LITURGICAL MEDITATION

Saturday (5/23): "Ask in Jesus' name, and you will receive, that your joy may be full" Scripture: John 16:23-28 23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name. 24 Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. 25 "I have said this to you in figures; the hour is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in figures but tell you plainly of the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name; and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you;  27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from the Father. 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father." Meditation: Do you pray with confidence to your heavenly Father? Jesus often taught his disciples by way of illustration or parable. Here he speaks not in "figures" (the same word used for parables), but in plain speech. Jesus revealed to them the hidden treasure of the heavenly kingdom and he taught them how to pray to the Father in his name. Now Jesus opens his heart and speaks in the plainest of language: "The Father himself loves you!" How can the disciples be certain of this? Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, Jesus makes it possible for his disciples to have a new relationship with God as their Father. No one would have dared to call God his Father before this! Because of what Jesus has done for us in offering his life for our redemption we now have a new relationship as the adopted children of God. Paul the Apostles says that "when we cry, ‘Abba! Father!' it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:15-16). We can boldly approach God as our Father and ask him for the things we need. In love he bids us to draw near to his throne of grace and mercy. Do you approach the Father with confidence in his love and with expectant faith in his promise to hear your prayers? "Heavenly Father, your love knows no bounds and your mercies are new every day. Fill me with gratitude for your countless blessings and draw me near to your throne of grace and mercy. Give me confidence and boldness to pray that your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Psalm 47:2-9 2 For the LORD, the Most High, is terrible, a great king over all the earth. 3 He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet. 4 He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. [Selah] 5 God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! 7 For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! 8 God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne. 9 The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham.  For the shields of the earth belong to God;  he is highly exalted!   www.dailyscripture.net   RETURN TO TOP

UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENTS

Cardinal George Sees Bit of Hope in Obama Speech Welcomes President's Reference to Conscience Protection   CHICAGO, MAY 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The president of the U.S. episcopal conference welcomed one of the statements made by President Barack Obama in his controversial speech at Notre Dame last Sunday. In a statement today, Cardinal Francis George, archbishop of Chicago, expressed gratitude for the president's statement that "we should all 'honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion,' and his support for conscience clauses advancing this goal." The cardinal noted that "Catholic providers, in particular, make a large and essential contribution to health care in our society. Essential steps to protect these conscience rights will strengthen our health care system and enhance many patients' access to necessary life-affirming care." Cardinal George added: "A government that wants to reduce the tragic number of abortions in our society will also work to ensure that no one is forced to support or participate in abortion, whether through directly providing or referring for abortions or being forced to subsidize them with their tax dollars." The University of Notre Dame's honored President Obama at last Sunday's commencement ceremony. To date, 83 prelates have publicly denounced the decision as going against 2004 guidelines set by the U.S. bishops' conference for Catholic institutions of higher education, which state that schools should not bestow honors on individuals who "act in defiance" of the Church's fundamental teachings.   World Jewish Congress Lauds Pope's Holy Land Visit Cardinal Bertone Affirms Church's Desire to Strengthen Relations   ROME, MAY 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The executive representatives of the World Jewish Congress visited the Vatican today to thank Benedict XVI for his Holy Land pilgrimage last week. Ronald Lauder, president of the international organization, which represents 100 Jewish communities worldwide, expressed his appreciation for the Pope's May 8-15 trip in an audience with the Pontiff's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. A statement from the congress explained, "Despite being a complicated trip, its outcome had been positive and was a milestone for strengthening mutual understanding between Christians and Jews." In the face of criticism that the Holy Father did not adequately denounce the Shoah during his trip, Lauder affirmed that any statement "touching upon the sensitive issue of the Holocaust had to be made with great care." The communiqué reported Cardinal Bertone's response to the Jewish leaders, affirming that the Church recognizes the "unique nature" of the Holocaust. He also stated clearly that there is "no place in the institutions of the church for Holocaust deniers such as Bishop Williamson," the congress noted. Benedict XVI was criticized last January after the lifting of excommunication of four bishops of the Society of St. Pius X, including Bishop Richard Williamson, who was seen in an interview for Swedish television denying the gassing of 6 million Jews at about the same time that his excommunication was lifted. The cardinal invited the congress leaders to cooperate in examining the archives of Pope Pius XII, and he assured them that the Vatican is progressing in the aim to make Pontiff's papers from 1939-1945 available to historians. The Vatican is cataloguing the documents from the pontificate, which number about 16 million. Cardinal Bertone assured congress members of the Holy See's desire to strengthen ties with Judaism, while Lauder affirmed the need for interfaith dialogue. The president stated, "We must strive together to ensure that freedom of religion is respected everywhere in the world and religion not used to justify extremism and terror." The World Jewish Congress was founded in 1936 to unite the Jewish people and address their needs, and represents communities in more than 80 countries.       RETURN TO TOP

