In Memoriam: Cardinal Avery Dulles and Fr. Richard John Neuhaus

My friend Father Gordon MacRae has a moving tribute to Cardinal Avery Dulles and Father Rich John Neuhaus over at his blog here. Those of you following Father Gordon's story of injustice know of the support given to him by Father Neuhaus.

Additionally, one of the prisoners at the prison with Father, converted to the Catholic faith recently. Father shared a link to his heartbreaking story with the light at the end of the tunnel, which he shared with the Catholic League in 2007.  Father Neuhaus send him a letter of support which you will also read at Father's blog post.  Please be sure to read it. More importantly, please be sure to remember Father and Pornchai in your prayers.

Saint Andre Bessette

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A Prayer
Lord our God,
friend of the lowly,
you gave your servant, Saint André Bessette,
a great devotion to St. Joseph
and a special commitment to the poor and afflicted,
Through his intercession,
help us to follow his example of prayer and love
and so come to share with him in your glory,
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen
Saint André, pray for us.

Prayer source: Holy Cross Vocations

Joan's Birthday

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As I posted yesterday, today would have been Joan of Arc's 599th birthday.

Check out how the author of Maid of Heaven will be celebrating St. Joan's birthday Ben D. Kennedy's Joan's Birthday

Dictionary published with 2,600 apparitions of the Virgin Mary

Mortal Sins

The Seven Deadly Sins by Hieronymus Bosch

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Detail of the above painting: Table of Mortal Sins: Gluttony

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The following two posts/articles answer many questions regarding what constitutes a mortal sin.

1. Boston Catholic Journal: Mortal Sin and Holy Confession: The Antidote to Death

Our excuses are numberless. In fact, they are as numberless as our sins, none of which are now deemed by us (and, for sorrow, by many priests) grievous enough to preclude our receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion. Most often they are reducible simply to this: "I have not committed any mortal sin".

Indeed.

For Catholics who have never been taught the difference between Mortal and Venial sin — which is to say, the entire last generation of Catholics — we must be clear about the notion of sin, especially the distinction between two kinds of sin, before we can proceed to even understand the necessity, as well as the inestimable value of Holy Confession.

2. Aggie Catholics: What Constitutes Grave Matter - What Makes Mortal Sin "Mortal"?

Q - My question is regarding the distinction between mortal and venial sins. I have read (many times over) the description in the Catechism, specifically sections 1854-1864. I am still unclear about the definition of grave matter. I'm not a murderer, thief or adulterer, so those grave matters are easy to exclude for me. But, how does a decent, law-abiding, generally respectful, person know how to distinguish when a sin has moved from venial to mortal? Section 1858 of the Catechism seems to imply that violation of the Ten Commandments is a mortal sin. But aren't venial sins also violations of the Ten Commandments? Are sins on a continuum where the same act could be defined as mortal or venial depending on how the sin occurs, to whom its directed, etc? Is there a sample list of mortal vs. venial sins that could help clarify this for people?

The first one was shared by Sue Cifelli.

Prayer for St. John Neumann's Intercession

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Thanks to Mary Jane for sharing.

O Jesus, who on earth commanded and practiced a hidden life, grant that--in these our days of pride and outward display--the example of your servant John Neumann may lead us to follow your humble ways. Grant, O Lord, that like your holy bishop we may do all our work with the pure intention of pleasing you, and let not our deeds be done to win the favor of others but to give glory to our Father in heaven.

We thank you that our fellow citizen and devoted missionary bishop is recognized among the saints of your Church in heaven, and we beseech you, O Lord, to glorify him on earth by granting the favors we ask through his intercession. Amen.

St. John Neumann

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Blessed Francis X. Seelos, C.S.s.R's connection to St. John Neumann:

After being ordained, he worked for nine years in the parish of St. Philomena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, first as assistant pastor with St. John Neumann, the superior of the Religious Community, and later as Superior himself and for the last three years as pastor. During this time, he was also the Redemptorist Novice Master. With Neumann he also dedicated himself to preaching missions. Regarding their relationship, Seelos said: “He has introduced me to the active life” and, “he has guided me as a spiritual director and confessor.”

Source: Seelos Center

Incorrupt Body of St. John Neumann, C.S.s.R.

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PRAYER FOR HIS INTERCESSION

O Saint John Neumann, your ardent desire of bringing all souls to Christ impelled you to leave home and country; teach us to live worthily in the spirit of our Baptism which makes us all children of the one Heavenly Father and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, the first-born of the family of God.

Obtain for us that complete dedication in the service of the needy, the weak, the afflicted and the abandoned which so characterized your life. Help us to walk perseveringly in the difficult and, at times, painful paths of duty, strengthened by the Body and Blood of our Redeemer and under the watchful protection of Mary our Mother.

