Indulgences for World Day of the Sick -Reminder

Indulgence Offered for World Day of Sick
Church Hopes for Catechesis on "Value and Function of Pain"

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 5, 2007 (Zenit.org).- A plenary indulgence can be obtained by participants in the World Day of the Sick, the Vatican announced.

The Holy See published a decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary today, stating that a plenary indulgence is granted to faithful who take part in the celebrations of the World Day of the Sick, as well as to patients and those who care for them, or who are united to them spiritually.

The main venue for the day, celebrated Feb. 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, will be Seoul, South Korea.

Benedict XVI will be represented in Seoul by Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragán, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry.

In his message for the day, the Holy Father established that this year would be dedicated in a special way to patients with incurable or terminal illnesses.

Vatican decree

The decree granting the indulgences, signed by Cardinal James Francis Stafford, major penitentiary, explains that the Church "earnestly desires that the annual observance of the World Day of the Sick will become an effective catechesis of the teaching … on the value and function of pain."

The decree states: "A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful that, with the usual conditions -- sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer for the Holy Father's intentions -- and with a spirit detached from all sin, take part with devotion, next Feb. 11, in the city of Seoul or in any other place established by the ecclesiastical authority, in a sacred ceremony celebrated to implore God for the objectives of the 15th World Day of the Sick.

"The faithful who in public hospitals or private homes assist the sick with charity as 'good Samaritans,' especially the incurable or terminal and, because of their service cannot take part in the ceremony indicated earlier, will obtain the same gift of the plenary indulgence, if on that day they generously give at least an hour of their charitable assistance to the sick as if they did it to Christ the Lord himself, having their spirit detached from all sin and the intention to comply, as soon as possible, with the conditions needed to obtain the plenary indulgence."

The decree continues: "The faithful who because of illness, advanced age or any other similar reason cannot take part in the indicated ceremony, will obtain the plenary indulgence, on the condition that, having the spirit detached from all sin and intending to fulfill as soon as possible the usual conditions, on that day united to the Holy Father, take part spiritually with desire in the above-said celebration and offer to God, through the Virgin Mary, 'Health of the Sick,' their physical and spiritual sufferings."

Finally, the decree "grants the plenary indulgence to all the faithful, from Feb. 9 to 11, every time that with a contrite heart they address to the merciful God devout prayers to implore the above said objectives in assistance to the sick, in particular of the incurable or terminal."

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The Screwtape Letters Movie

H/T to Ignatius Insight


If you are a fan of C. S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters, and I'm sure you are, you will be happy to know that a screen adaptation is presently being contemplated. Christianity Today's reports:

Studio behind Narnia, Charlotte's Web to adapt C.S. Lewis' beloved novel; Ralph Winter, Douglas Gresham to produce. Click above for article.

For excerpts of letters to Wormwood by his affectionate uncle Screwtape, Click HERE

"MY DEAR WORMWOOD,

I note with grave displeasure that your patient has become a Christian. Do not indulge the hope that you will escape the usual penalties; indeed, in your better moments, I trust you would hardly even wish to do so. In the meantime we must make the best of the situation. There is no need to despair; hundreds of these adult converts have been reclaimed after a I brief sojourn in the Enemy's camp and are now with us. All the habits of the patient, both mental and bodily, are still in our favour..."

Amazing Grace - The Movie

In last month's issue of The Word Among Us, I read an article on John Newton, the composer of the famous hymn, Amazing Grace. Before reading the article I was unaware that the composer was a slave trafficker but that eventually he had a conversion of heart.

Today on the Hawaii Family Forum website, I found that there is a movie soon to be released on this story.

Click here for more information and to watch the trailer of the movie.

An Artist of Worth

Picture courtesy of Peggy Chun Website You can see samples of her artwork by visiting her website.

When I moved to Hawaii, I was enthralled by the local artwork. One of the artists whose works I really enjoyed was Peggy Chun. Her work was beautiful in depicting familiar Hawaiian settings, beaches, the floral and even her pet cat Boo. We bought a little print recently and I wish I could post the photo here. It shows Boo in a little swimsuit next to a surfboard. It is very whimsical. Peggy, a devout Catholic has also painted portraits of Hawaii's own soon-to-be saint, Blessed Mother Marianne Cope.

