Knight of the White Cross

The Cross of Christ is Our Standard

2012-01-27T10:40:00.000-06:00

To show us the way of salvation, God chose that the standard of the cross should go before us, fulfilling the ancient prophecies in Christ’s passover from death to life. Do not let us rouse His burning indignation by sin, but rather, through the contemplation of His wounds, make us burn with zeal for the honor of His Church and with grateful love for Him.

Listen My Son, Benedictine Wisdom

2012-01-16T09:18:00.002-06:00

Practical steps for applying the Rule of St. Benedict in our families by Fr. Longenecker.

Listen My Son Benedictine Wisdom for Fathers

President Theodore Roosevelt and Primacy of the Home Life of a Citizen

2012-01-09T11:29:00.000-06:00

Many pundits and members of the media try to make the key issue of the upcoming presidential election about the economy and jobs. They have relentlessly attacked Rick Santorum for his opposition to contraception and tried to paint him as an extremist. Here then is an excerpt from the 6th Annual Message to the Senate and the House from President Theodore Roosevelt,

"I am well aware of how difficult it is to pass a constitutional amendment. Nevertheless in my judgment the whole question of marriage and divorce should be relegated to the authority of the National Congress. At present the wide differences in the laws of the different States on this subject result in scandals and abuses; and surely there is nothing so vitally essential to the welfare of the nation, nothing around which the nation should so bend itself to throw every safeguard, as the home life of the average citizen. The change would be good from every standpoint. In particular it would be good because it would confer on the Congress the power at once to deal radically and efficiently with polygamy; and this should be done whether or not marriage and divorce are dealt with. It is neither safe nor proper to leave the question of polygamy to be dealt with by the several States. Power to deal with it should be conferred on the National Government.

When home ties are loosened; when men and women cease to regard a worthy family life, with all its duties fully performed, and all its responsibilities lived up to, as the life best worth living; then evil days for the commonwealth are at hand. There are regions in our land, and classes of our population, where the birth rate has sunk below the death rate. Surely it should need no demonstration to show that wilful sterility is, from the standpoint of the nation, from the standpoint of the human race, the one sin for which the penalty is national death, race death; a sin for which there is no atonement; a sin which is the more dreadful exactly in proportion as the men and women guilty thereof are in other respects, in character, and bodily and mental powers, those whom for the sake of the state it would be well to see the fathers and mothers of many healthy children, well brought up in homes made happy by their presence. No man, no woman can shirk the primary duties of life, whether for love of ease and pleasure, or for any other cause, and retain his or her self-respect.

The whole message is excellent and covers several other topics which are relevant and important for today.

Prayer of St. Pius X to St. Joseph

2012-01-09T10:34:00.000-06:00

I wonder how our economic situation might improve if whatever our job or profession, we all worked in the spirit of this prayer from St. Pius X to St. Joseph, rather than by greed, envy or indifference.

Glorious St. Joseph, model of all who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in the spirit of penance in expiation of my many sins; to work conscientiously by placing love of duty above my inclinations; to gratefully and joyously deem it an honor to employ and to develop by labor the gifts I have received from God, to work methodically, peacefully, and in moderation and patience, without ever shrinking from it through weariness or difficulty to work; above all, with purity of intention and unselfishness, having unceasingly before my eyes death and the account I have to render of time lost, talents unused, good not done, and vain complacency in success, so baneful to the work of God. All for Jesus, all for Mary, all to imitate thee, O patriarch St. Joseph! This shall be my motto for life and eternity.

Treatise on St. John by St. Augustine

2012-01-03T11:11:00.000-06:00

From today's Office of Readings is this treatise on St. John from St. Augustine

The double commandment of love

The Lord, the teacher of love, full of love, came in person with summary judgment on the world, as had been foretold of him, and showed that the law and the prophets are summed up in two commandments of love.

Call to mind, brethren, what these two commandments are. They ought to be very familiar to you; they should not only spring to mind when I mention them, but ought never to be absent from your hearts. Keep always in mind that we must love God and our neighbor: Love God with your whole heart, your whole soul, and your whole mind, and your neighbor as yourself.

These two commandments must be always in your thoughts and in your hearts, treasured, acted on, fulfilled. Love of God is the first to be commanded, but love of neighbor is the first to be put into practice. In giving two commandments of love Christ would not commend to you first your neighbor and then God but first God and then your neighbor.

Since you do not yet see God, you merit the vision of God by loving your neighbor. By loving your neighbor you prepare your eye to see God. Saint John says clearly: If you do not love your brother whom you see, how will you love God whom you do not see!

Consider what is said to you: Love God. If you say to me: Show me whom I am to love, what shall I say if not what Saint John says: No one has ever seen God! But in case you should think that you are completely cut off from the sight of God, he says: God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God. Love your neighbor, then, and see within yourself the power by which you love your neighbor; there you will see God, as far as you are able.

Begin, then, to love your neighbor. Break your bread to feed the hungry, and bring into your home the homeless poor; if you see someone naked, clothe him, and do not look down on your own flesh and blood.

What will you gain by doing this? Your light will then burst forth like the dawn. Your light is your God; he is your dawn, for he will come to you when the night of time is over. He does not rise or set but remains for ever.

In loving your neighbor and caring for him you are on a journey. Where are you traveling if not to the Lord God, to him whom we should love with our whole heart, our whole soul, our whole mind? We have not yet reached his presence, but we have our neighbor at our side. Support, then, this companion of your pilgrimage if you want to come into the presence of the one with whom you desire to remain for ever.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T00:00:00.002-06:00

Reflection on Our Lady of Guadalupe by Pope Paul VI

2011-12-12T10:22:00.000-06:00

From today's Office of Readings for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is this message from Pope Paul VI.

Beloved sons and daughters, we wish to unite our voice to that filial hymn which the Mexican people raise up today to the Mother of God. Devotion to the most holy Virgin of Guadalupe must be for all of you a constant and specific demand for authentic Christian renewal. The crown which she expects from all of you is not so much a material one as a precious spiritual crown, shaped by a profound love of Christ and a sincere love of all: the two commandments which sum up the gospel message. The same most holy Virgin, with her example, guides us on these two paths.

In the first place, she exhorts us to make Christ the center and summit of our whole Christian life. She remains hidden, with supreme humility, so that the image of her Son might appear to humanity with all its incomparable brightness. For this reason, true Marian devotion reaches its fullness and its most rightful expression when it is a path to the Lord and directs all its love toward him, just as Mary knew how to do, so as to intertwine in one and the same impulse the tenderness of a mother and the piety of a creature.

But in addition, and precisely because she loved Christ so dearly, our Mother fulfilled perfectly that second commandment which must be the norm of all human relations: the love of neighbor. How beautiful and delicate was the intervention of Mary at the wedding feast of Cana, when she moved her Son to accomplish the first miracle of turning the water into wine solely to help those young spouses! It is a complete sign of the constant love of the Virgin for humanity in need, and ought to be an example for all those who seek to be considered truly her sons and daughters.

Christians can do no less than to show solidarity in seeking a solution to the situation of those to whom the bread of culture has not yet come nor the opportunity of honorable and justly remunerated work. They cannot remain indifferent while new generations find no path for the realization of their legitimate aspirations, and while part of humanity continues to be placed at the margins of the advantages of civilization and progress. For this reason, on this celebrated feast, we urge you from our heart to give your Christian life a clear social sense—as the Council has asked—that you may always be in the front line in all efforts to attain progress, and in all the initiatives for improving the situation of those who suffer want. See in each person a brother or a sister—a brother or sister in Christ—in such a way that the love of God and the love of the neighbor become united in the same love, alive and operative, which is the only thing that can redeem the miseries of the world, renewing it in its most profound root, the human heart.

The person who has much should be conscious of his or her obligation to serve and contribute with generosity to the good of all. The person who has little or who has nothing should, with the help of a just society, make every effort at self-improvement and of going beyond self, and even in cooperating in the progress of those who suffer the same situation. And, all of you, feel the obligation to unite fraternally so as to help forge this new world for which the human race longs.

This is what the Virgin of Guadalupe asks of you today, this fidelity to the Gospel, of which she knew how to be the most eminent example.

Upon you, dearly beloved sons and daughters, we implore with confidence the maternal benevolence of the Mother of God and Mother of the Church, in order that she may continue to protect your nation and to direct and impel it more and more along the paths of progress, communal love, and a peaceful life together.

Memorial in the Order of Malta - Our Lady of Liesse

2011-12-02T09:29:00.000-06:00

Today is a feast day for the Order of Malta, for Our Lady of Liesse, who is more commonly known by the title “Cause of Our Joy.”

The Collect from the Missal of the Order:

O God, who brought joy to the world by the Incarnation of Christ your Son, grant to us, who honor his Mother as Cause of our Joy, the grace to follow your commandments and to set our hearts on the true joys of heaven. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

Readings:
Prophet Zechariah 2, 14-17
Gospel of Luke 1, 39-47

There are a couple versions on the origin of the statue and it’s relation to the Order of Malta.

An ancient statue of Our Lady and child was brought from Egypt to northern France at the same time of the Crusades by three knights of our Order who had been captured by Saracens and later released. It was enshrined at Liesse, near Laon, in the diocese of Soissons (France). The original statue was destroyed during the French Revolution, Pbut the medieval basilica at Liesse remained a centre of devotion to the Mother of God: a new statue was installed and crowned there in 1857. Our Lady of Liesse is the patron of the diocese of Soissons and the focus of pilgrimages, especially an annual pilgrimage on Whit Monday.

Three knight’s, Lords of Eppes, set forth for the crusade to defend the tomb of Christ (towards 1134). The knights are caught in an ambush and taken to Cairo, in Egypt, as prisoners. The Sultan tries to persuade the knights to become Muslims. They resist pressure from the Sultan and the scribes. The sultan sends them his daughter, Princess Ismerie, to see if she can persuade them. The three Knights proclaim to her the Good News: "Jesus, the Son of Mary, is the Son of God." Princess Ismerie asks for an image of Jesus and Mary, but the knights do not know how to sculpt images. They pray, and that night the Angel of the Lord brings them a little statue. When Ismerie returns to them, she becomes more and more interested in their faith in Jesus Christ. Princess Ismerie, amazed at the statue, takes it to her apartments. During the night, Mary appears to her, asking her to free the knights from prison and to become a Christian. Princess Ismerie freed the prisoners and, trusting in the protection of God and Mary, she goes with them.

She carries with her the statue of Our Lady. Having crossed the Nile and exhausted by this long march, they fall asleep. When they awake, they find themselves near a village called Liance. Our Lady of Liance will soon become Our Lady of Liesse. Princess Ismerie is baptized by Blessed Barthelemi de Vir, Bishop of Laon. For 850 years, the Kings and Queens of France as well as pilgrims from every nation (50 000 to 100 000 each year) have come here to venerate Mary, the Mother of Jesus, she who is the Cause of our Joy, 'Laetitia', or Our Lady of Liesse.

2011-11-25T11:34:00.001-06:00

Yesterday we attended Mass at our local parish which can often be a gamble as to which music genre we must be subjected to. Unfortunately it was the happy clappy music with the Gloria, Gloria in excelsis Deo, (clap, clap). I found this beautiful version by Palestrina to offset what I heard at Mass. I found one of the comments following on this YouTube clip truly telling.

this is my favorite recorded version of this piece :) I'm not a very religious person, but the music of this can literally give my entire body chills.

Perhaps this is why the Vatican has seen the need to create a new commission within the Congregation for Divine Worship tasked with improving Church architecture and music in the liturgy.

A team has been set up, to put a stop to garage style churches, boldly shaped structures that risk denaturing modern places for Catholic worship. Its task is also to promote singing that really helps the celebration of mass. The “Liturgical art and sacred music commission” will be established by the Congregation for Divine Worship over the coming weeks. This will not be just any office, but a true and proper team, whose task will be to collaborate with the commissions in charge of evaluating construction projects for churches of various dioceses. The team will also be responsible for the further study of music and singing that accompany the celebration of mass.

See the full story at Vatican Insider.

Absolve Domine

2011-11-25T10:57:00.001-06:00

As the Church's liturgical year winds down this week many people's thoughts are on the best deals they can find on Black Friday. In contrast I thought this video gives us a reminder of more eternal things. So even if we do go shopping today hopefully we find time to reflect on our spiritual needs as well as our material ones.

Vivificat!: Long live Christ the King!

2011-11-20T15:11:00.000-06:00

Vivificat!: Long live Christ the King!

Brethren, peace and good to you all in the name of our King, whose royal feast we observe today.

Pope Pius XI universally instituted The Feast of Christ the King in 1925 in his encyclical Quas Primas. Pope Pius connected the denial of Christ as king to the rise of secularism. At the time of Quas Primas, secularism was on the rise, and many Christians, even Catholics, were doubting Christ's authority, as well as the Church's, and even doubting Christ's existence. Pius XI, and the rest of the Christian world, witnessed the rise of dictatorships in Europe, and saw Catholics being taken in by these earthly leaders. Just as the Feast of Corpus Christi was instituted when devotion to the Eucharist was at a low point, the Feast of Christ the King was instituted during a time when respect for Christ and the Church was waning, when the feast was most needed. In fact, it is still needed today, as these problems have not vanished, but instead have worsened.

Pius hoped the institution of the feast would have various effects. They were:

1. That nations would see that the Church has the right to freedom, and immunity from the state (Quas Primas, 32).

2. That leaders and nations would see that they are bound to give respect to Christ (Quas Primas, 31).

3. That the faithful would gain strength and courage from the celebration of the feast, as we are reminded that Christ must reign in our hearts, minds, wills, and bodies (Quas Primas, 33).

Today, the same distrust of authority exists, although the problem has gotten worse. Individualism has been embraced to such an extreme, that for many, the only authority is the individual self. The idea of Christ as ruler is rejected in such a strongly individualistic system. Also, many balk at the idea of kings and queens, believing them to be oppressive. Some even reject the titles of "lord" and "king" for Christ because they believe that such titles are borrowed from oppressive systems of government. However true these statements might be (some kings have been oppressive), these individuals miss the point: Christ's kingship is one of humility and service. Jesus said:

You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to become great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:42-45, NAB).

and

Pilate said to Jesus, "Are you the King of the Jews?"... Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here." So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world,to testify to the truth (John 18:33b, 36-37).

Thus, Jesus knew the oppressive nature of secular kings, and in contrast to them, he connected his role as king to humble service, and commanded his followers to be servants as well. In other passages of Scripture, his kingdom is tied to his suffering and death. While Christ is coming to judge the nations, his teachings spell out a kingdom of justice and judgment balanced with radical love, mercy, peace, and forgiveness. When we celebrate Christ as King, we are not celebrating an oppressive ruler, but one willing to die for humanity and whose "loving-kindness endures forever." Christ is the king that gives us true freedom, freedom in Him. Thus we must never forget that Christ radically redefined and transformed the concept of kingship.

Christ the King Sunday used to be celebrated on the last Sunday of October, but since the calendar reforms of 1969, the feast falls on the last Sunday of Ordinary Time, which is the Sunday before Advent. It is fitting that the feast celebrating Christ's kingship is observed right before Advent, when we liturgically wait for the promised Messiah (King).