May death still find us on the sure road to our Father's House with the light of living Faith in our hearts. Amen.

Prayer source

For those interested in a pilgrimage check out Walk in the footsteps of St. John Neumann & Blessed Francis Seelos. I came across this pilgrimage info on the internet.

100 Simple Ways to Make Life Better

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Aggie Catholics is fast becoming one of my top favorite blogs! Today they have good suggestions for making life better. The following are the first ten.

1. Pray more (or start if you aren't)
2. Say "I love you" to those you love
3. We have too much stuff - go through your stuff and give some of it away.
4. Visit your relatives
5. Tip bigger
6. Volunteer at a nursing home / soup kitchen / homeless shelter / animal shelter / Habitat for Humanity
7. Smile more
8. Say "hi" (or if in Texas "howdy") to strangers
9. Be thankful for what you have, not envious of what you don't have
10. Write someone a hand-written letter

You can read the entire list here.

Decree of Permanent Erection of WAF to Public International Association of the Faithful

Please check out The World Apostolate of Fatima: Honolulu Division for the decree.

New Year's Resolutions for Catholics

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You still have lots of time to make and keep resolutions. Deacon Greg Kendra has some a list for us:

- I resolve to arrive at Mass early.

- Before arriving for Mass, I resolve to turn off my cell phone, or put it on “vibrate.”

- I resolve to go to the bathroom before I leave home, so I don’t have to stand in line outside the restroom for most of Mass, hopping from foot to foot.

Read the rest here

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Paterson, NJ

Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton was the first native American born to be canonized a saint in the Catholic Church.

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The following prayer was composed by Elizabeth Ann Seton before her conversion to Catholicism:

My Father and my God, who by the consoling voice of his word builds up the Soul in hope so as to free it even for hours of its incumbrance, confirming and strengthening it by the constant experience of his indulgent goodness; giving it a new life in him even while in the midst of pain and sorrows--sustaining, directing, consoling and blessing thro' every changing scene of its pilgrimage, making his Will its guide to temporal comfort and eternal glory--how shall the most unwearied diligence, the most cheerful compliance, the most humble resignation ever enough express my love, my joy, Thanksgiving and praise!

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Mother Seton had a great reverence for the priesthood. She wrote the following to a seminarian undecided about his vocation:

To be engaged in the Service of our adored creator, to be set apart to that service,...to plead for Him, to be allowed the exalted privilege of serving H im continually, to be his Instrument in calling Home the wandering soul, and sustaining, comforting and blessing your fellow creatures-- are considerations which bear no comparison with any other and should lead you to consider the very possibility of your realizing the hope they present as the most precious and valued gift life can afford...A man may be a very good man in the pursuit of any other profession- but certainly that of a clergyman is the easiest, surest road to God, and the first, the highest, and most blessed that can adorn a Human Being.

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On leaving the Protestant Church and entering the Catholic Church, Elizabeth Seton wrote to her good friend Amabilia:

I WILL GO PEACEABLY & FIRMLY TO THE CATHOLICK (sic) CHURCH for if faith is so important o our salvation I will seek it where true Faith first began, seek it among those who received it from GOD HIMSELF. The controversies on it I am quite incapable of deciding, and as the strictest Protestant allows salvation to a good Catholic, to the Catholicks (sic) I will go, and try to be a good one. May God accept my intention and pity me.

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On conformity to God's Will she wrote:

Our misery is not conform ourselves to the intentions of God as to the manner in which he will be gloried-- What pleases Him does not please us. He wills us to enter in the way of suffering, and we desire to enter in action. We desire to give rather than receive--and do not purely seek his Will.

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One of her favorite things to say was:

I am the happiest of creatures in the thought that not the least thing can happen but by His will or permission; and all for the best.

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The following is from a letter she wrote to Archbishop John Carroll during her trials and tribulations as Superior:

I have had a great many very hard trials, my Father,... but you will of course congratulate me on them as this fire of tribulation is no doubt meant to consume the many imperfections and bad dispositions our Lord finds in me. Indeed it has at times burnt so deep that the anguish could not be concealed, but by degrees custom reconciles pain itself, and I determine, dry and hard as my daily bread is, to take it with as good grace as possible. When I carry it before Our Lord sometimes he makes me laugh at myself and asks me what other kind I would choose in the valley of tears than that which himself and all his followers made us of.

From Elizabeth Seton Selected Writings, edited by Ellin Kelly and Annabelle Melville, Paulist Press, Inc.

