Pope Leo XIII wrote an incredibly powerful and holy prayer of intercession to St. Michael. His intention was to protect the Church and mankind from Satan and his demons.
The First Prayer to St Michael (Long Version)
O glorious Archangel Saint Michael, Prince of the heavenly host, be our defense in the terrible warfare which we carry on against principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, spirits of evil. Come to the aid of man, whom God created immortal, made in His own image and likeness, and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil. Fight this day the battle of our Lord, together with the holy angels, as already thou hast fought the leader of the proud angels, Lucifer, and his apostate host, who were powerless to resist thee, nor was there place for them any longer in heaven. That cruel, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil or Satan who seduces the whole world, was cast into the abyss with his angels. Behold this primeval enemy and slayer of men has taken courage. Transformed into an angel of light, he wanders about with all the multitude of wicked spirits, invading the earth in order to blot out the Name of God and of His Christ, to seize upon, slay, and cast into eternal perdition, souls destined for the crown of eternal glory. That wicked dragon pours out. as a most impure flood, the venom of his malice on men of depraved mind and corrupt heart, the spirit of lying, of impiety, of blasphemy, and the pestilent breath of impurity, and of every vice and iniquity. These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the spouse of the Immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on Her most sacred possessions. In the Holy Place itself, where has been set up the See of the most holy Peter and the Chair of Truth for the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck the sheep may be scattered. Arise then, O invincible Prince, bring help against the attacks of the lost spirits to the people of God, and give them the victory. They venerate thee as their protector and patron; in thee holy Church glories as her defense against the malicious powers of hell; to thee has God entrusted the souls of men to be established in heavenly beatitude. Oh, pray to the God of peace that He may put Satan under our feet, so far conquered that he may no longer be able to hold men in captivity and harm the Church. Offer our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly conciliate the mercies of the Lord; and beating down the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, do thou again make him captive in the abyss, that he may no longer seduce the nations. Amen.
V: Behold the Cross of the Lord; be scattered ye hostile powers.
R: The Lion of the Tribe of Juda has conquered the root of David.
V: Let Thy mercies be upon us, O Lord.
R: As we have hoped in Thee.
V: O Lord hear my prayer.
R: And let my cry come unto Thee.
V: Let us pray. O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon Thy holy Name, and as suppliants, we implore Thy clemency, that by the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin, immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious Archangel Saint Michael, Thou wouldst deign to help us against Satan and all other unclean spirits, who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of our souls. Amen.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Pro Life in the news
Interesting pro-life story forwarded to me from a brother deacon:
Planned Parenthood Director Quits After Watching Abortion on Ultrasound
Monday, November 02, 2009
Joseph Abrams
The former director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in southeast Texas says she had a "change of heart" after watching an abortion last month — and she quit her job and joined a pro-life group in praying outside the facility.
Abby Johnson, 29, used to escort women from their cars to the clinic in the eight years she volunteered and worked for Planned Parenthood in Bryan, Texas. But she says she knew it was time to leave after she watched a fetus "crumple" as it was vacuumed out of a patient's uterus in September.
'When I was working at Planned Parenthood I was extremely pro-choice," Johnson told FoxNews.com . But after seeing the internal workings of the procedure for the first time on an ultrasound monitor, "I would say there was a definite conversion in my heart ... a spiritual conversion."
Johnson said she became disillusioned with her job after her bosses pressured her for months to increase profits by performing more and more abortions, which cost patients between $505 and $695.
"Every meeting that we had was, 'We don't have enough money, we don't have enough money — we've got to keep these abortions coming,'" Johnson told FoxNews.com. "It's a very lucrative business and that's why they want to increase numbers."
A spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood told FoxNews.com that it offers a range of services at it 850 health centers nationwide, providing pregnancy tests, vaccinations and women's health services , "including wellness exams, breast and cervical cancer screenings, contraception, and STD testing and treatment."
"Planned Parenthood's focus is on prevention," wrote Diane Quest, the group's National Media Director. "Nationwide, more than 90% of the health care Planned Parenthood affiliates provide is preventive in nature," explaining that a "core component the organization's mission is to help women plan healthy pregnancies and prevent unintended pregnancies."
But Johnson said her bosses told her to change her "priorities" and focus on abortions, which she said made money for the office at a time when the recession has left them hurting.
"For them there's not a lot of money in education," she said. "There's as not as much money in family planning as there is abortion."