DAILY LITURGICAL SAINT

May 23, 2009 St. Felix of Cantalice (1515-1587)   Felix was the first Franciscan Capuchin ever canonized. In fact, when he was born, the Capuchins did not yet exist as a distinct group within the Franciscans. Born of humble, God-fearing parents in the Rieti Valley, Felix worked as a farmhand and a shepherd until he was 28. He developed the habit of praying while he worked. In 1543 he joined the Capuchins. When the guardian explained the hardships of that way of life, Felix answered: "Father, the austerity of your Order does not frighten me. I hope, with God’s help, to overcome all the difficulties which will arise from my own weakness." Three years later Felix was assigned to the friary in Rome as its official beggar. Because he was a model of simplicity and charity, he edified many people during the 42 years he performed that service for his confreres. As he made his rounds, he worked to convert hardened sinners and to feed the poor as did his good friend, St. Philip Neri, who founded the Oratory, a community of priests serving the poor of Rome. When Felix wasn’t talking on his rounds, he was praying the rosary. The people named him "Brother Deo Gratias" (thanks be to God) because he was always using that blessing. When Felix was an old man, his superior had to order him to wear sandals to protect his health. Around the same time a certain cardinal offered to suggest to Felix’s superiors that he be freed of begging so that he could devote more time to prayer. Felix talked the cardinal out of that idea. Felix was canonized in 1712. Comment: Grateful people make good beggars. Francis told his friars that if they gave the world good example, the world would support them. Felix’s life proves the truth of that advice. In referring all blessings back to their source (God), Felix encouraged people to works of charity for the friars and for others. Quote: "And let us refer all good to the most high and supreme lord God, and acknowledge that every good is His, and thank Him for everything, [He] from Whom all good things come. And may He, the Highest and Supreme, Who alone is true God, have and be given and receive every honor and reverence, every praise and blessing, every thanks and glory, for every good is His, He Who alone is good. And when we see or hear an evil [person] speak or act or blaspheme God, let us speak well and act well and praise God (cf. Rm 12:21), Who is blessed forever (Rm 1:25)" (St. Francis, Rule of 1221, Ch. 17).          http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintofDay RETURN TO TOP