Mark Your Calenders: Hawaii March For Life

Please make a special effort to attend the Hawaii Rally and March for Life with your friends and family.   This year the anniversary of Roe v. Wade falls on a Saturday which will make it easier for more people to attend and show support for life.  Please spread the word!

Note: This year Hawaii CatholicTV will be live-streaming the Hawaii March for Life.

HICTv will be up and running by the end of January. Please come by our website to view a number of live events as well as some special programs as we continue to build Hawaii’s first Catholic Internet Television Station.

Our next live event will be March for Life, Saturday, January 22 2011 @ 10:00 AM HST – 03:00PM

March for Life rally marks 40 years of legal abortion in Hawaii

Honolulu, HI – Hawaii Right to Life is sponsoring the 38th annual March for Life Hawaii with co-sponsors Hawaii Family Forum and Hawaii Catholic Conference. The grassroots rally is open to the public and will be held Saturday, January 22 from 10:30am to 1:30pm at the Hawaii State Capitol grounds. The event is held each year on the anniverary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions, which legalized abortion throughout the United States.

Hawaii Right to Life Executive Director Janet Grace noted that Hawaii was among the first states to legalize abortion in 1970 and that the rally was established annually in the wake of the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. She remarked, “March for Life will mark 38 years since the U.S. Supreme Court's tragic decision decriminalized abortion through all nine months of pregnancy for any and all reasons. The March was started by grassroots pro-life advocates to protest this affront to justice. We believe that abortion is among the most extreme forms of injustice in America today and that over 55 million lives have been lost in the United States since 1973. That is why it is important to remember these innocent children and bring respect and dignity to their lives."

The theme for March for Life 2011 is "Celebrating Life for Generations to Come." The family oriented event will offer a keiki fun fair with educational activities designed to share the sanctity of life message. Activities will also include a sign waving, music, hula, inspirational messages, and a walk through the Capitol district. For event details, visit HRTL Facebook page.

Hawaii Right to Life is a non-profit organization that advances respect for life for all people from conception to natural death. Founded in 1973, Hawaii Right to Life is the state affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee.

Epiphany Home Blessing

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Just a reminder to have your blessed chalk ready.

0 C + M + B 11
May Christ bless this House…
All who dwell and pray in it…
And All Whom they Welcome in His Name
....................

BLESSING OF A HOME AT EPIPHANY

Let us pray, In the name of + The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Amen.

V. On entering the house, the Magi found the Child Jesus with Mary his mother.
R. They did Him homage and presented to Jesus symbolic gifts: gold to the great King, incense to the true God, and myrrh as a foreshadowing of his suffering and death.

Let us pray, God, our Father, by the guidance of a star, You revealed Your only Son as the Savior of all nations. Grant that we who already know You by faith, may be brought to the contemplation of Your glory in our heavenly home. We ask this through Christ your Son, Our Lord. Amen.

All may recite the Canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary (The MAGNIFICAT) by which Mary praised God at the time of her Visitation to the house of Elizabeth found in St. Luke's Gospel Chapter 1, verses 46-55.

V. Be enlightened, O Jerusalem, and shine forth …for Your light has come!
R. And upon you is risen the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary.
V. All nations shall walk in Your light and kings in the splendor of Your birth.
R. And upon You is risen the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary.
Now, a Reading of the Gospel for the Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord
from St. Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 2, verses 1 to 12.
V. Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, has appeared and been revealed to the nations.
R. The prophets foretold His coming, and the angels and shepherds adored Him.
V. The Magi rejoiced to find Him and they lay their treasures before Him.
R. All you nations and peoples, …come and adore Him!

All recite The OUR FATHER as all the rooms of the house are sprinkled with holy water …and also if possible with blessed salt.

Let us pray, Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through Your goodness we have received all benefits. Come, visit and bless + this house so that it may be a shelter of health, chastity, self-conquest, humility, goodness, mildness, obedience to the Commandments, - and thanksgiving to God, + The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.

May the love and blessings of God, + The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit, descend upon this house, all those who reside within it, and upon all those whom they welcome in the Sacred Name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and may God's grace and peace remain with all of them forever. Amen.

NOTE: The initials of the names ascribed by tradition to the Magi (Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar), and the numerals of the current year are to be written with the blessed chalk above all the entry doors of the house in the following manner:
20 C + M + B 11

(Some interpret the letters to stand for Christus Mansioni Benedicat! May Christ bless this house! )

How to be Alone

I think you will enjoy this video. Please be sure to read the blog post that accompanied it.

Crossing Nineveh: In Praise of Being Alone- Tanya Davis.

Thanks to Sue Cifelli for sharing.