Catholic Church Architecture and the Spirit of the Liturgy

2011-11-16T10:31:00.000-06:00

Catholic Church Architecture and the Spirit of the Liturgy

Novena Prayer for Memorial of All Saints of the Order

2011-11-11T21:23:00.001-06:00

O God, the bestower of forgiveness and the lover of human salvation, we beseech Thee, of Thy tender love, to grant that the brethren of our Order, with their relatives and benefactors, who have passed out of this life, may, by the intercession of Our Lady of Philermo, and all thy saints, come to the fellowship of eteranal bliss. Through Christ our Lord. Amen

Is American Becoming a Replica of the UN General Assembly

2011-11-08T15:39:00.000-06:00

Pat Buchanan makes some important distinctions between immigration to the U.S. past and present in an article at Crisis Magazine, It Can't Happen Here.

First, the great American Melting Pot has been rejected by our elites as cultural genocide, in favor of a multiculturalism that is failing in Europe. Second, what we are attempting has no precedent in human history.

We are attempting to convert a republic, European and Christian in its origins and character, into an egalitarian democracy of all the races, religions, cultures and tribes of planet Earth.

We are turning America into a gargantuan replica of the U.N. General Assembly, a continental conclave of the most disparate and diverse peoples in all of history, who will have no common faith, no common moral code, no common language and no common culture.

Cardinal Wuerl Admits Church Failed to Properly Catechize the Laity

2011-11-06T18:09:00.002-06:00

Cardinal Wuerl had made the following remark, now lets hope he will offer a catechesis course to all the Catholic politicians who dissent from Church teaching and excommunicate those who continue to persist in their error(s).

The greatest challenge of the New Evangelization is that for the last 40 years much of the laity has had little or no catechesis.

3 Prayers of Mercy for the Dying

2011-11-05T20:46:00.001-05:00

Three Very Beautiful Prayers taken from the Pieta Prayer Book, which are very useful to a dying person, and should be prayed often as an act of mercy. I don't know if the following story is true or pious legend, nevertheless we can hope. The picture at left is a 19th century French prayer card reminding people of their mortality. The inscription above the skull reads, Choose (center) and one side "Eternal Life" and the other "Eternal Fire."

There once was a Pope in Rome who was surrounded by many sins. The Lord God struck him with a fatal illness. When he saw that he was dying he summoned Cardinals, Bishops and learned persons and said to them: “My dear friends! What comfort can you give me now that I must die, and when I deserve eternal damnation for my sins?” No one answered him. One of them, a pious curate named John, said: “Father, why do you doubt the Mercy of God?” The Pope replied: “What comfort can you give me now that I must die and fear that I’ll be damned for my sins?” John replied: “I’ll read three prayers over you; I hope, you’ll be comforted and that you’ll obtain Mercy from God.” The Pope was unable to say more. The curate and all those present knelt and said an Our Father, then the following prayers:

Prayer 1
Lord Jesus Christ! Thou Son of God and Son of the Virgin Mary, God and Man, Thou who in fear sweated blood for us on the Mount of Olives in order to bring peace, and to offer Thy Most Holy Death to God Thy Heavenly Father for the salvation of this dying person… If it be, however, that by his sins he merits eternal damnation, then may it be deflected from him. This, O Eternal Father through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Dear Son, Who liveth and reigneth in union with The Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen.

Prayer 2
Lord Jesus Christ! Thou who meekly died on the trunk of the Cross for us, submitting Thy Will completely to Thy Heavenly Father in order to bring peace and to offer Thy most Holy Death to Thy Heavenly Father in order to free…(this person)…and to hide from him what he has earned with his sins; grant this O Eternal Father! Through Our Lord Jesus Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in union with the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen.

Prayer 3
Lord Jesus Christ! Thou Who remained silent to speak through the mouths of the Prophets; I have drawn Thee to me through Eternal Love, which love drew Thee from Heaven into the body of the Virgin, which love drew Thee from the body of the Virgin into the valley of this needful world, which Love kept Thee 33 years in this world, and as a sign of Great Love, Thou hast given Thy drink, as a sign of great love, Thou has consented to be a prisoner and to be led from one judge to another and as a sign of great love Thou has consented to be condemned to death, and hast consented to die and to be buried and truly rise, and appeared to Thy Holy Mother and all the Holy Apostles, and as a sign of great love Thou hast ascended, under Thy own strength and power, and sitteth at the right hand of God Thy heavenly Father, and Thou has sent Thy Holy Spirit into the heart of Thy Apostles and the hearts of all who hope and believe in Thee. Through Thy sign of Eternal love, open heaven today and take this dying person… and all his sins into the realm of Thy Heavenly Father, that he may reign with Thee now and forever. Amen.

Meanwhile the Pope died. The curate persevered to the third hour, then the Pope appeared to him in body and comforting him; his countenence as brilliant as the sun, his clothes as white as snow, and he said: “My dear brother! Whereas I was supposed to be a child of damnation I’ve become a child of happiness. As you recited the first prayer many of my sins fell from me as rain from Heaven, and as you recited the second Prayer I was purified, as a goldsmith purifies gold in a hot fire. I was still further purified as you recited the third prayer. Then I saw Heaven open and the Lord Jesus standing on the Right Hand of God the Father who said to me: “Come, all thy sins are forgiven thee, you’ll be and remain in the realm of My Father forever. Amen!”

With these words my soul separated from my body and the angels of God led it to Eternal Joy.
As the curate heard this he said: “O Holy Father! I can’t tell these things to anyone, for they won’t believe me.” Then the Pope said: “Truly I tell thee, the Angel of God stands with me and has written the prayers in letters of gold for the consolement of all sinners. If a person had committed all the sins in the world, but that the three prayers shall have been read (over him) at his end (death), all his sins will be forgiven him, even though his soul was supposed to suffer until the Last Judgement, it will be redeemed (freed).
The person who hears them read, he won’t die an unhappy death also in whose house they will be read. Therefore take these prayers and carry them into St. Peter’s Basilica and lay them in the Chapel named the Assumption of Mary, for certain consolation. The person who will be near death, who reads them or hears them read gains 400 years indulgence for the days he was supposed to suffer in Purgatory because of his guilt. Also who reads this prayer or hears it read, the hour of his death shall be revealed to him. Amen!

First Saturday Day of Adoration

2011-11-04T20:58:00.000-05:00

Members of the Order are participating in a Day of Adoration each First Saturday by making a Holy Hour to pray for vocations and intentions of the Order. If you are not a member but support our work you are welcome to offer your prayers throughout the day for these intentions. If you are a member who would like to make a Holy Hour at a specific time of the day you can just send me an email with the time you plan to do so. Otherwise you are also welcome to join us "in spirit" by offering your prayers with us throughout the day.

Order of Malta Taking Possession of Malta in 1530

2011-10-26T00:00:00.008-05:00

On this day, 26 October 1530, the Order of Malta took possession of the Island of Malta which had been given to them by Emperor Charles V in agreement for an annual tribue of one Maltese falcon. This image by Rene Berthon shows Phillipe Villiers de l'Isle-Adam, the 44th Grand Master of the Order taking possession.

For What Should We Pray

2011-10-20T08:47:00.003-05:00

From today's Office of Readings is this letter of St. Augustine,

You may still want to ask why the Apostle said: We do not know what it is right to pray for, because, surely, we cannot believe that either he or those to whom he wrote did not know the Lord’s Prayer.

He showed that he himself shared this uncertainty. Did he know what it was right to pray for when he was given a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan to bruise him, so that he might not be puffed up by the greatness of what was revealed to him? Three times he asked the Lord to take it away from him, which showed that he did not know what he should ask for in prayer. At last, he heard the Lord’s answer, explaining why the prayer of so great a man was not granted, and why it was not expedient for it to be granted: My grace is sufficient for you, for power shines forth more perfectly in weakness.

In the kind of affliction, then, which can bring either good or ill, we do not know what it is right to pray for; yet, because it is difficult, troublesome and against the grain for us, weak as we are, we do what every human would do, we pray that it may be taken away from us. We owe, however, at least this much in our duty to God: if he does not take it away, we must not imagine that we are being forgotten by him but because of our loving endurance of evil, must await greater blessings in its place. In this way, power shines forth more perfectly in weakness. These words are written to prevent us from having too great an opinion of ourselves if our prayer is granted, when we are impatient in asking for something that it would be better not to receive; and to prevent us from being dejected, and distrustful of God’s mercy toward us, if our prayer is not granted, when we ask for something that would bring us greater affliction, or completely ruin us through the corrupting influence of prosperity. In these cases we do not know what is right to ask for in prayer.

Therefore, if something happens that we did not pray for, we must have no doubt at all that what God wants is more expedient than what we wanted ourselves. Our great Mediator gave us an example of this. After he had said: Father, if it is possible, let this cup be taken away from me, he immediately added, Yet not what I will, but what you will, Father, so transforming the human will that was his through his taking a human nature. As a consequence, and rightly so, through the obedience of one man the many are made righteous.

Feast of Blessed Gerard

2011-10-13T12:20:00.001-05:00

Today is the Feast of the founder of the Order of Malta, Blessed Gerard. Please pray for us.

Click here to read an article on Blessed Gerard I wrote last winter for the American Assoc. newsletter

Steve Jobs- A Life That Might Not Have Been

2011-10-06T00:18:00.000-05:00

In 1954, [Joanne Schiebel] was a young unmarried college student who discovered that she was pregnant. In the 1950s, her options were limited. She could have had an abortion – but the procedure was both dangerous and illegal. She could have gotten married, but she wasn’t ready and didn’t want to interrupt her education. Joanne opted, instead, to give birth to the baby and put it up for adoption.

And so it was that in 1955, a California couple named Paul and Clara Jobs adopted a baby boy, born out of wedlock, that they named Steven.
We know him today…as Steve Jobs.

It would not be overstating things to say that Steve Jobs is my generation’s Thomas Edison. As one observer put it, he knew what the world wanted before the world knew that it wanted it.

If you have an iPhone or an iPad or an iPod, or anything remotely resembling them, you can thank Steve Jobs.

If your world has been transformed by the ability to hear a symphony, send a letter, pay a bill, deposit a check, read a book and then buy theater tickets on something roughly the size of a credit card…you can thank Steve Jobs.

And: you can thank Joanne Schiebel.

If you want to know how much one life can matter, there is just one example.

But: imagine if that life had never happened.

Memorial of Blessed Peter of Imola of the Order of Malta

2011-10-05T09:31:00.000-05:00

Today is the feast of Bl. Peter of Imola the Prior of the Grand Priory of Rome. Although there is little know of his life there is an interesting account of an incident involving him after his death.

Again thanks to Fr. Gerard of the South African Association of the Order of Malta for his work in putting together these biographies.

He was born about 1250 at Imola (Italy) into the family of the lords of Linasio. An able lawyer, he mediated between the Guelphs and Ghibellines at Romagna in 1297. He became a knight of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and was elected Grand Prior at Rome. He devoted great energy to caring for the sick at Florence (Italy) where he died on 5 October 1320: he was buried in the Church of St. James in the Campo Corbolini.

Prayer:

O God, who gave to blessed Peter, Prior of our Order, the gift of healing discord and division, grant to us through his prayers the grace of striving for peace and so being called the children of God. Through the same Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

For more info see last years post.

2011-09-21T17:21:00.001-05:00

The Grand Master of the Order of Malta Fra' Matthew Festing was given a warm welcome when he visited the Principality of Liechtenstein.

Prince Regent Alois of Liechtenstein received the Grand Master in the twelfth-century Vaduz castle overlooking the principality’s capital. After the national anthems in the castle courtyard there was a meeting with the prince regent during which the Principality and Order of Malta’s initiatives in the fields of development, humanitarian cooperation and multilateral relations were discussed.

The full story can be read here.

Lourdes Grotto Cam Now Available on iPhone and Android

2011-09-17T22:59:00.000-05:00

If you want to view the live cam of the Grotto at Lourdes with your iPhone or Android phone you can now do so. The mobile web address is http://fr.lourdes-france.org/tv-lourdes/mobile/

Grand Master Fra Festing's Interview on The Catholic Cafe

2011-09-17T22:43:00.003-05:00

Earlier this Spring in Lourdes, the Grand Master of the Order of Malta, Fra' Matthew Festing dropped by The Catholic Cafe for an interview. He talks about the history and nature of the Order and gives an interesting lesson on the actual meaning of the motto 'Tuitio Fidei' as being more than just "Defense of the Faith" but more accurately as "nurturing or teaching the Faith."

The Catholic Cafe, Inc. is incorporated in Tennessee as a not-for-profit corporation, under the umbrella of the Diocese of Memphis for tax-exempt purposes. It’s board members and officers are all members of the Order of Malta serving with the approval of the Bishop of Memphis. The mission of The Catholic Café, Inc. is to reach out to non-Catholics and fallen-away Catholics with positive, high quality radio and Internet programming to faithfully present Catholic teaching and follow up with personal outreach when requested. We wish to invite all people to consider joining us in the Catholic Church.

The interview lasts about half an hour and can be heard by clicking here.

Address Change for the Order of Malta's Official Website

2011-09-16T20:39:00.000-05:00

Rome, 15/09/2011

New address for the website of the Sovereign Order of Malta, http://www.orderofmalta.int/

From 15 September the address of the website of the Sovereign Order of Malta has changed. IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) the international organisation responsible for the registration .int (international), has given the government of the Sovereign Order of Malta the new domain name of: www.orderofmalta.in. This is now the website’s main address.

The main email address also changes to: info@orderofmalta.int

The domain .int is considered to have the strictest application policies of all top level domain names and implies that the holder is a subject of international law. This change guarantees a more immediate recognition of the information published by the government of the Sovereign Order of Malta.

Fra Festing Interviewed by Rome Reports

2011-09-15T10:48:00.001-05:00

A nice interview of the Grand Master of the SMOM by Rome Reports TV News Agency

HIRH Archduke Felix of Austria R.I.P.

2011-09-10T10:45:00.001-05:00

HIRH Archduke Felix of Austria, last surviving son of the late Emperor Karl and Empress Zita (née Bourbon-Parma) passed away in Mexico, where he had lived for decades.

Felix was born at Schönbrunn on 31 May 1916, the same year that his father was to succeed to the moribund Austro-Hungarian throne. He was named after his mother's brother, Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma, who later married Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg.

He married at Beaulieu, France, Princess and Duchess Anna Eugenie of Arenberg (1925-1997), by whom he fathered seven children: Maria del Pilar (b. 1953); Karl Philipp (1954); Kinga (1955); Raimund (1958-2008); Marie Adelheid (Miriam) (b. 1959); István (b. 1961); and Viridis (b. 1961).

The Archduke settled in Mexico and led a very successful business career. All but one of his children were born in that country. He will be buried in Vienna as well.

Like his brother Otto who recently preceded him in death, Archduke Felix was also a Knight of Malta.

Feast of Our Lady of Philermo

2011-09-08T08:59:00.000-05:00

Today the Church celebrates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary who is venerated by the Order of Malta under the title of Our Lady of Philermo, the Patroness of our Order. Over at the blog of the Conventual Church of Saint John of Jerusalem, the Oratory of the Grand Priory of England my confrere has posted images of several shrines of Mary connected to the Order around the world. The one at left is of the Altar of Our Lady of Philermo at St. John's Valetta, Malta.

