| |
| |
|
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" |
|
January 25, 2009 - 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time
LITURGICAL/THEME MEDITATION:
"The kingdom of God is at hand"
UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENT(S):
Vatican Aide: Media-Day
Message a "Turning Point"
SAINT OF THE DAY
Conversion of St.
Paul
GENERAL
MARIOLOGY
Marian Devotion, the
Rosary, and the Scapular
The
Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary
From the Magisterial
Reception of the Rosary (1569)
to the Introduction
of the Luminous Mysteries (2002)
DIVINE MERCY
On Mercy
The Seal of Your Mercy
TEACHING/TESTIMONY/CONVICTION:
Press Statement on the
Pope's Media Message
|
|
DAILY LITURGICAL MEDITATION |
|
"The kingdom of God is at hand"
Scripture: Mark 1:14-20
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching
the gospel of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel." 16 And
passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother
of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus
said to them, "Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men." 18
And immediately they left their nets and followed him.19 And going on a
little farther, he saw James the son of Zeb'edee and John his brother,
who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called
them; and they left their father Zeb'edee in the boat with the hired
servants, and followed him.
Meditation: What is the kingdom of God? The word "kingdom"
means something more than a place or realm. It literally means "reign"
or kingship". God's kingdom is universal and everlasting (Daniel 4:3), a
kingdom of glory, power, and splendor (Psalm 103:19; Psalm 145:11-13).
In the Book of Daniel we are told that this kingdom is given to the
Son of Man and to the saints (Daniel 7:14,18,22,27). The Son of
Man is a Messianic title for God's anointed King. The New Testament
word for "Messiah" is "Christ" which literally means the "Anointed One"
or the "Anointed King". The core of the gospel message is the good news
of the kingdom of God. This is the central theme of Jesus' mission. God
sent his Son to overthrow the kingdom of darkness and to bring us into
the kingdom of his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9; Col. 1:13).
As soon as John the Baptist had finished his testimony Jesus began
his in Galilee, his home district. John's enemies had sought to silence
him, but the gospel cannot be silenced. Jesus proclaimed that the
time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Jesus takes up
John's message of repentance and calls disciples to believe in the
gospel--the good news he has come to deliver. What is the good news
which Jesus delivers? It is the good news of peace (restoration of
relationship with God), of hope (the hope of resurrection and heaven),
of truth (God's word is true and reliable), of promise (he rewards those
who seek him), of immortality (God gives everlasting life), and the good
news of salvation (liberty from sin and freedom to live as sons and
daughters of God). In announcing the good news, Jesus made two demands:
repent and believe. Repentance requires a life change, a change
of mind, sorrow for sin and its consequences, a hatred of sin and a firm
resolution to avoid it in the future. The Lord gives us grace to see sin
for what is really is -- a rejection of his love and wisdom and a
refusal to do what is good and in accord with his will. His grace brings
pardon and help for turning away from everything that would keep us from
his love. To believe is to take Jesus at his word and to recognize that
God loved us so much that he sent his only begotten Son to free us from
bondage to fear and sin. God made the supreme sacrifice of his Son on
the cross to bring us back to himself. God loved us first and he
invites us in love to surrender our lives to him. Do you believe that
the gospel has power to free you from bondage to fear and sin?
When Jesus preached the gospel message he called others to follow as
his disciples and he gave them a mission – "to catch people for the
kingdom of God". What kind of disciples did he choose? Smelly
fishermen! In the choice of the first apostles we see a characteristic
feature of Jesus' work: he chose very ordinary people. They were
non-professionals, had no wealth or position. They were chosen from the
common people who did ordinary things, had no special education, and no
social advantages. Jesus wanted ordinary people who could take an
assignment and do it extraordinarily well. He chose these individuals,
not for what they were, but for what they would be capable of becoming
under his direction and power. When the Lord calls us to serve, we must
not think we have nothing to offer. The Lord takes what ordinary people,
like us, can offer and uses it for greatness in his kingdom. Do you
believe that God wants to work through and in you for his glory?
