Mother of God Story

From 1944, an incredible inspiring story of evangelization and conversion, in a Mississippi prison.

Two prisoners find true forgiveness and freedom through the love of  Mary, the Mother of God.

Mother of God Story

Feast of St. John, Evangelist

"Beloved:
What was from the beginning,
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our eyes,
what we looked upon
and touched with our hands
concerns the Word of life ,
for the life was made visible;
we have seen it and testify to it
and proclaim to you the eternal life
that was with the Father and was made visible to us,
what we have seen and heard
we proclaim now to you,
so that you too may have fellowship with us;
for our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
We are writing this so that our joy may be complete."
~ 1 John 1:1-4

St. John the Evangelist and Apostle was the first proclaimer of the "New Evangelization"!  He was a witness to the Word of Life made visible. He walked with Jesus.  He wrote, taught and shared his testimony,  that our joy might be made full!

 Today, the mission of St. John the Evangelist is passed on to us. We must walk with Jesus! Our willingness to revive and  restore the vibrancy and enthusiasm of the First Century Church to today's Church  is what the "New Evangelization" is all about.  We are still led and guided by that same Star, so that we might be bringers of the Good News to today's world, that our joy might be full!

"Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord!"

"Jesus, You are the Star that leads me on."
~ St. Therese

New Evangelization Requires Humility and Simplicity

The Christmas Eve homily of Pope Benedict XVI contained, in part, a short, but powerful discourse about our need for humility and simplicity and how these help us to become aware of God's closeness. Our Lord Jesus Christ appeared as a tiny baby so that we might know the simplicity of heart necessary to truly see and receive the Gift of God.

The New Evangelization requires us to present the Gospel in a clear way, also with humbleness and simplicity. And we can only accomplish this, if we heed the Holy Father's directive to "dismount from our 'high horse' of 'enlightened' reason and intellectual pride".

"Today, anyone wishing to enter the Church of Jesus’ Nativity in Bethlehem will find that the doorway, five and a half meters high, through which emperors and caliphs used to enter the building, is now largely walled up. Only a low opening of one and a half meters has remained. The intention was probably to provide the church with better protection from attack, but above all to prevent people from entering God’s house on horseback. Anyone wishing to enter the place of Jesus’ birth has to bend down."

"It seems to me that a deeper truth is revealed here, which should touch our hearts on this holy night: If we want to find the God who appeared as a child, then we must dismount from the high horse of our “enlightened” reason. We must set aside our false certainties, our intellectual pride, which prevents us from recognizing God’s closeness. We must follow the interior path of St. Francis: the path leading to that ultimate outward and inward simplicity which enables the heart to see. We must bend down; spiritually we must, as it were, go on foot, in order to pass through the portal of faith and encounter the God who is so different from our prejudices and opinions, the God who conceals himself in the humility of a newborn baby."

"In this spirit let us celebrate the liturgy of the holy night; let us strip away our fixation on what is material, on what can be measured and grasped. Let us allow ourselves to be made simple by the God who reveals himself to the simple of heart."
~Pope Benedict XVI, Christmas Eve 2011

Beauty of the New Evangelization

Not long ago, I read the best-selling book, by Michael O'Brien,"Father Elijah" about the coming war between the forces of secularism and the Church.  It was so well written and engrossing, that I quickly searched for another book by this  outstanding author.

Now,  I'm reading his novel about First Century Christianity, titled, "Theophilos", about the call and mission of the apostle and evangelist, Luke.

I'm not half-way through it yet, but there is an extraordinary paragraph about the true meaning and essense of evangelization, that I just have to share. It is written almost poetically.
It brought me to tears.