The Charity of Cardinal Merry del Val or the "Charity" of Wealth Re-Distribution

2011-09-05T22:05:00.001-05:00

I've been reading a wonderful biography on Cardinal Merry del Val, Secretary of State under Saint Pope Pius X and one of the greatest statesman to ever serve the Church. While he will long be remembered for colloborating with Pope Pius X on reforming the Church and the battle against Modernism he is equally to be remembered for his humility and service to the sick and poor. He was also a Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of Malta and his cause for canonization was introduced by Pope Pius XII and he is currently declared a "Servant of God." Here is a brief characterization of his charity from the author and an example of the charity he gave from a Canon of the Basilica of St. Peter.

Like all great souls, Cardinal Merry del Val had a passion for charity that knew no limits; merciful charity that helps a person without humiliating him; pious charity inspired not by any human motives but only out of love for God.

"No one ever had recourse to him in vain; no one ever left him without getting some sort of help and comfort. He gave to all, and in order to give even more he imposed upon himself a way of life that was parsimonious and at times even downright austere (he once took the sheets and mattress from his own bed to give to a family in need). He was always so courteous and genteel in exercising his charity it seemed as if he was the one accepting it."

One last example from a former member of the Pious Association of the Sacred Heart of Jesus which he founded to help the young boys of Trastevere, one of the poorest sections of Rome.

"It was he who paid the rent for families unable to pay it. It was he who found work for those that did not know how or where to find it. He was the one who went out and procured employment for needy young men. Finally, it was he who, disregarding the sacrifice entailed or the expenses involved, would provide the sick, the infirm, and the invalids with care, support, and medicines."

What would happen if more of us would live our lives by his shining example? Instead of community organizing or radical social activism we acted as true Christian disciples how much more would God bless our efforts? Rather than abdicating our responsibilities to "the Government" or slandering those who might have a different political or economic philosophy we ourselves took care of our brother in need. Government has a proper role to be sure but too often those who work for it have their own selfish motives and interests in mind far removed from true Christian charity. Contrast the anonymous charity of Cardinal del Val with the self-promoting paying off of special interests to ensure their votes in the next election. Too often among these individuals there is a self-aggradizing look at me, I have compassion for the poor, while the example of the Saints is to show us that what they do is solely out of love of God and neighbor and seen by Him alone.

Today at a labor rally in Detroit, union boss Jimmy Hoffa, used inflammatory rhetoric to motivate the "labor crowd" in a war against corporations, Republicans, and anyone else they imply is not a labor supporter. The problem with this rhetoric is that calling your opponent "s-ns of b--ches" and threatening to "take them out" is a decidedly un-Catholic view of the relationship between labor and capital. In honor of "Labor Day" here in the States here is a portion of the encyclical Rerum Novarum of Pope Leo XIII. Though it has been updated by the encyclicals of subsequent popes, being the original document of the Church to address the changing social questions it still has relevance to us today.

1. That the spirit of revolutionary change, which has long been disturbing the nations of the world, should have passed beyond the sphere of politics and made its influence felt in the cognate sphere of practical economics is not surprising. The elements of the conflict now raging are unmistakable, in the vast expansion of industrial pursuits and the marvelous discoveries of science; in the changed relations between masters and workmen; in the enormous fortunes of some few individuals, and the utter poverty of the masses; in the increased self-reliance and closer mutual combination of the working classes; as also, finally, in the prevailing moral degeneracy. The momentous gravity of the state of things now obtaining fills every mind with painful apprehension; wise men are discussing it; practical men are proposing schemes; popular meetings, legislatures, and rulers of nations are all busied with it—actually there is no question which has taken a deeper hold on the public mind.

2. Therefore, venerable brethren, as on former occasions when it seemed opportune to refute false teaching, We have addressed you in the interests of the Church and of the common weal, and have issued letters bearing on political power, human liberty, the Christian constitution of the State, and like matters, so have We thought it expedient now to speak on the condition of the working classes.[1] It is a subject on which We have already touched more than once, incidentally. But in the present letter, the responsibility of the apostolic office urges Us to treat the question of set purpose and in detail, in order that no misapprehension may exist as to the principles which truth and justice dictate for its settlement. The discussion is not easy, nor is it void of danger. It is no easy matter to define the relative rights and mutual duties of the rich and of the poor, of capital and of labor. And the danger lies in this, that crafty agitators are intent on making use of these differences of opinion to pervert men's judgments and to stir up the people to revolt.

3. In any case we clearly see, and on this there is general agreement, that some opportune remedy must be found quickly for the misery and wretchedness pressing so unjustly on the majority of the working class: for the ancient workingmen's guilds were abolished in the last century, and no other protective organization took their place. Public institutions and the laws set aside the ancient religion. Hence, by degrees it has come to pass that working men have been surrendered, isolated and helpless, to the hard-heartedness of employers and the greed of unchecked competition. The mischief has been increased by rapacious usury, which, although more than once condemned by the Church, is nevertheless, under a different guise, but with like injustice, still practiced by covetous and grasping men. To this must be added that the hiring of labor and the conduct of trade are concentrated in the hands of comparatively few; so that a small number of very rich men have been able to lay upon the teeming masses of the laboring poor a yoke little better than that of slavery itself.

4. To remedy these wrongs the socialists, working on the poor man's envy of the rich, are striving to do away with private property, and contend that individual possessions should become the common property of all, to be administered by the State or by municipal bodies. They hold that by thus transferring property from private individuals to the community, the present mischievous state of things will be set to rights, inasmuch as each citizen will then get his fair share of whatever there is to enjoy. But their contentions are so clearly powerless to end the controversy that were they carried into effect the working man himself would be among the first to suffer. They are, moreover, emphatically unjust, for they would rob the lawful possessor, distort the functions of the State, and create utter confusion in the community.

Prince Alois of Liechtenstein Vetos Bill to Legalize Abortion

2011-09-05T10:37:00.001-05:00

From an article by J.C. von Krempach at the blog Turtle Bay and Beyond, which covers international law, policy, and institutions.

In the small Principality of Liechtenstein, a popular referendum is held on a bill that would legalise abortion. But Prince Alois of Liechtenstein, the heir apparent to the throne (who is exercising the functions of Head of State on behalf of his father, HSH Prince Hans Adam II.), has publicly stated that he will in any case use his veto right against this bill.

This definitely reminds of the famous dictum ascribed to the Austrian Emperor Francis Joseph (1848 – 1916): “My task as Emperor is to protect my people against the follies of their politicians”.

May God bless you Prince Alois for taking this courageous position and may He grant you the grace to remain firm in your beliefs and provide an example to other Catholic politicians and leaders.

The Order of Malta and It's Wines

2011-09-03T11:11:00.000-05:00

A fine article in Spectator.co.uk about the Order of Malta with a review of some of it's wines, h/t to Fr. Mullins. Here's an excerpt and you can finish the article at their website.

Sovereignty, protocol, military tradition, historic splendour: the Knights cherish them all, but today’s Order has returned to its roots. A medieval hospital, such as the one they ran in Jerusalem, was a guesthouse for travellers. But it would have tended the sick and the dying. Today, that is the Knights’ principal purpose. They are the largest source of non-governmental aid in the world. All Knights are expected to perform good works. By enforcing this requirement, Fra Andrew stirred up some discontent in Rome. One or two princely families, who regarded their membership of the Order as merely an hereditary honour, had neither paid a subscription nor undertaken any charitable works since the Risorgimento. Fra Andrew insisted on a firm purpose of amendment.

The British Knights organise pilgrimages to Lourdes. They tend to have lineages with many quarterings, often from the recusant families who kept the candle of English Catholicism alive at the risk of being hanged and quartered. Many pilgrims are frail, despairing and lonely, a long way removed from Debrett’s. There are those who disapprove of the Order’s grandeur. But there is nothing grand about the nursing tasks which the Knights (and Dames) undertake. Anyone who is prepared to nurse the incontinent dying is entitled to a bit of pomp on their return.

As well as some decent wine. The Order has several vineyards in Italy, mainly near Lake Trasimene and the Castello di Magione, a 12th-century fortress which is the Grand Master’s summer residence. During a prolonged tasting, I had only one disappointment: their Prosecco (mind you, it was no worse than the run of Proseccos). I would commend their Rosso dell’Umbria, a sound quaffing bottle, and their Morcinaia, more complex and more expensive. It is a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, so some purists regard it as a French interloper. Would they decline a glass of Sassicaia? There is a delicious Vin Santo, Colli dei Trasimeno, and, from Friuli, an excellent Fruiliano plus a first-rate Pinot Grigio. The Knightly vineyards are almost incapable of producing a bad wine and the profits subsidise good causes. If that does not put you off, the UK stockists are Clarion Wines, who have a website.

Memorial of Blessed Alfredo Cardinal Schuster, OSB Bailiff Grand Cross of Honor and Devotion of the SMOM

2011-08-30T16:19:00.003-05:00

Today is the memorial of of Blessed Alfredo Cardinal Schuster. He was invested as a Bailiff Grand Cross of Honor and Devotion in 1933. His Requiem Mass was sung by another member of the Bailiff of the Order, Cardinal Roncalli, the future Pope John XXIII. When his tomb was opened in 1985 his body was still intact.

For more background on Cardinal Schuster visit the following link. http://vultus.stblogs.org/2011/08/blessed-ildefonso-cardinal-sch.html

The Collect for today is

Almighty God, through your grace,

Blessed Alfredo Ildefonso, by his exemplary virtue built up

the flock entrusted to him.

Grant that we, under the guidance of the Gospel,

may follow his teaching and walk in sureness of life,

until we come to see you face to face in your eternal kingdom.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Cardinal Canizares Llovera Recommends Receiving Communion on the Tongue

2011-08-30T08:53:00.000-05:00

From Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Lima, Peru, Jul 28, 2011 / 01:56 pm (CNA).- Spanish Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera recently recommended that Catholics receive Communion on the tongue, while kneeling.

“It is to simply know that we are before God himself and that He came to us and that we are undeserving,” the prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments said in an interview with CNA during his visit to Lima, Peru.

The cardinal’s remarks came in response to a question on whether Catholics should receive Communion in the hand or on the tongue.

He recommended that Catholics “receive Communion on the tongue and while kneeling.”

Receiving Communion in this way, the cardinal continued, “is the sign of adoration that needs to be recovered. I think the entire Church needs to receive Communion while kneeling.”

“In fact,” he added, “if one receives while standing, a genuflection or profound bow should be made, and this is not happening.”

Read the rest of the article here.

Feast of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist

2011-08-29T13:47:00.001-05:00

The beheading of St. John the Baptist, whom Herod ordered beheaded about the Feast of the Pasch; but his memory is solemnly kept on this day, on which his venerated head was found for the second time. It was afterwards translated to Rome and is preserved in the church of St. Silvester in Capite and honoured by the people with great devotion. (from The Roman Martyrology

The blog New Liturgical Movement has a nice post on the theological meaning behind several icons of St. John the Baptist.

Have a blessed feast day.

Feast of St. Louis IX and the Custom of Genuflecting during the Credo

2011-08-25T21:55:00.001-05:00

Today is the feast of St. Louis IX. Among the more notable events of his life is something perhaps less known. In his private chapel, Saint Louis would genuflect during the Nicene Creed to show reverence to the incarnation of Christ at the words, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit from the Virgin Mary; and was made man.

During the crusades, the king's practice became widespread and eventually was established as part of the rubrics of Holy Mass. In the Extradordinary Form of the Mass the custom is still to genuflect while in the Novus Ordo the practice is to bow and thankfully this practice is again being done more and more.

This painting of St. Louis and St. John the Baptist is from the Flemish school and was a detail for an altar of the Parliament of Paris. In the background is the Louvre palace from the 13th century.

Knight of Malta School Bus Donation Project

2011-08-22T22:02:00.003-05:00

A project of one of the Knights of Malta from the New York area is donating refurbished school buses to Catholic organizations in need. Recently three buses were donated to Catholic schools in Joplin, MO after the losses they suffered from the F5 tornado earlier this summer. St. Mary's School was totally leveled.

In the picture below are a couple of buses that were previously donated to two of the major works of the American Association of the Order, Hospital Sacre Coeur in Haiti and House of Friendship in Honduras. Knights John D. Corr, Jr. who is the donor and Bob Reers who is the School Bus Donation Chairman of the Order are pictured below.

Video of Pope Benedict's Address to the Disabled Youth in Madrid

2011-08-22T11:06:00.001-05:00

Pope Addresses Youth with Disabilities at WYD

2011-08-22T10:32:00.001-05:00

Pope Benedict encouraged a group of youth with disabilities while in Madrid and his message is also a reminder for those of us who serve the sick. The following text of the speech is courtesy of the Zenit News website.

MADRID, Spain, AUG. 20, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a Vatican translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today upon his visit to the Foundation of Saint Joseph's Institute.
* * *
Your Eminence,
Dear Brother Bishops,
Dear Priests and Religious of the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God,
Distinguished Authorities,

Dear Young People, Family Members and Volunteers,

I thank you most sincerely for your kind greeting and heartfelt welcome.
This evening, just before the Prayer Vigil with the young people from throughout the world gathered in Madrid for this World Youth Day, we have this chance to spend time together as a way of showing the Pope’s closeness and esteem for each of you, for your families and for all those who help and care for you in this Foundation of Saint Joseph's Institute.
Youth, as I have said more than once, is the age when life discloses itself to us with all its rich possibilities, inspiring us to seek the lofty goals which give it meaning. So when suffering appears on the horizon of a young life, we are shaken; perhaps we ask ourselves: "Can life still be something grand, even when suffering unexpectedly enters it?" In my Encyclical on Christian Hope,(Spe Salvi) I observed that "the true measure of humanity is essentially determined in relationship to suffering and to the sufferer … A society unable to accept its suffering members and incapable of helping to share their suffering and to bear it inwardly through 'com-passion' is a cruel and inhuman society" (Spe Salvi, 38). These words reflect a long tradition of humanity which arises from Christ's own self-offering on the Cross for us and for our redemption. Jesus and, in his footsteps, his Sorrowful Mother and the saints, are witnesses who shows us how to experience the tragedy of suffering for our own good and for the salvation of the world.

These witnesses speak to us, first and foremost, of the dignity of all human life, created in the image of God. No suffering can efface this divine image imprinted in the depths of our humanity. But there is more: because the Son of God wanted freely to embrace suffering and death, we are also capable of seeing God's image in the face of those who suffer. This preferential love of the Lord for the suffering helps us to see others more clearly and to give them, above and beyond their material demands, the look of love which they need. But this can only happen as the fruit of a personal encounter with Christ. You yourselves – as religious, family members, health care professionals and volunteers who daily live and work with these young people – know this well. Your lives and your committed service proclaim the greatness to which every human being is called: to show compassion and loving concern to the suffering, just as God himself did. In your noble work we hear an echo of the words found in the Gospel: "just as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me" (Mt 25:40).