Solemnity - Mary, the Mother of God

"Christ was in all things and above all things, and at the same time He was existing in the womb of the Holy Mother of God, but He was there by the operation of the Incarnation. And so He was made flesh and took from her the first fruits of our clay, a body animated by a rational and intellectual soul, so that the very Person of God the Word was accounted to the flesh . . . And so we confess that even after the Incarnation He is the one Son of God, and we confess that the same is the Son of Man, one Christ, one Lord, the Only-begotten Son and Word of God, Jesus our Lord. And we venerate His two begettings
-----one from the Father before the ages and surpassing cause and reason and time and nature, and one in latter times for our own sake, after our own manner, and surpassing us."

- St. John Damascene

Quotation source

Prayer in Honor of Mary, Mother of God

Hail Mary, Mother of God,
venerable treasure of the whole universe,
lamp that is never extinguished,
crown of virginity,
support of the true faith,
indestructible temple,
dwelling of him whom no place can contain,
O Mother and Virgin!

Through you
all the holy Gospels call blessed
the one who comes in the name of the lord.

Hail, Mother of God;
you enclosed under your heart the infinite God
whom no space can contain.
Through you
the Most Holy Trinity is adored and glorified
the priceless cross is venerated
throughout the universe.

Through you
the heavens rejoice,
and the angels and archangels are filled with gladness.
Through you
the demons are banished,
and the tempter fell from heaven.
Through you
the fallen human race is admitted to heaven.

Hail, Mother of God;
through you
kings rule,
and the only=begotten Son of God
has become a star of light
to those who were sitting in darkness
and in the shadow of death.

- St. Cyril of Alexandria
Bishop and Doctor

- New Saint Joseph People Prayer Book, Catholic Book Publishing

January: Month of the Holy Name of Jesus

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Gospel Reading: Luke 2:16-21

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.

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The name Jesus was given to the Holy Child at God's command (Luke 1:31). The Holy Name is all-powerful because of the Person who bears it; we honor it because of the command of Christ, that we should pray in His Name and because it reminds us of all the blessings we have received through our Holy Redeemer. Hence St. Paul was able to write to the Philippians: "...at the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth" (Phil. 2:10). By means of this devotion we also make amends for improper use of the Holy Name.

"Blessed be the most holy Name of Jesus without end!"

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Act of Reparation for Blasphemies Uttered Against the Holy Name

O Jesus, my Savior and Redeemer, Son of the living God,
behold, we kneel before Thee and offer Thee our reparation;
we would make amends for all the blasphemies uttered against Thy holy name, for all the injuries done to Thee int he Blessed Sacrament,
for all the irreverence shown toward Thine immaculate Virgin Mother,
for all the calumnies and slanders spoken against Thy spouse,
the holy Church and Roman Church. O Jesus,
who hast said:
"If you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you,"
we pray and beseech Thee for all our brethren who are in danger of sin;
shield them from every temptation to fall away from the true faith;
save those who are even now standing on the brink of the abyss;
to all of them give light and knowledge of truth, courage and strength
for the conflict with evil, perseverance in faith and active charity!
For this do we pray, most merciful Jesus, in Thy name, unto God the Father, with whom Thou livest and reignest
in the unity of the Holy Ghost world without end. Amen.

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Dear Jesus,
be not my judge but my Savior.

Jesus, my God,
I love you above all things.

Jesus,
for you I live;
Jesus, for you I die;
Jesus I am Yours in life and in death.

Lord Jesus Christ,
You alone are holy,
You alone are Lord,
You alone are most high.

Prayer of Petition

O Jesus,
Your Name means "Savior."
Be my Savior,
dear Lord.
Your adorable Name is the joy of heaven,
]the terror of hell,
the consolation of the afflicted,
and the solid basis for my unlimited confidence.
Through this glorious Name,
mercifully grant all the petitions
which I make in this prayer.

Prayers and invocations from The Prayer Book, Catholic Book Press, Inc. and New Saint Joseph People's Prayer Book, Catholic Book Publishing.

Happy New Year!

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Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!

Prayer on New Year's Day

Jesus, you are the Lord of history,
and Your wonderful redemption comes to us
in a cycle of time - year after year.
Now another year has passed
and a new one is ready to begin.
A backward glance tells us that last year
had its good points as well as its bad.

May the new year hold many more good things
in store for me
and make me a better person:
kinder and more willing to help,
more thoughtful and more loving.
May I fulfill my allotted task in life
and come closer to You
while looking forward to an eternity with You.
thank You, Lord, for this extended time
that you so graciously allow me
on my journey toward Your heavenly kingdom.

- New Saint Joseph People's Prayer Book, Catholic Book Publishing

Salve Regina: Hail Holy Queen

Shared by Sue Cifelli.