  Luke is only about 15 years old at this time in the narrative, and he has just had an awe-inspiring  prophetic dream that he shares with his adoptive parents. It can be a model, I hope and pray , for the New Evangelization. Here is how he describes his dream:

" Suddenly, above me in the air there appears a very beautiful bird--a species I have never seen before, and maybe it does not exist in this world.  Its color is not a reflection of the sun but glows from within--bright blue.  It is smaller than a sparrow.  It hovers above my head, and then it descends, growing and growing in size as it nears me, and when it perches on my shoulder it has become very great, though very gentle.  It speaks into my ear, but I do not know its language.  It keeps speaking, and its language becomes singing that enters into my heart, and then it flows through my heart and out again through my mouth.  I cannot tell you what it is really like.  It pours like warm oil, like water, like light, but it is my own voice speaking words.  As I begin speaking in this new way, all those in the room hear it not only with their minds but with their hearts.  It is so beautiful.  It is nearly unbearable, this beauty and I wake up."

from "Theophilos" by Michael O'Brien

Laity Were First to Spread Good News of Christ's Birth

For the last 31 years, Father Raniero Cantalamessa has been the official preacher to the Papal Household.

The 'National Catholic Register' has a report this week describing the Father's ministry and his recent sermons on evangelization and laity,  preached during this Advent season.

"This Advent he is focusing on the four different historical stages of Christian evangelization. He sees the first phase as occurring in the earliest centuries of the Church, the second when the Roman Empire fell, and the third coinciding with the discovery of the New World. The fourth stage is “the present one, where the target is more the secularized Western world than the usual mission countries.”
“In the past, the role for evangelization was more entrusted to bishops, pastors, monks, religious people,” he explained. Since the Second Vatican Council, “the laity have taken their role as part of the evangelization.”...

“Laypeople were the only people present at the birth of Jesus,” such as the shepherds and Wise Men.“So this was symbolic that the first who came and spread the news about the birth of Jesus were laypeople.”

Read Entire Article Here

Angels of Advent

 

The Holy Bible includes many stories of angels in it's sacred pages. Angels are messengers of God and our Father often used/uses them to communicate with His children.

Fr. Dwight Longenecker has written a must read article focusing on the "Angels of Advent". Each of the four holy messengers had a special message and lesson for the original recipients,

and for us today!

This is an article to share together as a family during this season of Advent. You will be blessed!

Angels of Advent

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Patron of the New Evangelization

 The Cause for Canonization


Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen was known as the first Catholic "tele-evangelist", he was the first to use the "new media" to share the Catholic faith.  He wrote hundreds of books and converted many to Catholicism, including Henry Ford ll.  Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen would be the first American male to be canonized and he would be a most appropriate, inspirational and well loved patron Saint of the New Evangelization!

A Few Quotes of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen:


"You must remember to love people and use things, rather than to love things and use people.”

“If you don't behave as you believe, you will  end by believing as you behave.”

“When a man loves a woman, he has to become worthy of her. The higher her virtue, the more noble her character, the more devoted she is to truth, justice, goodness, the more a man has to aspire to be worthy of her. The history of civilization could actually be written in terms of the level of its women."

 “An atheist is a man who has no invisible means of support.” 

“Once you have surrendered yourself, you make yourself receptive. In receiving from God, you are perfected and completed.”

 “We must go out to Pure Life, Pure Truth, Pure Love, and that is the definition of God. He is the ultimate goal of life; from Him we came, and in Him alone do we find our peace.”

~Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J, Sheen~

Catholicism and Atheism

We cannot embrace "partial" Truth.

"I know thy works; that thou art neither cold nor hot...thou art lukewarm...
I would that thou wert cold or hot" (Rev. 3:16,17,16)

Catholicism and Atheism

Pope John Paul II’s Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe

"O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of the true God and Mother of the Church!, who from this place reveal your clemency and your pity to all those who ask for your protection, hear the prayer that we address to you with filial trust, and present it to your Son Jesus, our sole Redeemer.

Mother of Mercy, Teacher of hidden and silent sacrifice, to you, who come to meet us sinners, we dedicate on this day all our being and all our love. We also dedicate to you our life, our work, our joys, our infirmities and our sorrows. Grant peace, justice and prosperity to our peoples; for we entrust to your care all that we have and all that we are, our Lady and Mother. We wish to be entirely yours and to walk with you along the way of complete faithfulness to Jesus Christ in His Church; hold us always with your loving hand.