At the same time, you are also witnesses of the immense goodness which the lives of these young people represent for those who love them, and for humanity as a whole. In a mysterious yet real way, their presence awakens in our often hardened hearts a tenderness which opens us to salvation. The lives of these young people surely touch human hearts and for that reason we are grateful to the Lord for having known them.
Dear friends, our society, which all too often questions the inestimable value of life, of every life, needs you: in a decisive way you help to build the civilization of love. What is more, you play a leading role in that civilization. As sons and daughters of the Church, you offer the Lord your lives, with all their ups and downs, cooperating with him and somehow becoming "part of the treasury of compassion so greatly needed by the human race" (Spe Salvi, 40).

With great affection, and through the intercession of Saint Joseph, Saint John of God and Saint Benito Menni, I commend you to God our Lord: may he be your strength and your reward. As a pledge of his love, I cordially impart to you, and to your families and friends, my Apostolic Blessing.

Proprium Breviarii for the Order of Malta

2011-08-21T17:38:00.000-05:00

A knight of the Irish Association of the Order of Malta has compiled and published a beautiful edition of the Prorprium Breviarii, or Order of Malta Breviary. Here is a description

Designed, compiled and produced especially for members of the Soveriegn Military Order of Malta, this simple prayer book is intended primarily for those members who wish to pray a form of the Liturgy of the Hours which includes the Offices of, and identifies us with the Saints of our Order in the knowledge that we are part of a supranational community, praying each day with our brothers and sisters throughout the world who are also praying the Order’s Office. Included with the Little Office of Our Lady, the Common and Proper Offices and Compline are Anthems to Our Lady and the Te Deum, together with the Litany of our Saints, the Daily Prayer and short biographies, which includes our most recent saints – Saint Nonius, Blessed John XXIII and Blessed Karl of Austria. The text at the beginning of each Office is illuminated with coloured versals, each supported by various plants and flowers. The Breviary is a limited editition and publication is limited to 500 copies. This is a strictly non-commercial venture and all profits from the sale of the Breviary are donated to the Holy Family Hospital, Bethlehem. Each volume is individual numbered and signed. Your contribution to this project through the purchase of the Breviary will help introduce the recitation of the Divine Office to many members of our Order.

For more information, including a couple sample pages, or to place an order you can visit their page on ebay.

Videos from the Funeral of Fra' Fredrik

2011-08-06T14:58:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy summer and my blogging has been a little slow so I just came across some videos from the Solemn Requiem Mass for Fra' Freddy provided by, A Wandering Oblate.

Cardinal Canizares Lecture on Europe, Present and Future

2011-08-06T14:50:00.000-05:00

At a summer course at the Catholic University of Valencia, Cardinal Antonio Canizares, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, gave a lecture entitled Europe, Present and Future. Here are a few of the highlights from the news story at Religion en Libertad. I had to use a crude translation from Google but hopefully it makes enough sense until I can get better one.

In his speech, Cardinal Cañizares encouraged to overcome the "moral bankruptcy that suffer" and retrieve a "society based on ethical foundations unconditional belonging to the nature of man, the truth of man and make man free ".

In this sense, the cardinal has appealed to the "responsibility" of Christians to offer "a new evangelization," which in his opinion, is "the best service we can provide for our society to change and overcome this crisis."

The cardinal described the current situation as "a crisis not just structural and economic but a crisis of man, a failure of humanity, moral bankruptcy, spending beyond our means and search only the enjoyment at all costs, the enjoyment to myself, if I have to crush the other, a situation that must be overcome, "he said.

Similarly, the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has defended the "identity" of Europe, whose bases "were Greek philosophy, Roman law and Christian faith."

Thus, European identity is "inseparable from the dignity of the human person as the basis of all order and all that is culture that distinguishes us." In this regard, he noted that "no human being there is no future for any society, without the dignity of the human person is no future for any order."

However, the Cardinal he was "hopeful" in the future and encouraged a "conversion, again, Jesus Christ," which, starting with the same members of the Church, "will bring a big future for Europe."

NCBC Commentary on HHS Birth Control Requirements

2011-08-06T13:42:00.000-05:00

Pro-lifers of both political parties criticized the Bush Administration for failing to be "truly pro-life". For many it was an excuse to vote for Barack Obama. Whatever the legitimate complaints of Pres. Bush not advancing the pro-life cause there can no longer be any denying that we are so much worse off with President Obama. The latest act being that of the "catholic" Kathleen Sibelius and the Dept. of Health and Human Services requiring free birth control. Don't expect any outrage over this from the National Catholic Distorter crowd who are always criticizing the Vatican or our Bishops for "violating their freedom of conscience." In the world of the Left buzzwords like freedom of conscience, dialogue, openess, only apply to their rights and not anyone elses.

The National Catholic Bioethics Center has a new commentary over the HHS disregard of freedom of conscience.

Pregnancy is not a disease to be prevented, nor is the embryo an enemy who once conceived has no right of access to the nurturing womb of his or her mother. Not only do these mandates apply to all group health plans and health insurance issuers in the group and individual markets; they also apply to self-insured group health plans under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). There are few exemptions, and those pertain to group health plans which were in effect before the Health Care Reform was enacted, and those offered by employers who are deemed by HHS to qualify as a “religious employer.” The definition of a “religious employer,” however, is so narrow that its applicability negates most of the religious employers in this country. To be exempt from these new mandates an employer would have to hire and serve primarily those of one’s own faith and have the inculcation of religious values as its purpose. (Although, it does appear that, after the fact, HHS is willing to accept comment on this definition). The regulations state that this definition is consistent with most state laws in which exemptions for contraceptive coverage are allowed. The actual fact, however, is that there are only seven states with such provisions while a number of states have far more robust conscience protections. It should be noted that the Catholic Church is the largest provider of non-governmental health, education, and social services in this country. Not only are individual employers who have a moral, ethical or conscience objection to paying for contraceptives for college students—a group specially referenced as needing these “preventive health services” before going back to college—not exempt, but also the majority of faith-based ministries in the United States who are committed to serving all persons and not just those of their own faith.

These regulations reflect an utter disregard for the foundational principles of the government promulgating them, i.e., that conscience is sacrosanct. We are left to ask, “What has happened to this great country?” “When did we lose the respect for conscience which inspired the very founding of our country?” As Thomas Jefferson stated: “[O]ur rules can have authority over such natural rights only as we have submitted to them. The rights of conscience we never submitted, we could not submit. We are answerable for them to our God.” [Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), U.S. President. Notes on the State of Virginia (1787), Query 17, p. 159, ed. William Peden (1954).]

Respectful comments over this policy can be sent before September 30, 2011 to:
E-HOPSCA2713.EBSA@dol.gov

It is critical that the voices of all persons of conscience be heard, noting in particular that pregnancy is not a disease to be prevented and that contraception should not be a mandated “preventive health service.” Respect for conscience is foundational to a just society. At a minimum a robust conscience protection should be granted, not only for all religious employers, but also for all employers, insurers, and policy issuers with moral, ethical, or religious objections. As it is, the limitations contained in the regulations for religious employers make the exemption virtually meaningless.

The High Cost of Medical Care

2011-08-02T12:12:00.001-05:00

Listening to the Dennis Prager radio show this morning he had on a guest who was with the charity Cure International. It was part informational and part solicitation for funds. They were describing the cost of a medical procedure they could provide that would cost about $1000 to perform in some 3rd world country but would cost tens of thousands to $100K in the U.S. Assuming that part of this reduced cost is due to volunteer work and donated goods that is still an incredible difference. There has to be some way to bring down the costs of care in this country. If we were to equate this to another type of product or service then that is approximately a 1000% markup. It would seem that we should figure out a way to lower the costs of this type of care in this country instead of leaving the price as is and demanding more taxes or paying higher insurance premiums.

Archbishop Dolan blogs on Jesus' call to "Come Stay with Me"

2011-07-21T09:39:00.002-05:00

Archbishop Dolan in his blog, The Gospel in the Digital Age, writes on the fruits of Eucharistic Adoration.

The Church is renowned for all that we do - Catholic charities, health care, schools, youth work, love, service, and evangelization - and rightly so.

But what we do must flow from who we are - people of faith, prayer, adoration, our hearts on fire with our Lord, our best friend, the way, the truth, and the life.

If what we do does not spring from who we are, we are listless and ineffective.

When the first disciples asked Jesus about following Him, He did not say, "Come do a bunch of stuff with me." Nope - He invited them to "Come, stay with me!" Eucharistic adoration is a great way to answer that invitation.

Archbishop Chaput to Philadelphia

2011-07-19T10:25:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Archbishop Chaput who will be the next Archbishop of Philadelphia.

Bishop Aquila's Case for Earlier Reception of Sacrament of Confirmation

2011-07-13T09:48:00.000-05:00

Bishop Aquila of Fargo has made a compelling argument for moving the reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation to coincide with First Communion.

Turning to the present administration of the sacrament, Bishop Aquila questioned whether the common placement of confirmation in late adolescence treats it as “a reward, or worse, as something earned or deserved for attendance and work in a parish catechetical program.”

“Should the fear of not receiving a sacrament ever be used as a means to keep a young person involved in the life of the Church? Should the gift and strengthening of the Holy Spirit be denied young persons in their most formative years?” he asked.

Bishop Aquila also wondered whether the special attention and length of preparation given to confirmation makes many perceive it to be more important than baptism and the Eucharist.

The view that confirmation is a way for young people to make a personal commitment to their faith “distorts” the sacrament, he said.

“Confirmation is not marked by a choice to believe or not believe in the Catholic faith. Rather, as disciples, we are chosen by God to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit, to be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit generously bestowed by God, and we are called to cooperate with that grace,” he explained.

Confirmation confers a gift of the Holy Spirit that is ordered to “the life of worship,” the bishop said while summarizing Catholic thought. It helps the person achieve a “more perfect integration” into the body of Christ. This helps us understand how confirmation is ordered to the Eucharist.

In this light, it appears “odd” to have someone participate in the Eucharistic life of the Church if he or she has not received “the seal of the Holy Spirit, which perfects the personal bond with the community.”

While some have said that maturity is necessary for the sacrament, the bishop said that children can be mature spiritually.

“If they are mature enough to receive the Eucharist, the crown of the sacraments, are they not mature enough to receive a sacrament that is ordered to it?” he asked.

“I have found the third-graders to be most receptive to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and their childlike trust and wonder is beautiful to behold. Many times their ability to see the truth and have complete trust in God is strikingly better than our own. It allows for a deeper receptivity of the graces of the sacrament.”

By contrast, he said, too many young adults have regressed spiritually into a state of indifference or despondence towards God.

He suggested that restoring the order of the sacraments of initiation will aid the local community in forming effective catechesis which acknowledges growth in faith as a lifelong process.

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/bishop-aquila-confirmation-should-be-received-before-first-communion#ixzz1RzpoKbXV

I'm surprised that Bishop Aquila remains in Fargo. I met him on a retreat he gave a couple years ago and he is wonderful. No doubt he will one day move on to a much larger Diocese.

Memorial of Blessed David Gonson - Martyr of the Order of Malta

2011-07-11T23:37:00.000-05:00

Sir David Gonson was a member of an English naval family who was received into the Order at the English Auberge in Malta on 20 October 1533. He served on the ships of the Order in the Mediterranean until 1540 when he returned to England. Henry VIII had suppressed the Order in his kingdom by an Act of Parliament of 10 May 1540. David Gunston was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1540 and was condemned to death by an Act of Parliament in 1541 for denying the authority of the King in spiritual matters. He was hanged, drawn and quartered at St. Thomas' Waterings, Southwark on 12 July 1541. Pius XI declared him Blessed on 15 December 1929.

Prayer:

O God, who made of blessed David a notable champion of the Catholic faith whose martyrdom shed glory on our Order, grant that he may stimulate us to defend the unity of your holy Church. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(From: The Missal with readings of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes, & of Malta, London 1997)

SMOM - Western Assoc. Medical Clinics

2011-07-10T09:13:00.001-05:00

Rome, 09/06/2011 From the Order of Malta website in Rome.

The Western Association of the Order of Malta in the United States provides medical care free-of-charge for California’s uninsured poor and sick, who come to its two medical clinics, one in Los Angeles and the other in Oakland (near San Francisco). In the State of California, over 6.6 million people are without healthcare insurance – a rate higher than in any other state in America. As a result, many patients have received no medical care for months.

Patients often come to the Order’s clinics having lost their jobs, and therefore their healthcare insurance, and so are unable to afford the treatment needed. The clinics identify unmet medical needs, providing direct medical care when possible, and facilitate referrals to appropriate cooperating medical and social agencies. The only criteria required for admission is to be without medical insurance.

The Order of Malta Los Angeles Clinic was established in 1980 and serves approximately 1,300 patients per year. The Order of Malta Northern California Clinic in Oakland, since opening in October, 2008, has provided over 8,500 free doctor’s visits. The two clinics are staffed by volunteer physicians and nurses who together have knowledge of English, Spanish, Chinese and Tagalog (spoken by over one million people in America). Where possible, medical practitioners try to prescribe generic drugs that will cost patients no more than US$5.

Both clinics offer physical examinations, mammograms, laboratory testing, x-rays, electrocardiograms, ultrasounds and immunisation. Patients come to the clinics suffering from chronic medical conditions such as diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol and asthma. The care centres provide immunisations for tetanus and influenza and tuberculosis skin testing.

Following her first visit to the clinic with her family, Californian resident Lauren said: “This place is great. It’s a very professionally run, shiny, clean, quiet and helpful doctor’s office for people who can’t afford to pay”.

Memorial of Blessed Adrian Fortescue July 8th

2011-07-08T00:39:00.001-05:00

Adrian Fortescue was born around 1480, the son of Sir John Fortescue of Punsborne, Hertfordshire (England). He was made a Knight of the Bath in 1503 and was high in the favour of King Henry VIII, taking part in the Wars of England against France in 1513 and 1523. His personal piety is attested by his Book of Hours which survives with devotional maxims in his own hand. As a cousin of Anne Boleyn, he was present when she was crowned as Queen in 1533. Sir Adrian was twice married and had seven children. He became a confrater of the Dominicans of Oxford in 1533. In 1539 he was attainted of High Treason without trial, by an Act of Parliament which condemned fifty persons opposed to Henry VIII's ecclesiastical policies. Adrian Fortescue was beheaded on Tower Hill, London on Wednesday 9 July 1539, together with the Venerable Sir Thomas Dingley, a Knight of the Order.

The Order of St. John of Jerusalem has considered Sir Adrian as a martyr and has promoted devotion to him at least since the early seventeenth century as a member of the Order although it is believed that he was actually a "Donat" and never an actual Knight of the Order. Leo XIII declared him Blessed on 13 May 1895. His Book of Hours was recently presented to the Grand Priory of England by his descendants.

Prayer:

O God, since all things are within your power, grant through the prayers of blessed Adrian, your martyr, that we who keep his feast today may become stronger in the love of your name and hold to your holy Church even at the cost of our lives. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(From: The Missal with readings of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes, & of Malta, London 1997)

Note too the maxims of Bl. Adrian on the left side of the blog.

2011-07-04T11:56:00.000-05:00

American's owe much for their independence to the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta. Here is some interesting history from an article by David Lindsay in Malta.

Tomorrow, 4 July, the United States of America marks Independence Day but few here in Malta are perhaps aware of the fact that the Knights of the Order of St John and a number of Maltese had played a concerted role in the American Revolutionary War − on the American side of the equation. It is a little known fact that some 1,800 Maltese and Knights of the Order had enlisted in the French Navy to help the fledgling United States in its War of Independence. And, thanks to their seafaring acumen, the Maltese and the Knights, in fact, proved to be a critical element in ending the war with an American victory.