Jesus speaks the same message to us today: we will "catch people" for
the kingdom of God if we allow the light of Jesus Christ to shine
through us. God wants others to see the light of Christ in us in the way
we live, speak, and witness the joy of the gospel. Paul the Apostles
says, But thanks be to God, who in Christ Jesus always leads us in
triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him
everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are
being saved and among those who are perishing (2 Cor. 2:15). Do you
witness to those around you the joy of the gospel and do you pray for
your neighbors, co-workers, and relatives that they may come to know the
Lord Jesus Christ and grow in the knowledge of his love?
"Lord Jesus, you have called me personally by name, just as you
called your first disciples, Simon, Andrew, and James. Help me to be a
faithful to the gospel and loyal to you. Fill me with the joy of the
gospel and help me to be a good witness of your kingdom to others."
Psalm 25:4-9
4 Make me to know thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me, for thou art the God of my
salvation; for thee I wait all the day long.
6 Be mindful of thy mercy, O LORD, and of thy steadfast love, for they
have been from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth, or my transgressions; according to
thy steadfast love remember me, for thy goodness' sake, O LORD!
8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the
way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
www.dailyscripture.net
RETURN
TO TOP
|
|
UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENTS |
Vatican
Aide:
Media-Day
Message a
"Turning
Point"
Archbishop
Celli Notes
Pros and
Cons of New
Technologies
VATICAN
CITY,
JAN. 23,
2009 ( Zenit.org).-
Benedict
XVI's
message
to youth
on the
possibilities
and
dangers
of the
digital
age
constitutes
something
of an
"authentic
turning
point,"
says
Archbishop
Claudio
Maria
Celli.
The
president
of the
Pontifical
Council
for
Social
Communications
said
this
Friday
upon
presenting
the
Pope's
message
for the
43rd
World
Communications
Day,
which
will be
observed
May 24.
The
theme
for the
day is
""New
Technologies,
New
Relationships.
Promoting
a
culture
of
Respect,
Dialogue
and
Friendship."
To a
room
packed
with
more
than 200
journalists
and 24
television
cameras,
the
president
of the
media
dicastery
noted
that
while
"all
messages
that
accompany
the
World
Communications
Day has
its
story, I
don't
think I
exaggerate
too much
when I
say that
we are
seeing,
on this
occasion,
an
authentic
turning
point."
"Perhaps
never
before
has a
message
been so
strong
and so
demanding,"
he
added.
The
archbishop
said the
theme
itself
"not
only
puts us
at the
center
of new
technologies,
but it
also
explores
its
effects,
and it
does so
directed
in
particular
to the
digital
generation,
interacting
in a
particular
way with
the
youth."
"The
message
underlines
the
values
promoted
in this
environment,
beginning
with
friendship
and the
new
network
of
relationships
that now
are
possible
thanks
precisely
to these
new
technologies,"
said
Archbishop
Celli.
The
Italian
prelate
added
that the
new
technologies
also
make
long-distance
relationships
possible,
whether
they be
personal
relationships
with
distant
family
members,
or work
relationships
with
colleges
on other
continents.
"We
really
are in a
new
world,"
he said,
"that is
explored
not so
much by
opening
our eyes
wide to
see the
new
conquests,
but by
opening
the
heart to
the hope
of the
great
possibilities
that can
be seen
for the
common
good."
Archbishop
Celli
said
this
aspect
"stands
out even
more if
we think
that the
message
also
warns,
with
realism,
of the
dangers
linked
not only
to the
distorted
use of
the
media,
but to
the
imbalance
of its
possible
use."
He spoke
of the
"digital
divide"
that
many say
will
lead to
a
greater
wealth
gap,
given
that
"the new
technologies
are
primary
resources
for the
development
and
promotion
of the
human
being."
RETURN
TO TOP
|
|
DAILY LITURGICAL SAINT |
|
January 25, 2009
Conversion
of St. Paul
Paul’s entire life can be explained in terms of one experience—his
meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus. In an instant, he saw that
all the zeal of his dynamic personality was being wasted, like the
strength of a boxer swinging wildly. Perhaps he had never seen Jesus,
who was only a few years older. But he had acquired a zealot’s hatred of
all Jesus stood for, as he began to harass the Church: “...entering
house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over
for imprisonment” (Acts 8:3b). Now he himself was “entered,” possessed,
all his energy harnessed to one goal—being a slave of Christ in the
ministry of reconciliation, an instrument to help others experience the
one Savior.