Without a doctor in residence, she said, her clinic offered abortions only two days a month, but the doctor could perform 30 to 40 procedures on each day he was there. Johnson estimated that each abortion could net the branch about $350, adding up to more than $10,000 a month.
"The majority of the money was going to the facility," she said.
Johnson said she never got any orders to increase profits in e-mails or letters, and had no way to prove her allegations about practices at the Bryan branch. She told FoxNews.com that pressure came in personal interactions with her regional manager from the larger Houston office.
But she said she got involved with the clinic "to help women and ... [do] the right thing," and the idea of raking in cash seemed to go against what she felt was the mission of the 93-year-old organization.
"Ideally my goal as the facility's director is that your abortion numbers don't increase," because "you're providing so much family planning and so much education that there is not a demand for abortion services.
"But that was not their goal," she said.
A spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood refused to answer questions about Johnson's accusations, but released a statement noting that a district court had issued a temporary restraining order against the former branch director and against the Coalition for Life, an anti-abortion group with which Johnson is now affiliated.
"We regret being forced to turn to the courts to protect the safety and confidentiality of our clients and staff, however, in this instance it is absolutely necessary," said spokeswoman Rochelle Tafolla.
It is unclear what made Planned Parenthood seek the restraining order. Johnson said she did not intend to release any sensitive information about her former patients at the clinic.
A hearing is set for Nov. 10 to determine whether a judge will order an injunction against Johnson and the Coalition for Life, which has led protests outside the clinic and joined her in a prayer vigil there last month.
Johnson hasn't found a job since she quit on Oct. 6, but she said she's enjoying the time off to be with her 3-year-old daughter.
"It's been great just to spend some time at home and get a break," she said.
Planned Parenthood Director Quits After Watching Abortion on Ultrasound
Monday, November 02, 2009
Joseph Abrams
The former director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in southeast Texas says she had a "change of heart" after watching an abortion last month — and she quit her job and joined a pro-life group in praying outside the facility.
Abby Johnson, 29, used to escort women from their cars to the clinic in the eight years she volunteered and worked for Planned Parenthood in Bryan, Texas. But she says she knew it was time to leave after she watched a fetus "crumple" as it was vacuumed out of a patient's uterus in September.
'When I was working at Planned Parenthood I was extremely pro-choice," Johnson told FoxNews.com . But after seeing the internal workings of the procedure for the first time on an ultrasound monitor, "I would say there was a definite conversion in my heart ... a spiritual conversion."
Johnson said she became disillusioned with her job after her bosses pressured her for months to increase profits by performing more and more abortions, which cost patients between $505 and $695.
"Every meeting that we had was, 'We don't have enough money, we don't have enough money — we've got to keep these abortions coming,'" Johnson told FoxNews.com. "It's a very lucrative business and that's why they want to increase numbers."
A spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood told FoxNews.com that it offers a range of services at it 850 health centers nationwide, providing pregnancy tests, vaccinations and women's health services , "including wellness exams, breast and cervical cancer screenings, contraception, and STD testing and treatment."
"Planned Parenthood's focus is on prevention," wrote Diane Quest, the group's National Media Director. "Nationwide, more than 90% of the health care Planned Parenthood affiliates provide is preventive in nature," explaining that a "core component the organization's mission is to help women plan healthy pregnancies and prevent unintended pregnancies."
But Johnson said her bosses told her to change her "priorities" and focus on abortions, which she said made money for the office at a time when the recession has left them hurting.
"For them there's not a lot of money in education," she said. "There's as not as much money in family planning as there is abortion."
Without a doctor in residence, she said, her clinic offered abortions only two days a month, but the doctor could perform 30 to 40 procedures on each day he was there. Johnson estimated that each abortion could net the branch about $350, adding up to more than $10,000 a month.
"The majority of the money was going to the facility," she said.
Johnson said she never got any orders to increase profits in e-mails or letters, and had no way to prove her allegations about practices at the Bryan branch. She told FoxNews.com that pressure came in personal interactions with her regional manager from the larger Houston office.
But she said she got involved with the clinic "to help women and ... [do] the right thing," and the idea of raking in cash seemed to go against what she felt was the mission of the 93-year-old organization.
"Ideally my goal as the facility's director is that your abortion numbers don't increase," because "you're providing so much family planning and so much education that there is not a demand for abortion services.
"But that was not their goal," she said.
A spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood refused to answer questions about Johnson's accusations, but released a statement noting that a district court had issued a temporary restraining order against the former branch director and against the Coalition for Life, an anti-abortion group with which Johnson is now affiliated.
"We regret being forced to turn to the courts to protect the safety and confidentiality of our clients and staff, however, in this instance it is absolutely necessary," said spokeswoman Rochelle Tafolla.
It is unclear what made Planned Parenthood seek the restraining order. Johnson said she did not intend to release any sensitive information about her former patients at the clinic.
A hearing is set for Nov. 10 to determine whether a judge will order an injunction against Johnson and the Coalition for Life, which has led protests outside the clinic and joined her in a prayer vigil there last month.
Johnson hasn't found a job since she quit on Oct. 6, but she said she's enjoying the time off to be with her 3-year-old daughter.
"It's been great just to spend some time at home and get a break," she said.
Monday, November 2, 2009
The NFL Saints; a Catholic connection.
If you stayed up late tonight you witnessed the New Orleans Saints beat Atlanta 35-27 to run their record to 7-0. Needless to say, the fans of the Saints and the entire community of New Orleans and the surrounding area are giddy. Of course, 7-0 guarantees you 7 wins; no more, no less. But this team has won big all year; has come back heroically against the Dolphins and hung tough tonight when Atlanta played very well. The Saints have scored points at will and have scored several defensive touchdowns. It's been great so far.
Many people outside this area may not know the connection of the name of the team and the Catholic tradition of New Orleans. The city of New Orleans was granted the license to have an NFL team in 1966 on November 1st. That's right; November 1st: All Saints Day!
The organization thought it would be great to name the team the Saints. Everyone thought we had a taylor made song: When the Saints Go Marching In!!! But someone decided perhaps we should check with the Catholic Church and make sure this would not be sacriligious. A call was placed to then Archbishop Philip Hannan who not only thought the idea was great but blessed the whole concept.
To be a Saints fan is a religious experience. They have given this city and the area a unique identity. In the early days it was no big deal. In these last few years, as the city's population hovers around 400,000 post Katrina, we are one of the smaller NFL markets. And our gridiron history is unique too. Over 40 years old, the Saints have only had 8 winning seasons . We had the historic 1987 team that went on a crazy winning streak and not til the 21st century did the Saints win a playoff game; remember "Hakim drops the ball." Then in 2006, we had the magical season of returning to New Orleans and the Dome after Katrina. And that team went all the way to the NFL championship.
By the way, doubt the Catholic connection. The 1987 winning team played in the same Superdome that Pope John Paul II celebrated services in during that year's football season.
So Catholics across the world should join all of us from the New Orleans area and do what we are called to do as Catholics; pray for the Saints. After all, the heavenly Saints are our heroes and the New Orleans Saints are playing heroically. I know you all want to be in that number, when the Saints go marching in.
Who Dat?
The Saints.
Many people outside this area may not know the connection of the name of the team and the Catholic tradition of New Orleans. The city of New Orleans was granted the license to have an NFL team in 1966 on November 1st. That's right; November 1st: All Saints Day!
The organization thought it would be great to name the team the Saints. Everyone thought we had a taylor made song: When the Saints Go Marching In!!! But someone decided perhaps we should check with the Catholic Church and make sure this would not be sacriligious. A call was placed to then Archbishop Philip Hannan who not only thought the idea was great but blessed the whole concept.
To be a Saints fan is a religious experience. They have given this city and the area a unique identity. In the early days it was no big deal. In these last few years, as the city's population hovers around 400,000 post Katrina, we are one of the smaller NFL markets. And our gridiron history is unique too. Over 40 years old, the Saints have only had 8 winning seasons . We had the historic 1987 team that went on a crazy winning streak and not til the 21st century did the Saints win a playoff game; remember "Hakim drops the ball." Then in 2006, we had the magical season of returning to New Orleans and the Dome after Katrina. And that team went all the way to the NFL championship.
By the way, doubt the Catholic connection. The 1987 winning team played in the same Superdome that Pope John Paul II celebrated services in during that year's football season.
So Catholics across the world should join all of us from the New Orleans area and do what we are called to do as Catholics; pray for the Saints. After all, the heavenly Saints are our heroes and the New Orleans Saints are playing heroically. I know you all want to be in that number, when the Saints go marching in.
Who Dat?
The Saints.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Is it really November already?