In 1781, with the help of the Maltese sailors, the French Navy defeated the British in the Battle of the Chesapeake. With the defeat, the British were unable to regroup or supply their troops. Consequently, and as a result of the victory at Chesapeake Bay, the American army forced the British surrender and the end of the war. This and other priceless lore on the early relationship between the United States and Malta had been extensively researched by the late Dr Paul Cassar who, in 1976 on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of American Independence, had published his findings in the book Early Relations between Malta and the United States of America.

Such was America’s gratitude toward Malta for its assistance in its fight for freedom that American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin himself reserved a special award of America’s first medal, the Libertas Americana, to Grand Master Emmanuel de Rohan. In 1783, in his capacity as Ambassador to France, Franklin designed and minted the medal and gave all but one medal to French officials and members of the US Congress. The only Libertas Americana medal given to another foreign official was that presented by Franklin to Grand Master de Rohan. Franklin had sent the medal to Grand Master de Rohan to specifically thank him for his support in the revolution and, in the accompanying letter, Franklin had written, “I have the honour to address to Your Eminent Highness the medal which I have lately had struck. It is an Homage of gratitude, my Lord, which is due to the interest you have taken in our cause; and we no less owe it to your virtues and to your eminent highness wise administration of government.” Franklin had also asked that the Grand Master allow American ships to come to Maltese ports. Grand Master de Rohan had replied positively to the effect that, “This monument of American liberty has a distinguished place in my cabinet. Whenever chance or commerce shall lead any of your citizens or their vessels into the ports of my island, I shall receive them with the greatest welcome.” The correspondence marked the beginning of US-Maltese diplomatic relations, and an American diplomatic presence in Malta was established in 1796. Unfortunately, Franklin’s original letter and the Libertas Americana medal awarded to Grand Master de Rohan have both been lost, despite a number of thorough searches made in the National Archives in Valletta. Luckily, the original letter from Grand Master de Rohan to Franklin still exists and is located at the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia.

Funeral Mass of Fra Freddy

2011-07-04T11:14:00.000-05:00

My confrere over at the blog of the Conventual Church of St. John of Jerusalem has posted on the funeral of Fra Freddy last week in Edinburgh. There is also a report on the pilgrimage to Chartres from this year as well as a great picture of Fra Freddy on an earlier pilgrimage carrying the liquid sustenance for lunch. I'm sorry I missed out on that.

Pope Speaks on the Corruption of Food as a Speculative Commodity

2011-07-01T23:51:00.002-05:00

From CNA/EWTN comes this news story earlier today: Fr. McNabb would have applauded this speech given to the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Pope Benedict issued strong words on Friday against financial speculators spiking food prices and pointed to family-run farms as a way to help stave off world hunger.

“Nourishment is a factor which touches on the fundamental right to life,” the Pope said.

“How can we remain silent before the fact that food has become the object of speculation and is tied to the movements of financial markets which, lacking clear rules and moral principles, seem fixated on the single objective of profit?”

St. Nicasius - Martyr of the Order of Malta

2011-07-01T00:39:00.000-05:00

Today in the Order of Malta we remember St. Nicasius who was martyred.

One of the Kameti family (who were later known as de Burgo), he was born in Sicily in the twelfth century. He became a knight of the Order of St. John, fought as one of the defenders at the siege of Acre in Palestine and was captured and beheaded there in 1187 with many others, including, it is said, his brother Ferrandino.

Prayer:

O God, every year you give us joy in the commemoration of your martyr, blessed Nicasius: grant that through his prayers and example the companions of our Order may grow in faith and always follow you with all their hearts. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(From: The Missal with readings of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes, & of Malta, London 1997)

All that is known of Saint Nicaise, a martyr Knight, is that he lived shortly after the Blessed Gerland. His picture, painted in several churches (in Saint Dominic of Palermo, Saint Catherine dell'Olivella - not far from the altar of the Madonna of Itria - Saint Mary of Miracles, in Palermo, as well as in Saint John Decapitated, in Valletta, Malta) goes to show that we are not speaking of a myth but of a martyr of our Order.

Under the effigy of Saint Nicaise, drawn on a column of Saint Dominic of Palermo, can be read this inscription, bearing witness to a popular belief:

" S. Nicasius Martyr et Miles Domini nostri Jesu Christi, multas in collo habuit glandulas et imperavit a Domino nostro Jesu Christo ut quicumque nomen suum supra se portaverit, glandulae ei nocere non poterint. Amen".

Therefore, our Knight was either scrofulous or suffered from scrofula as a consequence of his tortures. He will guard us from scrofula from his high place in heaven, on one simple condition: if our "glands" worry us or trouble our children, let us write with confidence the name of Saint Nicaise and let us wear it on us or put it in the clothing of the patient; the holy martyr will indeed know how to cure the disease he knew.

And if our curiosity impels us to know more about his life, with Frà Bosio I shall tell you to act in such a way that "we shall be worthy of knowing what he has done ... in Heaven".
(From: Ducaud-Bourget, Msgr. François: The Spiritual Heritage of The Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Vatican 1958)

Thanks to Father Gerard of the Brotherhood of Blessed Gerard which is the South African Relief Organization of the Order of Malta for his original posting of this information.

Grandmaster Fra Festing Meets with Pope Benedict

2011-06-25T21:12:00.002-05:00

Solemnity of St. John the Baptist

2011-06-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today marks the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, who is my personal patron saint as well as the patron saint of the Order of Malta.

Death of the Grand Prior of England - Fra Fredrik Crichton-Stuart

2011-06-15T14:57:00.005-05:00

It was with great sadness that I learned yesterday of the death of Fra Fredrik Crichton-Stuart, the Grand Prior of England. He was a humble and generous man whom I unfortunately never got to meet in person. Nevertheless he was a reader of my blog and offered kind words of support and encouragement. He also helped me with information from time to time regarding the history of the Order, and I'm glad to say I was even able to reciprocate a couple times, once helping to find an out of print book he sought.

Despite his illness over the past year he would always respond to emails and even last week, just a few days before his death, he sent me a picture of Blessed David Gonson, together with some additional bits of information I didn't have, for an article on him I was writing. I mentioned that I was hoping to one day write a book on the lives of the saints and blesseds of the Order and as a testimony of his kindness he promptly responded with a list of people and sources of information to help me in my endeavor. As a sign that despite his illness he was not sitting around waiting to die, he offered to photocopy some of the booklets of information for me. That last email is bittersweet as although I will fondly remember his generosity and willingness to help a fellow knight, even one he never met, I never got the chance to respond and thank him before he died. So I will thank you now Fra Freddy and pray that you are in the company of Jesus and His mother whom I know you love and will remember you in the Little Office of Our Lady which I know was one of your favorite prayers too. You probably have found out the answer to those questions on St. Nuno you were looking for. If so I would be very grateful if you can somehow pass it along. For more biographical information please see the website of the British Association.

Fra Freddy, Requiescat in Pace.

Father's Mourning of Prayer

2011-06-15T10:43:00.000-05:00

On Monday, June 20th from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. the men of the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis are called to join in a "mourning of prayer" in front of the new Planned Parenthood construction site at Charles and Vandalia in St. Paul. This is being organized by Pro-Life Action Ministries and the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis and you can visit their website for more details.

St. Fleur of Beaulieu - Virgin of the Order of Malta

2011-06-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Fleur, or Flora, was born about 1300 at Maurs in the diocese of Saint-Flour (France) and took the veil as a girl of thirteen in the monastery of the Sisters of St. John of Jerusalem at Beaulieu, in the diocese of Cahors (France), where she devoted herself to tending the poor and the sick in the hospital attached to the monastery. Attractions and temptations she sublimated in the love of God and even in mystical experiences. She had a special devotion to Christ Crucified, Our Lady of the Annunciation and St. John the Baptist. She died in 1347 and her relics are still in the church at Issendolus, in the diocese of Cahors.

Prayer:

Almighty and merciful God, who wished blessed Fleur to love and live as a virgin in the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, grant that, following her example, we also may love you more and more. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(From: The Missal with readings of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes, & of Malta, London 1997)

The last jewel in that glorious crown, and the most charming of all, is indeed that Saint Fleur the details of whose life we do not know. But we do possess the essentials of that life: she died at the age of 37 or 38, in 1299; she was one of the 38 professed cloistered nuns of the Hospital of Beaulieu, in Quercy, in the diocese of Cahors, which depended on the Priory of Saint Giles in Provence.

Like many saints, Saint Fleur was subject to the suspicions of her mother superior who could not admit or imagine the eminent virtue of her inferior and tried to catch her at fault. Saint Fleur was greatly addicted to giving alms to the poor, and the abbess thought that the young nun was taking food needed by the community to distribute it among the indigent. One day, the abbess followed the young sister and forced her to show what she was carrying in the folds of her cloak. The suspicious woman had the pleasure of admiring the superb purple-red flowers that the Lord had substituted for the charitable offerings of the saint, who from that time on has borne the name of her miracle.

She leas buried in the church of Beaulieu, where she had sung in the choir with her companions, according to the rule of Frà William of Vallareto. She worked numerous miracles in that city.

Her feast day is celebrated on June 11.

At the Hospital of Beaulieu, this prayer used to be recited from time immemorial:

"O God Who hast deigned to take into heaven Thy blessed virgin, Saint Fleur, we ask Thee, by her merits and prayers, to pardon us our sins, to defend us in our perils, to deliver us from all our enemies, visible and invisible and to make us think often of heavenly things. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen".

Is there a more fragrant close to this enumeration of saints than this delightful figure of a virgin surrounded by roses? She predicted another virgin who showered the earth with the miraculous petals of her immortal crown. It depends on us alone to receive her grace by invoking her as our ancestors did, and constraining her affectionately to forego her heavenly rest for a moment to help her brothers and sisters of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, who love her and pray to her, who wish to imitate her virtues and hope with all their hearts to walk in her footsteps in the flagrance of her eternal roses.

(From: Ducaud-Bourget, Msgr. François: The Spiritual Heritage of The Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Vatican 1958)

St. Ubaldesca - Virgin Order of Malta

2011-05-28T12:58:00.002-05:00

Today is the Memorial of St. Ubaldesca, Virgin of the Order of Malta.

St. Ubaldesca was born in Calcinaia, near Pisa, in 1136 and joined the Order of St. John of Jerusalem at the age of fifteen. She worked for fifty-five years in the infirmary attached to the monastery at Pisa, caring for her neighbour out of love of God. She died on 28 May 1206 and her body was taken back to Calcinaia where it is enshrined.

Prayer:

O God, pride of the humble lover of virginity, you called Saint Ubaldesca to the religious life in the Order of St. John of Jerusalem: grant that through her prayers and example we may rejoice in being humble and follow you, with pure minds. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(From: The Missal with readings of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes, & of Malta, London 1997)

For more information on this remarkable saint you can read the article I wrote on her, found on page 5 of the quarterly publication of the American Association, Hospitallers .

New Notre Dame Trustee Denies She Knew Emily's List was Pro-Abort

2011-05-27T22:01:00.001-05:00

Roxanne Martino in a classic case of CYA has denied being aware that the organization that she gave nearly $20K to, Emily's List, promoted abortion. And if you believe that . . . well let's just say it is hard to believe that a person of her business acumen was entirely unaware of the immoral activities of an organization she donated a substantial amount of money to. On the other hand perhaps she is simply acting like Mr. Kruger in this classic episode from Seinfeld. I couldn't shorten the clip to the exact point so you will have to click to about the 1:05 mark to see the comparison. Of course the whole clip is rather classic and if you are not familiar with "The Human Fund" you'll need to watch the beginning.

Reflections on Bishop Sheen from Msgr. Soseman

2011-05-26T08:14:00.001-05:00

Msgr. Sosemen of the Diocese of Peoria asks in one of his daily reflections, do you know Bishop Sheen? Why Not? I have posted it here and for those who haven't yet gotten to truly know him I encourage you to do so. Yesterday Bishop Jenky of Peoria presented the, Positio, on Bishop Sheen to Pope Benedict. This was the next step towards the canonization of Bishop Sheen.

Peter John Sheen. Fulton John Sheen. Monsignor Sheen. Bishop Sheen. Archbishop Fulton John Sheen. Over the years I have gotten to know all the facets of this great man's life, known in various ways by the abundance of people who came into his life.

His family members, who knew him as a studious brother, a kind uncle, a famous relative.

The young engaged couple, struggling financially, he a Protestant, resistant to the Church, she a Catholic. Bishop Sheen met with them frequently, and later performed their marriage ceremony.

Servant of God, Archbishop Fulton John Sheen

The young street sweeper in Baltimore, who, seeing the Monsignor on the street early in the morning asked to speak to him. "Walk with me to the bus station, I am late for a bus," he was told. He wrote to the Peoria office that through 60 years he has thought of these 20 minutes every day, as motivation for his life.

The drunk on the streets of Manhattan who went to Confession to Bishop Sheen, very late one night. Bishop Sheen bought him a train ticket home. His brother called rejoicing: our lost brother, husband and father has been sent back to us!

The man whose infant daughter had suffered a high fever for two weeks in a Long Island Hospital: "your daughter will never come out of this," he was told "but if she does she will be a vegetable." Bishop Sheen, asked to stop in the room when he was visiting the hospital, prayed over her, looked up, and said "Your daughter's fever will break during the night, tomorrow she will be released from the hospital." The girl's father wrote, 58 years later, telling what a wonderful nurse his daughter had become.

The untold thousands who, moved by the words of Bishop Sheen, were moved to encounter our Lord in the Church.

The untold thousands who, even after Archbishop Sheen's death, have been moved by his example, by his words, and have sought his intercession at the throne of the Heavenly Father.

Just recently I heard of a baby, whose heart stopped at birth. 61 minutes in the delivery room the medical personnel worked to restart the heart, to no avail. The parents decided to entrust their baby's life to Archbishop Sheen's intercession, asking for life, asking that there be no brain damage. In the 62nd minute life came. No brain damage.

Do you know Bishop Sheen? Why not?

New Notre Dame Trustee Donated Thousands to Pro-Abortion Groups

2011-05-23T23:30:00.004-05:00

Is it impossible for Notre Dame to find a trustee who doesn't support pro-abortion groups. No matter how weak their argument for inviting President Obama to be the commencement speaker was was this seems even worse.

Two weeks ago, the Cardinal Newman Society discovered that Roxanne M. Martino, a newly-appointed member of the trustees board, contributed $16,150 to the pro-abortion group EMILY’s List between 2005 and 2008. The watchdog group also uncovered information showing Martino gave donations to the Chicago Foundation for Women, which supports various pro-abortion groups including Planned Parenthood. http://blog.cardinalnewmansociety.org/2011/05/11/new-notre-dame-trustee-gave-thousands-to-pro-abortion-group/

Martino has given a total of somewhere between $3,250 and $5,996 to the pro-abortion Chicago Foundation for Women between 2004 and 2011, CNS notes.

The Sycamore Trust, the alumni group concerned for Notre Dame’s Catholic identity, followed up on the CNS report and contacted Notre Dame officials, who did not dispute the information in the CNS report. In fact, the donations to pro-abortion groups from Martino is higher than previously established.