One sentence determined his theology: “I am Jesus, whom you are
persecuting” (Acts 9:5b). Jesus was mysteriously identified with
people—the loving group of people Saul had been running down like
criminals. Jesus, he saw, was the mysterious fulfillment of all he had
been blindly pursuing.
From then on, his only work was to “present everyone perfect in Christ.
For this I labor and struggle, in accord with the exercise of his power
working within me” (Colossians 1:28b-29). “For our gospel did not come
to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and
[with] much conviction” (1 Thessalonians 1:5a).
Paul’s life became a tireless proclaiming and living out of the message
of the cross: Christians die baptismally to sin and are buried with
Christ; they are dead to all that is sinful and unredeemed in the world.
They are made into a new creation, already sharing Christ’s victory and
someday to rise from the dead like him. Through this risen Christ the
Father pours out the Spirit on them, making them completely new.
So Paul’s great message to the world was: You are saved entirely by God,
not by anything you can do. Saving faith is the gift of total, free,
personal and loving commitment to Christ, a commitment that then bears
fruit in more “works” than the Law could ever contemplate.
Comment:
Paul is undoubtedly hard to understand. His style often reflects the
rabbinical style of argument of his day, and often his thought skips on
mountaintops while we plod below. But perhaps our problems are
accentuated by the fact that so many beautiful jewels have become part
of the everyday coin in our Christian language (see quote, below).
Quote:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not
pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own
interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it
does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears
all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”
(1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintofDay
RETURN TO TOP
|
|
GENERAL
MARIOLOGY |
Marian Devotion, the Rosary, and the Scapular
By Fr.
Etienne Richer
The
following article is an excerpt from a chapter in the recently published
Marian anthology, Mariology: A
Guide for Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, and Consecrated Persons,
Seat of Wisdom Books, A Division of Queenship, 2008. Fifteen
international Mariology experts contributed to the text. The book
features a foreword by Archbishop Raymond L. Burke and has 17 chapters
divided into four parts: 1. Mary in Scripture and the Early Church; 2.
Marian Dogma; 3. Marian Doctrine; and 4. Marian Liturgy and Devotion.
The book is now available from Queenship Publications. To obtain a copy,
visit
queenship.org.
Visit
books.google.com and search on "Mariology: A Guide" to view the book
in its entirety, or simply
click here.
Asst. Ed.
From
the Magisterial Reception of the Rosary (1569) to the Introduction of
the Luminous Mysteries (2002)
On
September 15, 1569, with the Bull Consueverunt Romani Pontifices
the Dominican Pope St. Pius V (+1572) officially consecrated the Rosary
by imposing an imprint which it has kept up to our days. This
foundational text defined the Rosary in these terms:
This
method of prayer is easy and suitable to everyone and is called the
Rosary or the Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It consists of
venerating this Blessed Virgin by reciting 150 angelic salutations, the
same number as the Psalms of David, interrupting them at each decade by
the Lord’s Prayer, meanwhile meditating on the mysteries which recall
the entire life of our Lord Jesus Christ (87).
The
preceding year, in the revision of the breviary, the same Pius V had
already introduced into the official prayer of the Church the formula of
the Ave Maria, including the second part (which dates from the
fifteenth century): Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis
peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. The bull of 1569
rendered this formula for the Hail Mary fixed and uniform which
was widely spread in relation with the Rosary devotion. From the time of
this bull of St. Pius V, a strong Dominican primacy was established on
the creation and direction of the Rosary Confraternities (88), for St.
Dominic was then unanimously considered as the Father of the Rosary. A
little more than a century later, St. Louis-Marie de Montfort himself
entered the Third Order of the Dominicans on November 10, 1710, and
solicited from the Master General of the Order of Preachers permission
not only to preach the holy Rosary wherever he would be called, but also
to found confraternities. Father de Montfort insisted much on the
importance of meditating on the mysteries, and invited his hearers to
ask always for one of the virtues which shine most in each mystery
meditated upon (89). The recitation of the Creed, of the Our Father
followed by the three Hail Marys, along with the formula of offering and
statement of the fruits of each mystery are of Montfortian origin. In
the perspective of St. Louis-Marie "the holy Rosary is a sacred
composition of vocal and mental prayer to honor and imitate the
mysteries and the virtues of the life, of the death and Passion and of
the glory of Jesus Christ and of Mary" (SR 9).