However, Peggy was struck down with ALS or "Lou Gehrig's Disease". In recent years she has declined in health, which affected her movement, and now she is paralyzed. Throughout this whole progression of the disease, Mrs. Chun kept painting.

This week's Hawaii Catholic Herald features Peggy Chun's newest project that of creating a mosaic of Blessed Damien, with the help of some Catholic school children. You can read more about this amazing women by clicking the title above or the link for the Hawaii Catholic Herald.

The World Apostolate of Fatima and Pledge

One of my favorite places when visiting New Jersey is the Blue Army Shrine, located in Washington, New Jersey. The picture below is a statue of Pope John Paul II near the pond area of the shrine.



To learn more of the history of this amazing shrine and apostolate, click HERE

Which brings me to this post. Have you made your pledge yet? The following is taken from the 2006 Issue 3 of Soul Magazine and my pledge card:

What is the Pledge?

The pledge is a positive way for an individual to respond to Our Lady's Fatima Message of prayer and sacrifice. By pledging, a person offers daily to God the sacrifices in fulfilling the duties of their state in life and keeping His law, as acts of reparation for sinners. This is a daily offering, which includes the Rosary and other prayers, and while it is non-binding, it is an offering one promises to renew often, especially in moments of temptation.

What Are the Essential Conditions of the Pledge?

There are four practices that an individual promises to fulfill to the best of their ability:

1. Pray the Rosary daily.

2. Consecrate one's self to God through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Wear the Brown Scapular as a sign of your consecration to Our Blessed Mother.

3. In reparation for sinners, offer to God the sacrifices demanded by your daily duty in keeping His law. This can be fulfilled through recitation of the Morning Offering, or a similar prayer.

4. Accomplish the devotion of the Five First Saturdays of the month, including fifteen minutes of meditation on the Mysteries of the Rosary.

What is the Morning Offering?

This prayer is modeled after the Eucharistic Prayer recited by the Angel of Fatima at his third appearance in 1916.

"O my God, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus present on all the altars of the world, joining with the offering of my every thought, word and action of this day."

"O my Jesus, I desire today to gain every indulgence and merit I can, and I offer them together with myself, to Mary Immaculate --That she may best apply them to the interests of they most Sacred Heart."

Precious Blood of Jesus, save us!
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!

What are the Benefits of Making the Pledge?

There are seven benefits:

1. You know you are fulfilling Our Lady's conditions to obtain the conversion and the peace of Christ for the World.

2. You obtain numerous indulgences through the Rosary and the Scapular.

3. You become eligible for the spiritual graces of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. These are graces received in this life, at the hour of death and after death.

4. Your name is sent to Fatima and buried near the apparition site.

5. You share in the prayers of millions of members of the Apostolate.

6. You become a spiritual child of Saint Pio.

7. You participate in the new Evangelization proposed by the Holy Father.

Is Making the Pledge Enough?

All who Pledge are encouraged to help learn, live and spread Our Lady's message of Hope, Peace and Salvation. This can be done by simply leaving Pledge cards in the back of a church. Or, more effectively, by helping others understand the critical need to spiritually nourish the world and this is accomplished by the Pledge developed by Sister Lucia in response to Our Lady's request at Fatima.

How Do I Obtain a Copy of the pledge?

You can visit their website by clicking the title above or by writing them at the following:

The World Apostolate of Fatima, USA
P O BOX 976
Washington, NJ 07882-0976

or email at service@bluearmy.com

or calling 908-689-1700 ext. 18

St. Gianna : A Model for Mothers

Like most Catholic mothers, I really admire this saint. Not only was she a true hero in the prolife movement by her unselfish sacrifice, but she was also a loving wife and mother.