Maybe those in charge at Notre Dame should hear the homily from Cardinal Bertone to Caritas, then again if they are going to ignore the Pope why would they pay attention to him. Read more of the story here.

Cardinal Bertone Reminds Caritas International of It's Christian Mission

2011-05-23T23:10:00.000-05:00

Cardinal Bertone spoke to the General Assembly of Caritas International on Sunday and reminded them that their mission is not to be just another humanitarian agency among many but must assert its Christian identity.

The full mission of Caritas Internationalis is thus carried out in the Church. This agency, along with all the national diocesan and parish offices, offers the faithful a privileged opportunity to participate in the Church’s mission and to draw near to Jesus Christ. “For the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity which could equally well be left to others, but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being”. This ecclesial charity has a twofold expression one within the community, another reaching out to all. First, within the Church herself, as a family,“no one ought to go without the necessities of life … no member should suffer through being in need; at the same time, caritas-agape surpasses the “confines” of the ecclesial community and following the example of the Good Samaritan, shoulders the needs of our brothers and sisters whosoever they may be.

The Church’s charitable activity, like that of Christ, could never be limited to assisting people’s material needs, however urgent and immediate those needs might be. A humanitarian assistance which would habitually prescind from its Christian identity, adapting a “neutral” approach seeking to please everyone, would risk, even in cases where it obtained its immediate goals, failing to offer men and women a fine service consonant with their full dignity. Thus, even without wishing to do so, theywould eventually foster in those whom they assist a materialistic mentality which the latter would then bring to other relationships and to their approach to social issues. In a word: the Church must not only practice charity, but practice it as Christ did.

Blessed Vilmos Apor - Chaplain SMOM

2011-05-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the memorial for Blessed Vilmos Apor Chaplain ad honorem of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta. He was a Bishop and Martyr.

Vilmos (William) Apor, born 1892, was a Hungarian bishop who earned a special reputation for his service to the poor, especially during the months of hardship that came at the end of World War II. He was also known for his hard work, his efforts for social justice and his protection of the weak. He provided emergency supplies to Jews being deported through his town. Named Bishop of Gÿor in 1941, he chose as his episcopal motto: "Crux firmat mitem, mitigat fortem".
“The Cross strengthens the weak and makes the strong gentle.”

During the many air raids he opened his home to those whose houses had been destroyed. When Russian troops entered the city in 1945, many women including religious took refuge in his episcopal residence. On Good Friday 1945 three Russian soldiers came to the residence and demanded that the women be taken to their barracks. Bishop Apor refused and placed himself in front of the women. One of the Russians shot and wounded him. Out of fear they then fled, leaving the women unmolested. Bishop Apor lived in great agony for three days and died on Easter Monday. His last words, "The sacrifice was worthwile".

Almighty and Eternal God, through your grace, Bishop William, by courageously
shedding his blood for his flock, earned a martyr’s crown.
Grant that we, despite the difficulties of our daily lives, may do your will and offer our good works for the salvation of our brothers and sisters.
We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen

Film Review: Stone of Destiny

2011-05-20T22:18:00.000-05:00

While the majority of the offerings on the streaming side of Netflix are junk (aside from some classic TV shows you can't find anymore) occasionally you stumble across some film that is worthwhile. We came across one that we watched recently and it was an enjoyable film, the Stone of Destiny. It is based upon the true story of a group of young Scots, who plan (and succeed) in stealing the Stone of Scone which is a symbol of English rule over Scotland.

George Weigel Responds to the Critics of the John Jay Report Regarding Sexual Abuse Crisis

2011-05-19T22:46:00.001-05:00

George Weigel has done a good job in answering the "usual suspects" who are apopletic over the release of the John Jay Report that connects the sexual abuse crisis in the Church with the sexual and secular cultural revolution that began in the 1960's. Here is an excerpt from the article which can be read at National Review Online.

The American narrative of the Catholic Church’s struggles with the clerical sexual abuse of the young has been dominated by several tropes firmly set in journalistic concrete: that this was and is a “pedophilia” crisis; that the sexual abuse of the young is an ongoing danger in the Church; that the Catholic Church was and remains a uniquely dangerous environment for young people; that a high percentage of priests were abusers; that abusive behavior is more likely from celibates, such that a change in the Church’s discipline of priestly celibacy would be important in protecting the young; that the Church’s bishops were, as a rule, willfully negligent in handling reports of abuse; that the Church really hasn’t learned any lessons from the revelations that began in the Long Lent of 2002.

But according to an independent, $1.8 million study conducted by New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice, commissioned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and released on May 18, every one of these tropes is false.

Two: The “crisis” of clerical sexual abuse in the United States was time-specific. The incidence of abuse spiked in the late 1960s and began to recede dramatically in the mid-1980s. In 2010, seven credible cases of abuse were reported in a church that numbers over 65 million adherents. (Of course the sexual revolution continues, as do cases of sexual abuse, except they are even more rarely committed by priests now than before. Look at any offender today and undoubtedly you will find a computer full of pornography close by. But just try and get the Times to go after the porn industry.)

Malta Auxiliary Corps

2011-05-18T16:05:00.001-05:00

The Malta Auxiliary Corps works in association with the Order of Malta to supports its mission of serving the sick and the poor. Some activities Auxiliary members can be involved in are visiting the sick and elderly in hospitals and nursing homes, feeding the poor and homeless in soup kitchens as well as many others. One particular effort of the Order of Malta in the U.S. is in prison ministry and we are really hoping to build that ministry here in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Auxiliary members also have the opportunity to join the Knights and Dames in taking Malades (French for "the sick") on the annual pilgrimage to Lourdes. If you would like more information visit the following links:

Order of Malta American Association Auxiliary Corps

Auxiliary Corps Membership Policy

We have a growing group in the Twin Cities so if you think you would be interested please leave me a comment or send me an email.

Harmon Killebrew - R.I.P

2011-05-17T13:03:00.004-05:00

A sad day for baseball fans as Harmon Killebrew succombs to his battle with cancer. As great as a player as he was perhaps it is fitting that he will be remembered for the person that he was off the field. In the sportsworld there are many anti-hero's but Harmon Killebrew was not one of them. As the statement from Twins President Dave St. Peter says, his legacy will the class, dignity and humility that he demonstrated throughout his life. Harmon Killebrew, requiescat in pace.

May 17, 2011 – Hall of Fame slugger Harmon Killebrew has passed away at age 74 after a long-running battle with esophageal cancer.

"No individual has ever meant more to the Minnesota Twins organization and millions of fans across Twins Territory than Harmon Killebrew. Harmon will long be remembered as one of the most prolific home run hitters in the history of the game and the leader of a group of players who helped lay the foundation for the long-term success of the Twins franchise and Major League Baseball in the Upper Midwest. However, more importantly Harmon’s legacy will be the class, dignity and humility he demonstrated each and every day as a Hall of Fame-quality husband, father, friend, teammate and man. The Twins extend heartfelt sympathies and prayers to the Killebrew family at this difficult time."

- Dave St. Peter, President, Minnesota Twins Baseball Club

“Harmon was a Hall of Famer on and off the field. He was baseball's version of Paul Bunyan, with his prodigious home run power, leading by example in the clubhouse and on the field. Off the field, he emanated class, dignity, and warmth, and he was a great humanitarian. He was so down-to-earth, you would never realize he was a baseball legend. It’s ironic that his nickname was ‘Killer,’ as he was one of the nicest, most generous individuals to ever walk the earth.”

- Jeff Idelson, Hall of Fame President

A native of Idaho, Killebrew made his name in baseball in the nation's capital near the end of the '50s, underscored it many times in 14 summers playing for the Twins in Minnesota, wrapped up his career with one final season in Kansas City, and eventually found a permanent baseball address in Cooperstown, N.Y., among the most prominent names in the game's long history.

English Catholics Set to Dust Off Their Tuna Casserole Recipes

2011-05-14T08:28:00.000-05:00

From Zenit News comes this encouraging story out of England. Hopefully the U.S. Bishops will follow suit.

The bishops of England and Wales are re-establishing the practice of abstaining from meat on Fridays as a penance to identify with Christ on the cross.

"Every Friday is set aside by the Church as a special day of penance, for it is the day of the death of our Lord," a statement of resolutions from the assembly reminded. "The law of the Church requires Catholics to abstain from meat on Fridays, or some other form of food, or to observe some other form of penance laid down by the Bishops’ Conference." (Most people have forgotten or are unaware that some form of penance is still required)

"The Bishops wish to re-establish the practice of Friday penance in the lives of the faithful as a clear and distinctive mark of their own Catholic identity," the statement announced.

The prelates added that it is "important that all the faithful be united in a common celebration of Friday penance."

After 40 Years the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Extraordinary Form in the Twin Cities

2011-05-13T14:08:00.004-05:00

After 40 years the Sacrament of Confirmation was held again in the Extraordinary Form at the Church of St. Agnes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. On Wednesday May 11th, twenty seven young men and women received this Sacrament with the customary slap on the cheek from Fr. Ubel, the pastor of St. Agnes, who was designated to administer the Sacrament by Archbishop John Nienstedt. Following the administration of Confirmation a High Mass was celebrated by Fr. Ubel. Archbishop Nienstedt has promised to continue this tradition next year, mostly likely on the eve of Pentecost. I have posted a couple pictures but apologize for their quality.

Sculpture of BVM "Descent from the Cross" in Cathedral Notre Dame

2011-05-08T11:37:00.001-05:00

During one of the reflections given on our pilgrimage, Fr. Joseph Callipare talked about a sculpture of Mary holding Jesus which is found behind the main altar at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. This beautiful Pieta by Nicolas Coustou depicts the "Descent from the Cross." Since it was unfamiliar to many of us I thought I would post it here. It is a reminder of how works of art can teach us the Faith more deeply.

After New Constitution, Hungary Launches Pro-Life Ad Campaign | LifeNews.com

2011-05-08T10:06:00.002-05:00

Last month Hungary adopted a new constitution that includes an article which protects life from the moment of conception.

Article II states: “Human dignity shall be inviolable. Every human being shall have the right to life and human dignity; embryonic and foetal life shall be subject to protection from the moment of conception.”

After New Constitution, Hungary Launches Pro-Life Ad Campaign | LifeNews.com

Lourdes Pilgrimage 2011

2011-05-06T09:43:00.002-05:00

It was my wife's first time on the Lourdes pilgrimage and she really lucked out, being able to meet both the Grand Master, Fra Festing, and also the Prelate of the Order, Archbishop Acerbi.

Reflections on Lourdes Pilgrimage from Archbishop Dolan

2011-05-06T09:36:00.002-05:00

My wife and I had blessing of being on the pilgrimage to Lourdes this year with our fellow Knights and Dames of Malta and also the good fortune of having Archbishop Dolan along with us as our chaplain. As usual his homilies were wonderful. He has written a beautiful article on the pilgrimage, reminding us of our Blessed Mother's love for us in his weekly column in Catholic New York which you can read here.

Spiritual Reflections From the Retreat of the Grand Priory of England

2011-04-20T19:44:00.001-05:00

Last week the Grand Priory of England held their Annual Order retreat for men at Douai Abbey, Berkshire. Two papers given by the Chaplain of the Grand Priory, Msgr Antony Conlon are available at the Conventual Church of St. John of Jerusalem's blog,

There is always a danger that our hearts are far from where they ought to be, slightly envious of those who have less regard for virtue and yet seem to prosper and be well regarded. Though we stay this side of outright wickedness and carry out what is expected of us, our loyalty may be tainted with suspicion and some regret as the years go by. Does God notice what we do and allow us to feel good about it or, like the father in the story show no indication of His love despite our daily attempts at faithful service? The apparent silence of God about so many things that perplex and annoy us can result in our spiritual life becoming a routine of ritual engagements rather than a filial relationship with a Father who loves us and has given us everything When fervour and joy are absent from our service, as in the example of the elder son, we all too easily fall into the state of detached formality. This in turn can deprive us of charity towards others and a heightened sense of awareness of their faults in comparison to our own imagined virtue.
Seeing his younger sibling return from fruitless dissipation and yet welcomed unreservedly, the elder son perceived the mercy and compassion shown to him as injustice, and the celebration of his conversion as a waste of time and effort. Our own version of this attitude might be rash judgement of those who appear foolish or sense of superiority over the weak disposition of others. If this is so, it makes our own conversion less likely. A devout soul can, by dwelling too much with disgust on the wrongs of others, lose the power to see where he himself has gone wrong and is too convinced of his own sense of grievance to be aware of his distance from charity and humility. We who clothe ourselves with the mantle of religion have to be on our guard that it is not a pretext for self-righteousness in any of its forms.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen Cause Moves Ahead

2011-04-19T12:12:00.000-05:00

Despite some bumps in the road over the past year the cause for canonization of Archbishop Sheen is advancing to the next step. Bishop Jenky will be presenting the completed "Positio" to Pope Benedict next month and once this is completed the investigation into a possible miracle will be possible. See the full story here. Archbishop Fulton Sheen Cause Moves Ahead

SNAP Psychiatrist Sentenced for Child Porn Possession

2011-04-19T12:02:00.000-05:00

Anybody seen this story in the NYT? SNAP Psychiatrist Sentenced for Child Porn Possession

New Prison Ministry Program in Malta

2011-04-13T20:20:00.000-05:00

The interaction of the American and Maltese Associations of the Order of Malta has led to the development of a new prison ministry program on Malta. From the SMOM website in Rome,

The Maltese Assocation of the Order of Malta has initiated a Prison Ministry Project aimed at providing a visiting service to inmates of foreign nationality at the Young Offenders Unit Rehabilitation Service in Corradino, Malta. The inmates, all aged between twenty and twenty-five years old, have come to Malta from across the globe and are mostly in prison pending their court cases being heard and judgements issued. In this capacity they can be held for a lengthly period of time and, without family in Malta, lack any form of humanitarian contact with the outside world. The Prison Ministry Project will reach out to those inmates who will best benefit from the individual guidance, companionship and friendship that this project provides.

In preparation for the first visit the Maltese Association’s team took care to specially select volunteers who would best interact with each individual inmate. Following this first meeting inmates and volunteers will come together every fortnight to continue the development of this new social activity. Afterwards, it was agreed that the project would be both a beneficial and valuable ministry, and that it’s developement will become an important part of the Maltese Association’s activities.

This project came about as a result of interaction between the Maltese Association and the Order of Malta’s American Association, which has been running a regular prison ministry since 2006. The American Association’s prison ministry began as a small local venture and now its activities reach inmates across the United States.

Will Obama Applaud Pro-Life Effort During 40 Days for Life?

2011-04-04T13:33:00.000-05:00

President Obama says he wants to keep abortion safe, legal and rare. Since personally he really doesn't want to see babies aborted (although he nevertheless approves a women's right to murder her unborn child) do you think that at the end of 40 Days for Life he will make a public statement applauding the efforts of those involved in saving what could amount to 500 babies? Just asking.