Grignion de Montfort can also be considered as one of the principal
promoters of the "Luminous Mysteries" (RVM 21) which he himself
proposed for meditation, as his Methods for Saying the Rosary (MR
21) testify (90): One should read attentively the Short Summary of
the Life, Death, Passion and Glory of Jesus and Mary in the Holy Rosary, taken
from his Livre des Sermons (91), in order to discover that the
missionary meditated principally on the mysteries of the Baptism of the
Lord, the Announcement of the Kingdom, the Transfiguration and the
Institution of the Eucharist. In this regard it is a duty to recall that
from 1966, the founder of Cahiers Marials (1957-1985), namely the
French Montfortian Jean Hémery, along with several Dominican heirs of an
intuition of Father Marie-Joseph Lagrange (+1938) (92), had suggested
the introduction of certain events from the public life of Jesus among
the mysteries of the Rosary:
If,
with the Virgin Mary "present as the Most Holy Mother of God in the
mysteries of Christ," (LG 66) the Rosary wishes to introduce us
into the riches of salvation, it is appropriate that it should make a
place for certain mysteries of the public life, let us say for
certain key-events with which Mary was particularly associated. The
Council itself, recalling "the union of the Mother with her Son in the
work of salvation … manifested from the hour of the virginal conception
of Christ up to his death" (LG 57-59), enumerates the event of
Cana and the proclamation of the blessedness of those who hear and
practice the Word of God. But this is not meant to be limiting (93).
We
find a timid allusion to a possible evolution in this sense in an
apostolic letter of Pope Paul VI, Reccurrens mensis october,
published in 1969 on the occasion of the fourth centenary of the bull of
St. Pius V:
May
the Rosary, in the form handed down by St. Pius V—as well as in other
recent forms adapting it, with the consent of the lawful authority, to
the needs of today—be indeed, as our beloved predecessor Pope John XXIII
desired, "a great public and universal prayer for the ordinary and
extraordinary needs of the holy Church, of the nations, and of the
entire world (94).
It
was necessary to await the celebration of the Jubilee of the Incarnation
followed by the Year of the Rosary (2002-2003), so that, thanks to the
Servant of God John Paul II, a new letter on the Rosary of the
Blessed Virgin Mary would accede to the mysteries of the public life
of Christ between the Baptism and the Passion, underscoring that it is
"during the years of his public ministry that the mystery of Christ
is most evidently a mystery of light: ‘While I am in the world, I am
the light of the world’ (Jn 9:5)" (RVM 19).
In
order that one could say that the Rosary is a "summary of the Gospel" in
a more complete manner, Pope John Paul II judged the introduction of the
Luminous Mysteries appropriate:
It is
fitting to add, following reflection on the Incarnation and the hidden
life of Christ (the Joyful Mysteries) and before focusing on the
sufferings of his Passion (the Sorrowful Mysteries) and the
triumph of his Resurrection (the Glorious Mysteries), a
meditation on certain particularly significant moments in his public
ministry (the Mysteries of Light). This addition of these new
mysteries, without prejudice to any essential aspect of the prayer’s
traditional format, is meant to give it fresh life and to enkindle
renewed interest in the Rosary’s place within Christian spirituality as
a true doorway to the depths of the Heart of Christ, ocean of joy and of
light, of suffering and of glory (RVM 19).
The
letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae also emphasizes the importance of
an often-neglected dimension, namely the symbolic significance of the
rosary beads (corona), the traditional instrument for reciting
this prayer. The beads are not a simple instrument serving to count the
Hail Marys but "they can also take on a symbolism which can give added
depth to contemplation": the beads converge towards the Crucified who
opens and concludes the way of this Christocentric prayer; the beads, a
"sweet chain" which attunes us to Mary and binds us to God according to
the expression dear to Bl. Bartolo Longo (+1926) (95), the apostle of
the Rosary, evoke the unceasing path of contemplation and Christian
perfection; finally "a fine way to expand the symbolism of the beads is
to let them remind us of our many relationships, of the bond of
communion and fraternity which unites us all in Christ" (RMV 36).
Such considerations clarify and enrich the sense and importance of the
ritual of the blessing of rosary beads.