Virgin of Guadalupe, Mother of the Americas, we pray to you for all the Bishops, that they may lead the faithful along paths of intense Christian life, of love and humble service of God and souls. Contemplate this immense harvest, and intercede with the Lord that He may instill a hunger for holiness in the whole people of God, and grant abundant vocations of priests and religious, strong in the faith and zealous dispensers of God’s mysteries.

Grant to our homes the grace of loving and respecting life in its beginnings, with the same love with which you conceived in your womb the life of the Son of God. Blessed Virgin Mary, protect our families, so that they may always be united, and bless the upbringing of our children.

Our hope, look upon us with compassion, teach us to go continually to Jesus and, if we fall, help us to rise again, to return to Him, by means of the confession of our faults and sins in the Sacrament of Penance, which gives peace to the soul.

We beg you to grant us a great love for all the holy Sacraments, which are, as it were, the signs that your Son left us on earth.

Thus, Most Holy Mother, with the peace of God in our conscience, with our hearts free from evil and hatred, we will be able to bring to all true joy and true peace, which come to us from your son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns for ever and ever."

Amen.

His Holiness John Paul II
Mexico, January 1979. Visiting Her Basilica during his first foreign trip as Pope.

"Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who am your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything."

(Words of Our Lady to Juan Diego)

Focus on the Light of Christ this Christmas ~ Pope Benedict XVI

Today, Pope Benedict celebrated Mass and underlined the importance of community spirit. 

Speaking about the season of Advent, he said Christians are called to live this period before Christmas without being sidetracked by commercial messages and by the festive lights. 

We must look to Christ the “true light of the world”, he reminded Catholics.

“We should live waiting for Jesus, and not stop waiting for his coming."

Read More Here

"O Come O Come Emmanuel"

One of the most favorite traditional Catholic Advent hymns, is "O Come, O Come Emmanuel". This video version is sung with heavenly passion and has lyrics in both Latin and English.

As we prepare ourselves for Advent, and humbly pray to know, to love and to serve Our Lord Jesus Christ, may this hymn and prayer be the song of our hearts.

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

Immaculate Mary,
your praises we sing.
You reign now in Heaven
with Jesus our King.
Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria! Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria!

In Heaven the blessed
your glory proclaim;
On earth we your children
invoke your sweet name.
Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria! Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria!

We pray for our Mother,
the Church upon earth,
And bless, Holy Mary,
the land of our birth.
Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria! Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria!

We pray you, O Mother,
may God's will be done
We pray for His glory,
may his Kingdom come.
Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria! Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria!

Lourdes Hymn

St. Ambrose Chant, "Te Deum Laudamus"

A beautiful 4th or 5th century chant by St. Ambrose, "We Praise You God", includes lyrics in Latin and English. With the deep background bells, this is a perfect chant, prayer and meditation for the Advent season! God Bless YOU.

"The Te Deum is attributed to two Fathers and Doctors of the Church, St. Ambrose and St. Augustine and is one the most majestic chants in the Liturgy of the Church. It is sung in traditional seminaries and monastic houses at the Divine Office and for Double feasts of the First Class, The Nativity, Easter, Corpus Christi, Epiphany, Pentecost and those which have an Octave. The solemn Te Deum is sung on all occasions of public Church rejoicing (in Traditional Catholic Churches)."



Thy Perfect Will...blesses me

Be Ye "Fishers of Men", Not "Keepers of the Aquarium"

Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley, is an American Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as the Archbishop of Boston. Last week he celebrated Mass in Rome, on the Feast of St. Andrew. The following is a partial text of his homily for that Mass.

Cardinal O'Malley reminded us that, like St. Andrew, we are all called to be evangelists, "fishers of men", and not just be content as "keepers of the aquarium".

In truth, our world, our Church and our future society depend upon our answer to the call.

*********

"Today’s gospel reminds us that Andrew and his brother Peter were fishermen. They were lousy fishermen. It seemed they never caught anything unless Jesus was there telling them throw the net here, do it now. Jesus invites them: “follow me and I will make you fishers of men”. Andrew and Peter left their boats and nets and family, they left everything and followed Jesus. Their vocations helped change the course of history. In the same Gospels we just heard, Jesus calls two other brothers, James and John the sons of Zebedee. They too leave everything to follow Jesus."