Letter of St. Gregory Nazianzen on Serving the Poor

2011-04-02T17:24:00.000-05:00

In today's morning office is this letter from St. Gregory

From a sermon by Saint Gregory of Nazianzen, bishop
(Oratio 14, De pauperum amore, 38. 40: PG 35, 907. 910)

Serve Christ in the poor

Blessed are the merciful, because they shall obtain mercy, says the Scripture. Mercy is not the least of the beatitudes. Again: Blessed is he who is considerate to the needy and the poor. Once more: Generous is the man who is merciful and lends. In another place: All day the just man is merciful and lends. Let us lay hold of this blessing, let us earn the name of being considerate, let us be generous.

Not even night should interrupt you in your duty of mercy. Do not say: Come back and I will give you something tomorrow. There should be no delay between your intention and your good deed. Generosity is the one thing that cannot admit of delay.

Share your bread with the hungry, and bring the needy and the homeless into your house, with a joyful and eager heart. He who does acts of mercy should do so with cheerfulness. The grace of a good deed is doubled when it is done with promptness and speed. What is given with a bad grace or against one’s will is distasteful and far from praiseworthy.

When we perform an act of kindness we should rejoice and not be sad about it. If you undo the shackles and the thongs, says Isaiah, that is, if you do away with miserliness and counting the cost, with hesitation and grumbling, what will be the result? Something great and wonderful! What a marvellous reward there will be: Your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will rise up quickly. Who would not aspire to light and healing.

If you think that I have something to say, servants of Christ, his brethren and co-heirs, let us visit Christ whenever we may; let us care for him, feed him, clothe him, welcome him, honor him, not only at a meal, as some have done, or by anointing him, as Mary did, or only by lending him a tomb, like Joseph of Arimathaea, or by arranging for his burial, like Nicodemus, who loved Christ half-heartedly, or by giving him gold, frankincense and myrrh, like the Magi before all these others.

The Lord of all asks for mercy, not sacrifice, and mercy is greater than myriads of fattened lambs. Let us then show him mercy in the persons of the poor and those who today are lying on the ground, so that when we come to leave this world they may receive us into everlasting dwelling places, in Christ our Lord himself, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Archbishop Dolan Visits Prison on Staten Island

2011-03-29T13:16:00.003-05:00

Archbishop Dolan went to visit those who could not come to him when he went and said Mass for the inmates at Arthur Kill Correctional Facility yesterday morning.

"A lot of people come see me. You couldn't come see me, could you? So I wanted to see you," Dolan said.

Convicted murderer Kevin White honored the archbishop with an original song of inspiration and strength. "It's very reassuring for those who have made permanent changes in their lives, like myself and the others who are inside this prison and those who are striving to make changes," White said.

"He is our bishop and our friend. And that is more important to me, that I could actually talk to him, shake his hand, it means everything in the world to me," said Antonio Quiles, an inmate.

Archbishop Dolan timed his visit during this season of Lent to praise the prisoners for their spiritual growth and acceptance of God's mercy.

"Can you imagine guys that everything in the world is going wrong for them? And here they are singing and praying and smiling and happy and welcoming. That gives me inspiration and hope!" Dolan said.

To see the full report click here.

Arson Attack on Minneapolis Life Care Center

2011-03-25T14:53:00.000-05:00

I received this letter from the Director of the North Side Life Care Center, a pregnancy care center in north Minneapolis. Thankfully little damage was done. Can you believe though that this incident did not make the local newspaper. (OK so that was rhetorical) One can only imagine the news coverage if someone had attempted to torch a Planned Parenthood clinic or other abortuary.

On Saturday night someone tried to throw a molotov cocktail ( homemade "bomb" filled with accelerant with the intent of causing arson) into one of the windows at North Side Life Care Center. The device failed to ignite so the damage done to North Side was minimal compared to what it could have been.
The facts surrounding this attempt suggest that an unhappy man, whose girl friend changed her mind about abortion, is trying to retaliate. At this point, we don't know.

A friend reminded me yesterday that if we are not being harassed in some way by the enemy, we are not doing our job. This incident tells me that we are right on track!

God has always protected North Side Life Care Center and continues to do so. We are so thankful that our Father loves us and is holding us securely in His arms.

Memorial of Blessed Clemens August Graf von Galen

2011-03-22T00:47:00.000-05:00

Today is the memorial of Blessed Clemens August Graf von Galen, a member of the Order of Malta.

As his motto, he chose the formula of the rite of episcopal consecration: "Nec laudibus, nec timore" (Neither praise nor threats will distance me from God).

A more complete bio of his life can be read here in a post from last year.

Better That God Be Merciful Than Fair

2011-03-20T20:16:00.000-05:00

Msgr. Pope has written another fine piece on the Archdiocese of Washington blog on why we should be grateful for God's mercy.

It is a rather dangerous thing demand that God be fair. How easily we can declare of many circumstances. “That’s not fair!” But when it comes to the Lord, a little friendly advice is helpful: Be VERY careful before you ask God to be fair. If God were fair we’d all be in Hell right now. As it is, God is merciful and none of us have ever really gotten the punishment we deserved. Notice that God answers the accusation that it is unfair for him to punish the sinner in a twofold way:

1. Your Choice – If a person sins and does not repent of it he will die (i.e. descend to hell). But that is his choice to stay in sin and thus incur the cosequence that he dies spiritually and cannot see eternal life. It is our choice that is determinative of this.

2. Choose Mercy! God also answers with a sort of plea that we call on his mercy instead. God is a God of the second chance. And, rather than give us the fairness we seek in a misguided way, we bids us call on his mercy, repent and he will hear and save us. For if a person repent he will live! Scripture says elsewhere: As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?‘ (Ezekiel 33:11). Again, God our savior wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). And again, The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

Our Suffering Is A Means To Comfort The Whole World

2011-03-14T22:37:00.000-05:00

In his book, The Divine Pity, A Study In he Social Imlications of the Beatitudes, Fr. Gerald Vann O.P., has this to say on the beatitude, Blessed are they that mourn . . .

The most practical application of all that we have been thinking is indeed this; that whatever suffering and sorrow may come to you, and whenever it come, it can be used, and ought to be used, in the power and in the company of Christ for the healing and the comforting of the world as a whole; and in that sharing of the sorrow of the world as a whole you can find your understanding and your heart immeasurably enlarged, enlarged indeed to something remotely approaching the fullness of the stature of Christ.

From the earthquake in Japan there is obviously a great need for healing and comfort. What a great opportunity then, as we begin Lent, to join the particular sufferings and trials that will undoubtedly come our way and bring some measure of comfort and relief to so many people

Meditation on "Rights" by Fr. Bede Jarrett

2011-03-05T15:05:00.002-06:00

In his book, Meditations for Layfolk, Fr. Bede Jarrett asks the question, What constitutes a right? We hear the word frequently and it is used equally as a cry for freedom from the oppressed as well as to justify the tyranny of the oppressors.

I. Every rebel against authority takes to himself the name of right, and every act of authority bases itself on the same sacred claim.

How am I to know in my own case and in the cases of others, what is meant by the word? How can I tell whether I really have a right to this or that?

I am led to this thought first of all, that the word right is not primary but secondary; that is to say, it is based upon something else which is even more sacred. Every right is dependent on some duty which must precede it. I can have no rights except in so far as I have duties; and apart from what I owe to God, myself, and my neighbor, I have no real justification for any of my rights. That is the first and most important idea that I have to impress upon my mind, the intimate relation between the two things; so that I should never in my mind think of one without thinking also of the other (Try finding that concept in the Declaration of the Rights of Man, the U.N.'s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, or even our own Bill of Rights for that matter.)

II. Rights must, therefore, be described as the means to achieve duties. Once I find that I have a duty to perform, I shall find all sorts of conclusions following at once, and these conclusions establish definite rights. . . I may, therefore, quite shortly define a right as the necessary means to achieve an essential end.

III. This enlarges at once my idea of my rights, and imposes a responsibility on me on every occasion that I use the sacred word. I cannot claim anything as a moral right until I can prove that it is necessary for the fulfilment of some essential duty. Hence it is that if I can keep this idea well before my mind, I am in little danger of getting selfish in my life. If, whenever I find myself speaking of my rights (even in ordinary conversation), I set to work at once to see whether they are rights at all and what corresponding duties they oblige me to perform, I shall find that I shall not be so quick or so insistent in asserting them.It is a pity that the word "right" has become so popular a word, and they word "duty" so dull and respectable: for many people cannot stop speaking of the one who imagine it to be old-fashioned even to mention the other. Duties themselves do, indeed, demand in their performance some tax upon my pleasure or my will. I must deny myself something: to do what I ought to do, there must always be some self-sacrifice. My rights, therefore, become nothing more than the requisite opportunities for denying my own will. Let me clamor never for rights, but for the better understanding of my own destiny, and only assert that I must be allowed to fulfil my duty. Let me never use the word "right" without the swift consciousness of the duty involved: for rights from the very nature of the thing have nothing at all to do with private privileges (which are exceptions on the whole to be reprobated, and seldom if ever to be demanded), but sacred obligations.

There are obviously limitless situations that we can look at in light of this meditation but one in particular that comes to mind was the recent decision by SCOTUS regarding the 1st Amendment Case recently decided involving the Westboro Baptist Church. It seems to me that Justice Alito was right in his dissenting opinion.

When Should Children Start Dating? Thoughts From Dr. Ray

2011-03-02T16:37:00.000-06:00

When do you think children should date? How young is too young? Dr. Guarandi writes with his usual good humor and insight on the subject in a column which can be read at Fathers for Good. Here is an excerpt.

your peers, the parents of your children’s friends. They will say:

“These are different times. This is not when you and I were growing up. These kids grow up so much faster nowadays. You can’t protect them forever. You can’t wrap a moral bubble around them. They have to deal with life. If you make kids too different, they’ll feel like weirdos who don’t fit in. Then they’ll get resentful and rebellious.”

Let me share with you a rule. A recent survey suggested that if a child has a first date between the ages of 11 and 13, he or she has a 90% probability of being sexually active during senior year in high school. First date at age 14 leads to a 50% chance; first date at age 16, 20% chance.

What chance would you prefer? What chance is much of society taking?

Key factors to consider in granting any type of dating freedom are your child’s:

• moral maturity
• independence of thought
• history of conduct in other social settings
• strength of will
• social judgment
• choice of friends
• responsibility toward schoolwork
• respect for authority.

I figure if I make the list long enough, my kids won’t be eligible to date until they move out.

Once you are confident your son or daughter has met these standards, sit them down, let them know how much you admire who they are and who they’re becoming. Then tell them, “Just three more years, and you can date.”

Just kidding – sort of.

Dr. Guarendi is a family psychologist, radio host and author. He can be reached through his website, http://www.drray.com/

Reflection on Dealing with the Suffering of the Dying

2011-03-01T08:57:00.002-06:00

Fr. Tad Pacholczyk wrote an insightful column in the Long Island Catholic that can be helpful especially to those of us in our vocation of serving the sick.

Working through a hard death
February 16, 2011 | Vol. 49, No.42 |FATHER TAD PACHOLCZYK

Caregivers and health care professionals can and often do greatly assist those who are suffering and dying. Even with careful pain management and comfort measures, however, the dying process can still be agonizing and difficult. Each death has a unique and particular trajectory, but even the most difficult and unpleasant deaths often have powerful graces and remarkable opportunities for growth mysteriously interwoven into them.
. . .
No stranger to death and dying, this nurse had assisted countless other patients with pain, air and hunger management. During her mom’s final hours, she had significantly increased morphine doses per hospice protocols, but with little or no apparent relief. Her mother’s death ended up being very hard. Reflecting on it afterwards, she realized that if she had not been both a health care professional and a person who trusted deeply in God, she would have been, to use her own words, “out of my mind with horror.”

Why certain deaths are so much harder than others is no easier to explain than why certain lives are so much harder than others. It gives us pause, though, to ask whether suffering doesn’t have some hidden but important meaning, however it enters our lives. As we seek to use the tools of medicine to alleviate the suffering of those who are dying, we realize how delicate a balancing act it can be, fraught with difficult decisions about dosages and interventions, and not always guaranteed to work. When pain and suffering cannot be alleviated, patients ought to be helped to appreciate the Christian understanding of redemptive suffering.

The nurse described how she and her mother had experienced this Christian understanding themselves: “My mom and I prayed hard and much over this past year. She was expected to die a year ago. As we began to understand that she was actually improving and that she (and I) had been given this gift of time, we became increasingly devoted to the Divine Mercy of Jesus. I am of the opinion that God gave Mom an opportunity to be on the cross with Him.”

Real suffering engages a lot of complex emotions. We may worry that our crosses will be more than we can bear. We may not see how our sufferings could really have any value or meaning. In the end, suffering can make us bitter or it can make us better, depending upon how we respond to it and use it to enter into deeper union with the Lord who suffered and died a hard death for us.

I’m reminded of a story I once heard about a priest in Poland who taught at the seminary. Each year, there had been fewer candidates entering the seminary, rarely more than eight or nine, and it was becoming a serious concern for the seminary and the diocese. One day, this priest learned he had a terminal illness, with only a few months to live. Shortly afterwards, he turned to God and said: “Lord Jesus, I will do my best to offer up the sufferings that lie ahead of me, whatever they may be, but I would ask that you send us 18 new candidates for next year’s incoming class.” The good priest faced an excruciating death, but a few months later when the candidates started showing up at the seminary, there were exactly 18 new students in the class.

His story speaks of how suffering has meaning whenever we unite it to the redemptive sufferings of Christ. Our sufferings and struggles are an important, albeit temporary, part of our journey. They are a harbinger of a greater destiny and a promise of our transformation. Pope John Paul II once described it this way: “The cross of Christ throws salvific light, in a most penetrating way, on man’s life ... the cross reaches man together with the resurrection.” Our experience of suffering and death, even a very hard death, offers us mysterious and dramatic graces, with the reassurance that God himself is ever near to those who carry their cross.

Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D. is a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, MA, and serves as Director of Education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. See www.ncbcenter.org

Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis Men's Conference

2011-02-28T13:55:00.000-06:00

Archbishop Niensted calls all men of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to join him on the morning of March 12th at the Cathedral of St. Paul for a conference on The Crucial Role of Men in the Archdiocese. The schedule is as follows:

7-8am Registration at Cathedral of St. Paul

     Eucharistic Adoration, Confessions, Rosary

8:00 am Mass at Cathedral of St. Paul

     Archbishop Nienstedt presiding

9:00 am Breakfast sandwiches

9:30 am Presenters including Fr. Bill Baer, Dave Rinaldi,

     Dr. John Buri and Archbishop Nienstedt

11:45 am Closing Announcements and Final Blessing

     Special appearance by Wes Walz, former Minnesota Wild

Receive the early bird rate of $15 by signing up by March 1st. For details visit the Archdiocese of SP/M website.

Confirmation in Extraordinary Form in St. Paul and Minneapolis this June

2011-02-25T10:10:00.005-06:00

UPDATE! Date change to May 11th.
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis will have the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Extraordinary Form this May 11th at the Church of St. Agnes in St. Paul. If you are interested in your child, 8th grade or above, being confirmed please leave me a comment or send me an email. We are very grateful to Archbishop Nienstedt who has given us his permission for this request.

Bishop Finn's Homily Opening the Cause for Sister Marie Mandat-Grancey

2011-02-24T23:30:00.000-06:00

Watch Bishop Finn's homily to open the cause for canonization of Sister Marie Mandat-Grancey.

