Monday, August 02, 2010
Newspaper: Damien of Molokai film from Vatican archives shows reality of the saint
A newly digitized 1950's film on Fr. Damien of Molokai still offers a relevant message for today, remarked L'Osservatore Romano (LOR) on Friday. According to the Vatican newspaper, the film’s images not only show us the priest's life, but reveal "timeless and fundamentally human themes."Read the rest here.
Titled “Molokai, la isla maldita" (Molokai, the damned island), the black and white film was made in 1959 by director Luis Lucia. It won awards in Spain for best film and for best director. LOR reported that the now-digitized movie is of interest not only to the library, as one of the first films filed in its film archives, but also to religious cinema as a whole.
Using the cinematic techniques typical of religious films of the mid-20th century, the film remembers Fr. Damien and his 16 years of work with lepers on Hawaii’s Island of Molokai until his death from leprosy in 1889. The Belgian priest, reported LOR, "represents a universal example of humanitarian aid and solidarity," battling "not only against leprosy but against prejudices."
The Portiuncula Indulgence today!
A reminder from Father Vince Inghilterra:
I received this information from the Catholic Community Forum as well as the Divine Mercy Podcast.
What is Portiuncula? The following is an excerpt from Major Life of St. Francis by St. Bonaventure.
" The Portiuncula was an old church dedicated to the Virgin Mother of God which was abandoned . Francis had great devotion to the Queen of the world and when he saw that the church was deserted, he began to live there constantly in order to repair it. He heard that the Angels often visited it, so that it was called Saint Mary of the Angels, and he decided to stay there permanently out of reverence for the angels and love for the Mother of Christ.
He loved this spot more than any other in the world. It was here he began his religious life in a very small way; it is here he came to a happy end. When he was dying, he commended this spot above all others to the friars, because it was most dear to the Blessed Virgin.
This was the place where Saint Francis founded his Order by divine inspiration and it was divine providence which led him to repair three churches before he founded the Order and began to preach the Gospel.
This meant that he progressed from material things to more spiritual achievements, from lesser to greater, in due order, and it gave a prophetic indication of what he would accomplish later.
As he was living there by the church of Our Lady, Francis prayed to her who had conceived the Word, full of grace and truth, begging her insistently and with tears to become his advocate. Then he was granted the true spirit of the Gospel by the intercession of the Mother of mercy and he brought it to fruition.
He embraced the Mother of Our Lord Jesus with indescribable love because, as he said, it was she who made the Lord of majesty our brother, and through her we found mercy. After Christ, he put all his trust in her and took her as his patroness for himself and his friars."
Today the chapel of Portiuncula is situated inside the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels roughly 5 km from Assisi, Italy.
The Indulgence:
"The Portiuncula indulgence is the first plenary indulgence that was ever granted in the Church. There were indeed indulgences at all times, but they were only partial, and only a partial remission of the temporal punishments could be obtained by them. But, as already remarked, he who gains the Portiuncula indulgence is freed from all temporal punishments and becomes as pure as after holy baptism. This was also the reason why Pope Honorius was astonished when St. Francis petitioned for the confirmation of this indulgence, for such an indulgence, up to that time, bad been entirely unknown. It was only after he had come to the conviction that Jesus Christ himself wished it, that he granted the petition of the saint and confirmed the indulgence" (Source)
August 2nd is the feast of Portiuncula. A plenary indulgence is available to anyone who will
1. Receive sacramental confession (8 days before of after)
2. Receive the Holy Eucharist at Holy Mass on August 2nd
3. Enter a parish church and, with a contrite heart, pray the Our Father, Apostles Creed, and a pray of his/her own choosing for the intentions of the Pope.
Please tell every Catholic person you know that remission of the punishment for all sins committed from the day of baptism to the reception of the indulgence is available.
More Information:
If you want to read more about the feast of Portiuncula, please visit this website: Catholic Under the Hood.
Fr. Seraphim Beshoner is a third order Franciscan priest who does the podcast, Catholic Under the Hood, and he recently discussed this feast on one of his shows. Please check it out and pass the word along to everyone.
May the Merciful Jesus fill your heart with His gentle peace!
Note: An indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment due to sin. More information can be found at Indulgences.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Feast of San Ignacio de Loyola
Picture and prayer source
Tomad, Señor, y recibid
toda mi libertad,
mi memoria,
mi entendimiento
y toda mi voluntad;
todo mi haber y mi poseer.
Vos me disteis,
a Vos, Señor, lo torno.
Todo es Vuestro:
disponed de ello
según Vuestra Voluntad.
Dadme Vuestro Amor y Gracia,
que éstas me bastan.
Amén.
Take, O Lord, into Thy hands my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my will. All that I am, and have. Thou hast given me, and I surrender them to Thee, to be so disposed in accordance with Thy holy will. Give me Thy love and Thy grace, with these I am rich enough and desire nothing more. Amen.
The following is from The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, "Three Modes of Humility".
"The first Mode of Humility is necessary to eternal salvation: to wit, that I so abase and humble myself, as far as lies in my power, as in all things to obey the law of God our Lord, in such sort that though men would make me lord of all created things in the world, or for the preservation of my own temporal life, I would not enter into deliberation about breaking a commandment, whether divine or human, that binds me under mortal sin(88).
Friday, July 30, 2010
Cardinal Newman Society delivers spiritual bouquet to pope
From the Cardinal Newman Society: ".
..In response to Archbishop Dolan's call for Catholics to support the Holy Father during Holy Week this year, The Cardinal Newman Society launched the Eastertide Prayer Campaign in support of Pope Benedict. By Pentecost Sunday, 1,070,302 prayers were pledged by CNS members!...
Thanks to all of you who pledged and prayed for our Holy Father.
On the Feast Day of St. Alphonsus Liguori - A Blessing for Arthritis Sufferers
The following came from Mary Jane. Thank you Mary Jane!
August 1 is the feast of St. Alphonsus patron of arthritis and suffering from pain receive a blessing online and click on the prayer below:
Click here: The Redemptorists, Denver Province - A Religious Congregation Of Men Founded By Saint Alphonsus Liguori
Click here to pray each day for those whom you know who suffer with arthritis and/or pain.
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