GENERAL MARIOLOGY

THE DIVINE HISTORY AND LIFE OF THE VIRGIN MOTHER OF GOD BOOK THREE Contains the most Exquisite Preparations of the Almighty for the Incar- nation of the Word in Mary most Holy; the Circumstances Accom- panying this Mystery; the Exalted State, in which the Blessed               Mother was placed; her Visit to Saint Elisabeth and the               Sanctification of the Baptist: Her Return to Nazareth              and a Memorable Battle of the Virgin with Lucifer CHAPTER I. THE NOVENA BEFORE THE INCARNATION. The fifth day of the novena, which the most blessed Trinity celebrated in the temple of most holy Mary, in order that the eternal Word might assume human shape in Her, had arrived. Just as in the preceding days She was elevated to an abstractive vision of the Divinity, and, as the veil fell more and more from the secrets of the infinite wisdom, She discovered new mysteries also during this day. For the preparations and enlightenments emitted ever stronger rays of light and divine graces, which flashed into her most holy soul and emptied the treasures of infinity into her faculties, assimilating and transforming the heavenly Lady more and more to a likeness of her God in order to make Her worthy of being his Mother. The Princess Mary, through these words of the Most High, was instructed in the great mysteries regarding the number of the predestined and the reprobate and also regarding the hindrances and impediments by which sinful men delayed the coming of the eternal Word as man into the world. Having present before Herself the vision both of the infinite bounty and equity of the Creator and of the measureless iniquity and malice of men, the most prudent Mistress, inflamed by the fire of divine love, spoke to his Majesty and said: "My Lord and infinite God of wisdom and incomprehensible sanctity, what mystery is this, which Thou hast manifested to me? Without measure are the misdeeds of men, so that only thy wisdom can comprehend them. But can all these and many more, perhaps, extinguish thy bounty and love, or vie with them? No, my Lord and Master, it must not be so; the malice of men must not detain thy mercy. I am the most useless of all the human race; yet on its behalf I remind Thee of thy fidelity. Infallibly true it is, that heaven and earth will come to naught, before thy word can fail (Is. 51, 6), and it is also true, that Thou hast many times given thy word through the holy Prophets; and Thou hast promised them by word of mouth, a Redeemer and our sa1vation. How then, my God, can these promises fail of fulfillment without conflicting with thy infinite wisdom; or how can man be deceived without conflicting with thy goodness? In order to induce Thee to fulfill thy promise and to secure them eternal felicity through thy incarnate Word, I have nothing to offer on the part of mortals nor can any creature oblige Thee; and if this blessing could be merited, then thy infinite and bounteous clemency would not thereby be glorified. Only through thy own Self can this obligation be imposed upon Thee, for only in God can a sufficient reason be found for his becoming man: in Thee alone was the reason and the motive for our creation, and therefore in Thee alone also the reason for our reparation after our fall. Do not seek, my God and most high King, for merits, nor for a greater motive, than thy own mercy and the exaltation of thy holy name. "It is true, my Spouse," answered the Most High, "that on account of my goodness I bound Myself to the promise of vesting Myself in human nature and of dwelling among them, and that no one could merit in my sight such a promise; but the ungrateful behavior of men, so abominable in my sight and in my justice, does not merit the execution of this promise. It is impossible to describe the hidden secrets, which most holy Mary then saw in the Lord; for She perceived in Him all the creatures of the past, present and the future, and the position of each one in creation, the good and bad actions and the final ending of each one. If She had not been strengthened, She could not have preserved her life under the effects and feelings caused by the knowledge and insight into these hidden sacraments and mysteries. But as his Majesty, in these new miracles and blessings had such high ends in view, He was not sparing but most liberal with the beloved One, whom He had chosen as his Mother. And as our Queen derived this science from the bosom of God itself, She participated also in the fire of his eternal Charity, which inflamed Her with the love of God and the neighbor. Therefore, continuing her intercession, She said: "Lord and eternal God, invisible and immortal, I confess thy justice, I magnify thy works, I adore thy infinite Essence and hold in reverence thy judgments. My heart melts within me with tenderest affection, when I perceive thy unlimited bounty toward men and their dark ingratitude and grossness toward Thee. For all of them, 0 my God, Thou seekest eternal life; but there are few who are thankful for this inestimable benefit, and many who will perish by their malice. If on this account, 0 my eternal Good, Thou relinquishest thy undertaking, we mortals are lost; but while Thou, in thy divine foreknowledge, perceivest the sins and the malice of men who offend Thee so much, Thou also foreseest thy Onlybegotten made man and his