"Jesus is still calling brothers and whole families to lead lives of discipleship and to participate in His mission."

"Our task is to be evangelizers like the great apostle Andrew. When Andrew discovers the Messiah, thanks to the witness of John the Baptist who declares, “behold the Lamb of God”, Andrew immediately goes to share that good news with his brother Peter. When we come to discover, through the many witnesses who surround us, that Jesus Christ is our Savior and our brother, like Andrew, we must share that good news with others. Jesus wants us to be fishers of men, and too often we are content to be keepers of the aquarium. In today’s first lesson we listen to the stirring words of Paul: “for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But how can they call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news. Ours must be the beautiful feet that tirelessly carry the joyful news of the gospel to the families of today who are burdened by so many obstacles and challenges. The mission that Christ has entrusted to us is crucial for the future of our Church, and indeed for the future of human society."

Read Cardinal O'Malley's Entire Homily Here

Church Abandoning Detroit ?

 Hope this isn't an indicator of things to come.

Pray that the "New Evangelization" may turn around this trend of closing churches, in Michigan and everywhere!

 Announced last week, in the Detroit Free Press:

"Detroit Catholic Archbishop Allen Vigneron said Thursday that he is likely to shutter about 48 churches in the next five years."

Read Entire Article Here

Authentic Catholic Truth and Mission

What if the Catholic Church diverted it's massive funds wasted on unimportant tasks, and instead used their resources for assembling teams of enthusiastic missionaries who would go out and preach the authentic, beautiful Catholic Truth.... boldly, clearly and without apology.

The only media reports today concerning the Catholic Church are about the closing of parishes, the shortage of priests, parishoners complaining about the liturgy and the rebellion and flap over ban on women's ordination.

What if the media could no longer ignore the reality of those many Catholics who are "on fire" for the Church?

As the following video affirms, "The sole reason for the existence of the Church is the salvation of souls." It is time to be about the work!

Obstacles to the New Evangelization

As the Catholic Church begins the process of the New Evangelization, a reminder that "little things" can have big effects, might be in order. This is just one example....

This weekend, the local parish held a community-wide Christmas Boutique and Ladies Christmas Luncheon. The parking lot was full as many visitors were attending the two events in the Church Cultural Hall. Several cars even had to be parked in the neighboring LDS church parking lot, due to the overflow crowd. The Boutique was large and took place throughout the building in six or seven different rooms. It was obviously not just Catholic women attending, but those from throughout the community and from varied spiritual backgrounds.

At around 11:00 AM, a parish member began circulating through the Boutique rooms, announcing in a raised voice, "The Bar is opening! The Bar is opening!" This announcement caused some surprise and confusion. A few women rushed out of the Boutique, with excitement remarking, "It's about time!", while other ladies and their children looked around in amazement. A mini-stampede ensued. Moments later, several groups were happily chatting, with pink champagne in hand. It was not yet noon. Overheard was the comment, "Well, you know how Catholics like their 'refreshment'."

In this instance, a community-wide event, at a Catholic facility, could have been an opportunity for "New Evangelization" ...a chance for welcoming visitors to the rich tradition and sacredness of Catholicism. Instead, the "little things' caused confusion, amazement and an unfortunate example of why many no long enter the doors of the Catholic Church.

When our Lord Jesus Christ performed his first miracle, turning water into wine at the wedding in Canaan, he was demonstrating, in metaphor, how he had come to transform the secular into the sacred.

Today, the "New Evangelzation" is so necessary because in our modern culture, oftentimes secular 'satisfaction' overshadows the sacred. And yet the Lord gave us our mission to be good examples to all, when he commanded, "Feed my sheep."

Let us pray, that we may not be an obstacle to the New Evangelization!

Pope Benedict XVI and the New Evangelization

Recently, Pope Benedict XVI spoke on the New Evangelization and made clear that it is inseparable from the family.

The New Evangelization must begin within the family!

And for many of us, the Church is our family!