Recently, in an Ignatius Press e-newsletter, there appeared an article on a book written on St. Gianna by another woman I admire greatly, Helen Hull Hitchcock, the editor of Voices and director of Women for Faith and Family, and excerpt follows:

In canonizing Gianna Beretta Molla this spring, the Church officially recognized the extraordinary sanctity of a woman who chose to live an ordinary life-as a professional and, later, as a wife and mother. Though she had once considered entering a religious order, instead she practiced medicine (receiving her medical degree in 1949, and her specialty in pediatrics in 1952). She devoted herself to caring for her patients, and her selflessness and dedication as a physician endeared her to the people. But it was not only her practice of medicine that influenced them. She regarded her profession as a mission through which she could aid and nurture both bodies and souls. The young doctor's devotion to her Catholic faith was well known in her community, and especially her instruction of young Catholic girls in their faith.

Click HERE for the rest of the article.

I would also recommend the book: Blessed Gianna Beretta Molla: Love Letters to My Husband, edited by Elio Guerriro and published by Pauline Books and Media. As you can ascertain from the title, it is a collection of letters Gianna, now St. Gianna, wrote to her husband before and during their marriage.

Feast Day of St. Josephine Bakhita

Picture courtesy of Jane Ellen Official Site

St. Josephine Bakhita please pray for the people of the Sudan.

The following is also from that site:

Bakhita: African Flower (1869-1947)

Bakhita (Arabic for "fortunate one") was only a young child in the Sudan when she was kidnapped, imprisoned, and sold into slavery. The winds of change blew her first into freedom, and then into religious communal life with the Canossian Daughters of Charity in northern Italy. Despite the horrific cruelty and torture to which she had been subjected, Bakhita never condemned those who treated her badly. She continually praised the circumstances of her life which led her to her religious vocation. Serving as a missionary, she often closed her talks with the following words:

"Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know him. What a great grace it is to know God!"

Bakhita was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 17 May 1992. Eight years later she was canonised on 1 October 2000, at the Basilica of San Pietro in Rome, a Saint of the Jubilee Year. Her memorial is celebrated annually on 8 February.

Pecans in the Cemetery

Picture is ofBonaventure Cemetery
Thanks Martha via email!

On the outskirts of a small town, there was a big, old pecan tree just inside the cemetery fence.

One day, two boys filled up a bucketful of nuts and sat down by the tree, out of sight, and began dividing the nuts.

"One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me," said one boy. Several dropped and rolled down toward the fence.

Another boy came riding along the road on his bicycle. As he passed, he thought he heard voices from inside the cemetery. He slowed down to investigate. Sure enough, he heard, "One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me."

He just knew what it was. He jumped back on his bike and rode off.

Just around the bend he met an old man with a cane, hobbling along.

"Come here quick," said the boy, "you won't believe what I heard! Satan and the Lord are down at the cemetery dividing up the souls."

The man said, "Beat it kid, can't you see it's hard for me to walk." When the boy insisted though, the man hobbled slowly to the cemetery.

Standing by the fence they heard, "One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me..."

The old man whispered, "Boy, you've been tellin' me the truth. Let's see if we can see the Lord."

Shaking with fear, they peered through the fence, yet were still unable to see anything. The old man and the boy gripped the wrought iron bars of the fence tighter and tighter as they tried to get a glimpse of the Lord.

At last they heard, "One for you, one for me. That's all. Now let's go get those nuts by the fence and we'll be done."

They say the old man made it back to town a full 5 minutes ahead of the kid on the bike.

Scandal at 23 Catholic Colleges/Universities

Scandalizing students nationwide, 23 Catholic colleges and universities intend to allow performances of the lewd "V***** Monologues" play, a piece replete with sexual encounters, lust, and graphic descriptions of lesbian behavior. (Asterisks added for modesty)

Click HERE for the rest of the article and to sign the online petition.

A Tranquil Blog

There are many Catholic blogs that I try to read regularly. Some inform, some teach, some share their daily lives with their readers, a few are quite humerous, and a few are even controversial. They are all very interesting blogs. But there is one blog that consistently offers me peace.

That blog belongs to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton's Exchange. It is an unassuming little blog which offers posts that are spiritually helpful, healthy and it just makes me feel good. So I want to publickly spotlight Denise's little blog. Mahalo Denise!