Pie postulatio voluntatis

2011-02-15T00:00:00.002-06:00

Today marks the 898th Anniversary of the papal bull, Pie postulatio voluntatis, promulgated by Pope Paschal II on February 15, 1113 which approved the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. At left is a copy of the bull.

True Christian Charity Versus the Abstract "Egalite" of the Revolution

2011-02-14T13:27:00.001-06:00

Update. Thanks to a reader I was reminded that the author of this extract is Russell Kirk from his essay, "Social Justice and Mass Culture", published in The Review of Politics 16 (1954). I started this post and now have lost the source of this passage. Still I felt it was too good to wait until I found the source again. If anyone has any ideas please let me know.

“This sincere Christian will do everything in his power to relieve the distresses of men and women who suffer privation or injury; but the virtue of charity is a world away from the abstract right of the quality which the French radicals claimed. The merit of charity is that it is voluntary, a gift from the man who has to the man who has not; while the radicals claim of a right to appropriate the goods of the more prosperous neighbors is a vice–the vice of covetousness. True justice secures every man in the possession of what is his own, and provides that he will receive the reward of his talents; but true justice also ensures that no man shall seize the property and the rights that belong to other classes and persons, on the pretext of an abstract equality. The just man knows that men differ in strength, intelligence, and energy, in beauty, in discipline, in inheritance, in particular talents; and he sets his face, therefore, against any scheme of pretended “social justice” which would treat all men alike. There could be no greater injustice to society than to give the good, the industrious, and the frugal the same rewards as the vicious, the indolent, and the spendthrift.” [pp. 442-443]

“To reduce all these varieties of talent and aspiration, with many more, to the dull nexus of cash payment, is the act of the dull and envious mind; and then to make that cash payment the same for every individual is an act calculated to make society one everlasting frustration for the best men and women.” [Page 443]

“Now the Christian concept of charity enjoins constant endeavor to improve the lot of the poor; but the Christian faith… does not command the sacrifice of the welfare of one class to that of another class; instead, Christian teaching looks upon the rich and powerful as the elder brothers of the poor and weak, given their privileges that they may help to improve the character and the condition of all humanity. Instead of abolishing class and private rights in the name of an abstract equality, Christian thinkers hope to employ commutative and distributive justice for the realization of the peculiar talents and hopes of each individual, not the confounding of all personality in one collective monotony.” [Page 444].

Re-thinking the Vocations Crisis, Cause and Solutions

2011-02-14T11:30:00.000-06:00

In the February issue of Homiletic and Pastoral Review there is an exceptional article on the failure of our current Vocations Programs in actually increasing the number of vocations. Here is an excerpt,

The root of our current vocation problem is a lack of discipleship. Of course, a disciple is one who encounters Jesus, repents, experiences conversion and then follows Jesus. All too often those of us in positions of Church leadership presume that all the folks in the pews on Sundays, all the children in our grade schools, high schools and PSR programs, all the kids in our youth groups, all the men in our Men’s Clubs and all the women in our Women’s Guilds, and all the members of our RCIA team are already disciples. Many are not. (The same can be said of staffs and faculties of Catholic institutions.) Our people may be very active in the programs of our parishes, schools and institutions, but unfortunately, such participation does not qualify for discipleship.

If the root of our vocation problem is a lack of discipleship, then the remedy is to make more disciples, just as Jesus commanded. But how is this accomplished?

First, an important principle to keep in mind is that disciples beget disciples. In other words, if we are really serious about fostering better marriages, holier priests, more devoted religious, and generally a more faithful and dedicated Church, then those of us who are already married, ordained, and consecrated, and who identify ourselves as Catholics must take a good, hard look at our own lives and evaluate how our discipleship measures up. How long has it been since we last experienced real conversion and transformation? How often do we repent of our sins? Do we really allow Jesus to rule our lives, or have we fallen into the ancient trap of Pelagianism, ultimately believing that we save ourselves? Do we really know Jesus? Do we allow him to really know us? These questions are important ones, for unless we as a Church can offer true models and exemplars of discipleship with our own lives, very few will seriously consider living the kind of life we live.

The inspiration to consider a vocation rarely comes from vocation literature; it comes from real people living out their vocations in the real world. In order to know what it means to be a good family, a good priest, a good religious, and a good Catholic, one needs to have living, breathing examples of each. I would have never considered the priesthood if I had not known some great priests as I was growing up; the seminarians I teach continue to tell the same story about their call. Disciples beget disciples—good marriages beget good marriages, good religious beget good religious, good priests beget good priests, and good Catholics beget good Catholics. When discipleship is modeled well, it becomes an invitation for others to become disciples themselves.

Second, we need to reevaluate how our parish groups, ministries, and programs operate. We have to ask if these groups are truly fostering discipleship, or if they are simply social groups that happen to meet on parish grounds.

Let us take the example of a parish youth group to serve as a microcosm for our current situation. A youth group has a similar structure to most parish groups, in that most parish groups identify themselves in four ways: spiritual, service-oriented, social and catechetical. For a parish youth group to be what it is supposed to be, the first priority of the group must be to make disciples of young people who do not know Jesus, and to make stronger disciples of the ones who already know him. Such a suggestion seems quite basic and even simplistic at first glance, but this is precisely the point. Far too often we as a Church have failed with the most basic principle of discipleship while loading up on service projects and social activities, and the parish youth group becomes just one more line on a young person’s college résumé, without ever calling that young person to real conversion.

It is true that young people tend to stay out of trouble while socializing with peers from the parish, and that service projects help build character and allow young people to move beyond themselves, but without being disciples, such activities never allow for true transformation and human flourishing. Over and over again we as a Church have fallen into the subtle trap of settling for results that can be easily calculated, photographed, and documented in a parish bulletin or website, rather than getting down to the basics of discipleship. Granted, opportunities for socializing and service projects are goods that the Church offers young people, but young people can find these goods outside the Church as well, which is why youth groups that don’t get beyond social gatherings and service projects aren’t very good youth groups. A youth group that is primarily about the work of making disciples is another story indeed.

Youth groups that are filled with disciples and are about making new disciples are youth groups that allow their young people an opportunity to fall in love with Jesus. Again, I realize such a claim seems simplistic and perhaps a bit pious, but nonetheless it is true. Coming to know Jesus is foundational; not just knowing his ideas or teachings or his history, but really coming to know him. If a youth group is able to offer a young person an opportunity to know Jesus, to know transcendence, intimacy, depth, and a real sense of mystery and being part of a something greater than himself, it will be hard to find a space big enough to gather the young people together.

If youth ministers and, more specifically, priests take the time to teach their young people how to pray alone, in community, liturgically, before the Blessed Sacrament, with an icon or crucifix, in nature, with Scripture, or with a journal, disciples will emerge. Don’t be fooled; young people desire to learn to pray and to pray well, and they want their leaders to teach them.

Moreover, it’s all too common that those working with youth soft-step around difficult or controversial Church teachings in an attempt not to drive young people away. Gone are the days of young people defining themselves as liberal or conservative Catholics. The stakes are much higher today: either you believe in God or you don’t. As the Southern novelist Walker Percy said upon his Catholic conversion, these days it is either “Rome or Hollywood,” there is no more middle ground. As such, young people want to be challenged. They want to think and understand and wrestle with big ideas. So why not spend time teaching them about the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Paschal Mystery, the Liturgy, and the Last Things? It is no secret that the Church’s teachings on sexuality are counter-cultural, but this is precisely the draw for so many young people—that the human person is more than simply an object of pleasure, and that there is something beautiful about God’s creating us male and female, in his image and likeness, and that there is a divine plan for the way we express ourselves.

When young people come to know Jesus, they will develop a deeper appreciation for the Eucharist. And when young people finally find their identity in the Eucharist (and not a pizza party, bowling or laser tag), young people will naturally want to socialize and do service projects, because these activities will flow out of their discipleship. When their lives are formed by the self-giving love of Jesus in the Eucharist, they will want to make themselves a gift for others, and their service projects will take on new meaning as acts of justice. Once young people become disciples, they will want to come to Mass, to spend time at the parish, to serve those in need, to gather for recreation, and to read good books and articles about the faith, and to really help build the Kingdom of God. But none of this can ever happen without the most foundational, and often forgotten, principle of discipleship.

Please read the rest of the article at Homiletic and Pastoral Review.

Litany of Humility by Cardinal Merry del Val

2011-02-12T13:57:00.001-06:00

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed,
R: Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honored ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...
From the fear of being humiliated ...
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...

That others may be loved more than I,
R: Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I ...
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease ...
That others may be chosen and I set aside ...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed ...
That others may be preferred to me in everything...
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…

Activities of the Order of Malta in the Middle East

2011-02-01T21:00:00.001-06:00

Assertions by journalist Seymour Hersh that the Order of Malta is part of an anti-Muslim conspiracy with the U.S. Special Ops Command is pure nonsense. As proof here are a number of the activities in which the Order of Malta is involved in the Middle East. These are taken from the 2010 Activity Report of the Order.

In Iran we provided emergency medical supplies and sent an eight-man rescue team to help care for the victims of the Bam earthquake, which we followed up in subsequent years with reconstruction projects.

In Iraq we had carried out considerable rehabilitation and medical work, particularly in the Baghdad area and in Northern Iraq. Despite the deterioration in the security situation, our work in two health centres in Baghdad continues.

In Lebanon, the Order of Malta’s Association runs 16 health and social centres throughout the country and in 2008 alone assisted 85,000 patients, with over 250,000 medical services. Two mobile units of the Order made 11,500 medical interventions. More than 1,700 elderly people were looked after in the three day care centres for elderly people and 95 handicapped children were treated daily in the Centre Hospitalier de Bhannes. In collaboration with the Shiite organisation’s Imam Moussa el Sadr Foundation, the Order runs the Health Centre of Siddikine (carrying out more than 7,000 medical acts per year) and one of the two mobile clinics the Order operates in the country. The Caravan Project is a joint project sponsored by the German and Lebanese Associations with the following goals,

1. Strengthen faith and hope of the Christians in the Middle East and create mutual trust and understanding between young people of different denominations and religions

2. Serve the sick and the poor and make their life more colourful

3. Show young western Christians the charisma of the Order of Malta and enable them to speak for the Order’s cause of peace and reconciliation between the denominations in the Middle East when coming back to their home country.

Our activities in Syria include a mother and child protection project at Bab Touma and the Home of Peace for Children in Salieh, Damascus. We also run a centre for the protection of young girls in the town of Aleppo, where our other activities include the provision of start-up kits for Iraqi refugee families and the supply of school material to Iraqi and Syrian children.

In Bethlehem the Holy Family Hospital serves a majority of Muslim patients and the 50,000 baby delivered a couple months ago was Muslim.

Seymour Hersh's Fails to Link the S.M.O.M to U.S. Military Conspiracy

2011-01-26T18:35:00.003-06:00

Journalist Seymour Hersh who become famous for breaking the story on the Mai Lai Massacre in Vietnam gave a talk recently at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in Qatar where he attempted to implicate the Order of Malta in a conspiracy of high ranking U.S military officials seeking to "turn Churches into Mosques." In a transcript of the speech published at Foreign Policy, Hersh claims that

"a large percentage of the Special Operations Command, the JSOC, General McChrystal, Vice Admiral Bill McRaven --all are members or at least supporters of Knights of Malta. That's an attitude that pervades, I'm here to say, a large percentage of the Special Operations Command, the Joint Special Operations Command and Stanley McChrystal, the one who got in trouble because of the article in Rolling Stone, and his follow-on, a Navy admiral named McRaven, Bill McRaven -- all are members or at least supporters of Knights of Malta. McRaven attended, so I understand, the recent annual convention of the Knights of Malta they had in Cyprus a few months back in November. They're all believers -- many of them are members of Opus Dei. They do see what they are doing -- and this is not an atypical attitude among some military -- it's a crusade, literally. They see themselves as the protectors of the Christians. They're protecting them from the Muslims in the 13th century. And this is their function. They have little insignias, they have coins they pass among each other, which are crusader coins, and they have insignia that reflect that, the whole notion that this is a war, it's culture war. . . So the trouble with some of these religious groups is they may have good things, but right now there is a tremendous, tremendous amount of anti-Muslim feeling in the military community.

For a Pulitzer winning journalist Hersh fails to provide any coherent evidence to support his claims that the Order of Malta has any link to the U.S. Spec Ops Command. His only evidence of any connection is that in his words, "McRaven attended, so I understand, the recent annual convention of the Knights of Malta in Cyprus in November." For the record Gen. McChrystal denied being a member of the Order. He then goes on to indict Opus Dei suggesting that not only is everyone a Knight of Malta but also a member of Opus Dei. Of course Hersh admits that both organizations do great stuff,

They do a lot of charity work; so does Opus Dei. It's a very extreme, extremely religious s, Roman Catholic sect, if you will.

I'm confused, is he referring to Opus Dei as an extreme sect, the Order or both? Regardless he provides an anecdote involving a Nazi rocket scientist from WWII, who else but Nazi's to involve in your conspiracy, and concludes that,

the trouble with some of these religious groups is they may have good things, but right now there is tremendous, tremendous amount of anti-Muslim feeling in the military community.

Maybe part of the transcript is missing because I don't see how in the same sentence you start out saying that religious groups do good things and in the next breath say there is tremendous anti-Muslim feeling in the military community. A claim furthermore for which he provides no evidence. The rest of the talk faults Obama for essentially abdicating his authority and turning over the conduct of the war to those prosecuting it.

Hersh's passive aggressive style, they do really good work but are leading a covert crusade against Islam, threatens the Order as it provides a pretext for it to be attacked. Similar reckless statements against the Order of Malta spurred jihadists to threaten the Order of Malta's embassy in Cairo in 2007. It also fuels conspiracy theories against the Order as a quick Google search of Hersh's speech will prove. See the full text of his talk here.

Laurel and Hardy Classic on Gay Marriage

2011-01-24T22:53:00.000-06:00

Our Lady of Guadalupe Novena for the People of Haiti

2011-01-12T10:38:00.001-06:00

Bishops Invite Catholics to Commemorate Haiti’s Earthquake Anniversary with Prayer, Reflection

Novena, prayer intentions, reflection materials offered

WASHINGTON (January 6, 2011)—As the first anniversary of the earthquake that devastated Haiti last year approaches, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops invites U.S. Catholics to stand in prayerful solidarity with the people of Haiti.

“Haiti and its people still very much need our prayers and solidarity,” said Archbishop Wenski, chairman of the Special Advisory Group for Haiti at the USCCB. “As we approach the anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti, we join together with parishes, Catholic schools, youth groups, colleges and universities from across the country to remember the tragic events of that fateful afternoon and to respond in a faith-filled way.”

Catholics are invited to pray and reflect for nine days using the Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of the Americas. The novena starts on the evening of the anniversary, January 12, and culminates with the celebration of Mass the weekend of January 22-23, official date for the National Collection for Latin America, including Haiti and all of the Caribbean.

In addition to the novena, other catechetical and reflection resources, including didactical materials from Catholic Relief Services, have been collected at a special website, http://www.usccb.org/haiti/one-year-later.shtml, under the title One Year Later: Pray and Walk With our Sisters and Brothers in Haiti.