works of infinite price and value in thy sight; and these will counterbalance and exceed the malice of sin beyond all comparison. At this prayer of most pure Mary, the eternal Father (in our way of speaking) represented to Himself his Onlybegotten as borne in the virginal womb of this great Queen; and He was moved by her humble and loving petitions. His apparent hesitation was merely a device of his tender love in order to enjoy so much the longer the voice of his Beloved, causing her sweet lips to distil most sweet honey (Cant. 4, 11) and her emissions to be like those of paradise (Cant. 4, 13). And to draw out still more this loving contention, the Lord answered Her: "My sweetest Spouse and chosen Dove, great is that which thou askest of Me and little is that which obliges Me on the part of men; how then shall such a singular blessing be conferred on those unworthy ones? Leave Me, my friend, to treat them according to their evil deserts." Our powerful and kind Advocate responded: "No, my Master, I will not desist from my importunity; if much I ask, I ask it of Thee, who are rich in mercies, powerful in action, true in thy words. My father David said of Thee and of the eternal Word: "The Lord hath sworn, and He will not repent: thou art a priest forever according to the order of Melchisedech" (Ps. 109, 4). Let then that Priest come, who is at the same time to be the sacrifice for our rescue; let Him come, since Thou canst not repent of thy promise; for Thou dost not promise in ignorance. Let me be clothed.    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 III   March 12, 1937. I saw the weariness of a certain priest (probably Father Sopocko) for whom the Lord has traced out a hard and difficult roads; but the fruits of his work are alive. May God give us many such souls, capable of loving Him in the midst of the greatest torments. I felt today how greatly a certain dying soul desired prayers. I prayed until I felt she had died. Oh dying souls are in such great need of prayer! O Jesus, inspire souls to pray often for the dying. March 15, 1937. Today, I entered into the bitterness of the Passion of the Lord Jesus. I suffered in a purely spiritual way. I learned how horrible sin was. God gave me to know the whole hideousness of sin. I learned in the depths of my soul how horrible sin was, even the smallest sin, and how much it tormented the soul of Jesus. I would rather suffer a thousand hells than commit even the smallest venial sin. The Lord said to me, "I want to give myself to souls and to fill them with My love, but few there are who want to accept all the graces My love has intended for them. My grace is not lost; if the soul for whom it was intended does not accept it, another soul takes it." I frequently feel that certain persons are praying for me. I experience this suddenly in my soul, but I do not always know which person is interceding for me. I also know when someone has trouble because of something that has to do with me; of this too I am inwardly aware, even though the distance (that separates us) is very great. March 18, 1937. I have come to know that I have received a certain grace that brings me into great intimacy and communion with the Lord. He gives me to know by this means of an interior light. He allows me to know His greatness and holiness and how graciously He lowers himself to me. He gives me an exclusive knowledge of His love for me, and of how He is Lord of absolutely all things, and also of how He gives himself to a soul while suspending all the laws of nature. He acts as He wills. I understand the spiritual espousal of a soul with God, which has no exterior manifestation. It is a purely interior act between the soul and God. This grace has drawn me into the very burning center of God's love. I have come to understand His Trinitarian Quality and the absolute Oneness of His Being. This grace is different from all other graces. It is so extremely spiritual that my inaccurate description knows not how to express even a shade of it. I have such a strong desire to hide myself that I would like to live as though I did not exist. I feel a strange inner urge to hide myself as deeply as possible so as to be known only to the Heart of Jesus to rest in. I shall admit nothing that might awaken my Beloved. My concealment gives me a chance to commune constantly and exclusively with my Bridegroom. I commune with creature in so far as it is pleasing to Him. My heart has come to love the Lord with the full force of love, and I know no other love, because it is from the beginning that my soul has sunk deeply in the Lord as in its only treasure. Although outwardly I meet with many sufferings and various adversities, this does not, however, lessen my interior life for a moment nor disturb my inner silence. I do not fear at all being abandoned by creatures because, even if all abandoned me, I would not be alone, for the Lord is with me. And even if the Lord were to hide, love will know how to find Him. For love knows no gates or guards; even the keen-eyed Cherub himself, with his flaming sword, will not stop love; it will work its way through the wilderness and scorching heat, through storm, thunder and darkness, and will reach the source from which it came, and there it will endure forever. All things will come to an end; but love, never.     RETURN TO TOP