Symbolic significance is even more obvious in the case of the scapular
whose pious usage is also a part of the practices and exercises of piety
recommended by the Magisterium in the course of the centuries (96).
(to be
continued)
RETURN TO TOP
|
|
DIVINE MERCY
|
On Mercy
The Seal of Your Mercy
The mercy of the Lord is
praised by the holy souls in heaven who have themselves
experienced that infinite mercy. What these souls do in
heaven, I already will begin to do here on earth (Diary,
753).
O my Jesus, teach me to open the bosom of mercy and love to
everyone who asks for it. Jesus, my Commander, teach me so
that all my prayers and deeds may bear the seal of Your
mercy (Diary, 755).
O my Jesus, transform me into Yourself by the power of Your
love, that I may be a worthy tool in proclaiming Your mercy
(Diary, 783).
RETURN TO TOP |
|
CATHOLIC TEACHING/CONVICTION/TESTIMONY |
Press Statement on the Pope's Media Message
"Addressed Primarily, Although Not Exclusively, to the Digital Generation"
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 23, 2009 ( Zenit.org).- Here is the statement Monsignor Paul Tighe, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, gave today at the press conference that released Benedict XVI's message for the 43rd World Communications Day. The theme for the day is "New Technologies, New Relationships. Promoting a culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship."
* * *
This year's message is addressed primarily, although not exclusively, to the digital generation. The digital generation refers in general to those who have grown up with the new ICTs and who use them spontaneously and almost intuitively. Some commentators have used the terms "digital natives" or "born digital" to refer to this cohort and to distinguish them from other users of digital technologies, sometimes called "digital immigrants", who use the new technologies with varying degrees of competence and enthusiasm but whose basic communication skills were developed with an analogical paradigm.
The digital generation has come of age in the world of computers, mobile telephones, text and instant messaging, blogging, platforms for video content, internet chat rooms and on-line social networks. It would be a mistake, however, to see these changes as merely technological; they have also revolutionized the culture of communications. They have changed the ways people communicate, the ways they associate and form communities, the ways by which they learn about the world, the ways in which they engage with political and commercial organizations. Whereas in the past, we tended to see the reader, listener or watcher of media as a passive spectator of centrally generated content, it is clear that today we must understand the audience as more selectively and interactively engaging with a wider range of media. The logic of communications has been radically changed – the focus on the media has been replaced by a concentration on the audience which is increasingly autonomous and deliberative in its consumption of media.
That is why this year's message invites all those who engage with the new media to be attentive to the content they are generating, sharing or drawing to the attention of others. It is inviting them to avoid the creation or distribution of words or images that are abusive or lacking in respect for the dignity or worth of other people. We are all aware of the risks of new forms of cyber-bullying and abusive postings that have emerged in recent years. It is also important that users of the new media are prudent in terms of words or images they distribute concerning themselves – material posted electronically is not easily removed and no one wants to live with a permanent reminder of youthful excesses or ill-advised utterances.
The message is attentive to the reality that the new means of digital communication can be much more invasive and demanding than the traditional means. The message points out the irony of the situation, if the sense of obligation to maintain virtual connectedness were to isolate people from more immediate forms of social interaction with family, friends and colleagues. It also recognizes that the pervasive nature of modern communications practices could be disruptive of the patterns of rest, silence and reflection that are necessary for our well-being.
Building on the biblical concept of all people being created in the image and likeness of God, and therefore being pre-disposed for relationship with others, the message concentrates on the theme of friendship as a point of contact between all people of good will. It celebrates the capacity of the new technologies to foster and support good and healthy relationships and various forms of solidarity. It appeals to friendship as a motive to ensure that the new digital world is truly accessible to all. It finds in friendship a shared reference point with all of humanity that grounds the appeal of the message to promote a culture where there is respect for all and where all are invited to search for truth in dialogue.
In presenting the Pope's message this year, the Pontifical Council is also conscious of the practical implications of the new culture of communications it seeks to understand and relate to as part of its mandate. For this reason, we are also launching the message electronically. The text of the message is being sent to thousands of young Catholics throughout the world and they are being invited to share it with their friends, especially with those friends with whom they are digitally networked. I would like to thank the various Communications Departments and Youth Ministry Departments of the Episcopal Conferences who are working with us on this project.
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
|
|
|
|
|