CATHOLIC  TEACHING/CONVICTION/TESTIMONY

Bishop Says Obama's Address Halted Dialogue Affirms Need for "Frontal Attack" in Favor of Catholic Values   KANSAS CITY, Missouri, MAY 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Although the Notre Dame president spoke hopefully about dialogue, President Barack Obama threw that desire "back in his face," according to Bishop Robert Finn. The Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph affirmed this Monday in an interview with the diocesan newspaper regarding the University of Notre Dame's decision to honor President Obama at last Sunday's commencement ceremony. To date, 83 prelates have publicly denounced the decision as going against 2004 guidelines set by the U.S. bishops' conference for Catholic institutions of higher education, which state that schools should not bestow honors on individuals who "act in defiance" of the Church's fundamental teachings. We cannot give up working with the administration, Bishop Finn said, but "we're fighting for our lives -- literally." He continued: "We are attempting to protect real unborn children by the thousands. We're fighting for the right to exercise a rightly formed conscientious difference with public policy. "We shouldn't underestimate the danger of dragging our feet in this effort, or taking a 'wait and see' approach. If we are not ready to make a frontal attack on the protection of conscience rights, the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, and the primacy of authentic marriage, we will lose in these areas." He added, "If we sit back and allow ourselves to be lulled into a false sense of peace and cooperation in regards to these things, then we will lose these battles and, later, wonder why." The prelate commented on the commencement speech by the university president, Father John Jenkins, who employed a series of "very hard words," such as "division, pride, contempt, demonize, anger, distort, hateful, condemn, hostility." These words, he said, might be understood as a "caricature" of the bishops who spoke out against the invitation. Bishop Finn noted that Father Jenkins' address focused on encouraging dialogue, and to this end, it referenced Benedict XVI, Pope John Paul II's "Ex Corde Ecclesiae," and the Second Vatican Council. The prelate affirmed, "Dialogue is important, but the question is fairly raised, 'May we negotiate about things that are intrinsic evils?' and I think the answer is no." He continued: "The bishops realize the very destructive decisions that President Obama promised to make concerning the life issues, and now has been making in connection with abortion and human embryonic stem cell research. This is serious business; it is about life and death." The bishop explained that the scandal of Notre Dame's decision arises from its "potential of confusing people concerning the Catholic teaching against abortion, and on the priority of abortion among other issues of public policy." Irreconcilable He noted that in the commencement address, Obama "said that the differences that we have on abortion -- namely the Catholic Church's staunch opposition to abortion and his staunch support of abortion were 'irreconcilable.'" "And at that moment," the prelate stated, "it would seem to me that the dialogue came to a screeching halt." "Father Jenkins' expressed desire for dialogue, whether it was well-founded or justified, at that point got thrown back in his face," he added. Bishop Finn explained: "The president shut the door on dialogue by saying that there was not going to be any change in his position on abortion and he understood that there was not going to be any change in the Church's position on abortion. "To me, that was the lesson of the day. I am glad that Mr. Obama was so clear." Although some may have seen it as a positive step that Obama spoke about "reducing unintended pregnancies," the bishop said, "I fear" this will be through the "promotion of Planned Parenthood and contraceptive services." He noted the president's support for the Prevention First Act, which is "not about abstinence education" but rather about "promoting contraception and giving Planned Parenthood a huge blank check." "If Catholics don't see a problem with this," said Bishop Finn, "then I don't think they understand the threat it represents to the meaning of marriage, to fidelity, to chastity, to the very sanctity of human life and intimate love."   RETURN TO TOP

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