Already the first of my "good" months is history. As I explained last month, I choose to divide the year in half, October - March and April - September. And I choose to declare October - March as the better half. Just me. But where did October go? For us here in southeast Louisiana it was more warm than usual and a lot more on the wet side. Today has been glorious as is the forecast for the rest of the week.
October was a special month as I have already documented our visit to North Carolina and time spent with our son and his fiancee. And everyone around these parts also rejoiced in the stellar play of our New Orleans Saints. Let's pray for an equally happy November. The month ends with all the hype around Halloween giving way to a new month and the back to back feasts of All Saints, celebrated today and All Souls, tommorrow.
In the month ahead we will all have plenty to keep us busy. Football continues as I will be watching with much interest the Saints and the LSU Tigers. Man I could go for a big upset this coming weekend against Alabama and Nick Saban. We will celebrate Veterans Day, a holiday I believe does not get enough attention as we honor those who have kept us free. And we will enjoy Thanksgiving as we reflect on all we have to be thankful for!
This will also be a very busy month for ministry. And I look forward to all the opportunity God puts on my path. As a new Deacon, I will be somewhat reflective in the upcoming weeks as my 1 year anniversary of ordination draws near. This time last year me and my classmates were busy with plans, ordering vestments and preparing for our pre-ordination retreat. How quickly the time has past.
So let's enjoy all that November has in store. And at the beginning of the new month let's offer this month to God who blesses and protects us. May we be prepared to be generous with our time and talents in the upcoming holiday season, always mindful of those in need.
October was a special month as I have already documented our visit to North Carolina and time spent with our son and his fiancee. And everyone around these parts also rejoiced in the stellar play of our New Orleans Saints. Let's pray for an equally happy November. The month ends with all the hype around Halloween giving way to a new month and the back to back feasts of All Saints, celebrated today and All Souls, tommorrow.
In the month ahead we will all have plenty to keep us busy. Football continues as I will be watching with much interest the Saints and the LSU Tigers. Man I could go for a big upset this coming weekend against Alabama and Nick Saban. We will celebrate Veterans Day, a holiday I believe does not get enough attention as we honor those who have kept us free. And we will enjoy Thanksgiving as we reflect on all we have to be thankful for!
This will also be a very busy month for ministry. And I look forward to all the opportunity God puts on my path. As a new Deacon, I will be somewhat reflective in the upcoming weeks as my 1 year anniversary of ordination draws near. This time last year me and my classmates were busy with plans, ordering vestments and preparing for our pre-ordination retreat. How quickly the time has past.
So let's enjoy all that November has in store. And at the beginning of the new month let's offer this month to God who blesses and protects us. May we be prepared to be generous with our time and talents in the upcoming holiday season, always mindful of those in need.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Homily for All Saints Day; we need a hero!
Who are your heroes?
I’ve had plenty; there was Superman and Batman, a cartoon character named Johnny Quest, John Wayne; both the cowboy and the war hero, sports stars like Archie Manning, Danny Abramowicz (the early Saints) and my favorite Pistol Pete Maravich!
I also gave hero status to the astronauts when they walked on the moon and I’ve always thought of our men and women in the armed services as heroes.
We all learned a lot about heroes during the September 11th terrorist event and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Heroes, for the most part, have been those who could capture our imagination and thrill us with feats of great accomplishments!
As people of faith, who are our heroes? Do we ever consider the Saints as heroes? And I’m not talking about those 6-0 Saints, although they have played like heroes this year.
I’m talking about those special heroes that we commemorate today on All Saints Day; the men and women who have gone before us and have been declared Saints by the church. This feast day is celebrated every year, a holy day of obligation, because of the importance of the communion of Saints. Today, the church declares that the Church of heaven and the Church of earth are one. All live in Jesus Christ, including the Saints who intercede for us as we ask them to join their prayers with ours.
What is this communion of Saints? Every time we pray the Apostles Creed we say: “I believe in the communion of Saints.” We are saying that these Saints are more than just holy people with a title or examples for us to follow. While these things are true, the communion of Saints is the way that strengthens the unity of the whole Church. The Catechism states in paragraph 957: “our communion with the Saints joins us to Christ.” These heroes help us in becoming closer to Christ!
Saints, down through the centuries, come from every nation, race, people and tongue, as we hear in today’s first reading from Revelation. And we, like the Saints can proclaim: “salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne and the Lamb.”
Think about it; we all have prayed with Saints. We have our favorites, we are named for Saints, we have patron Saints, we add a Saint name at our Confirmation. We learn about the Saints as children. We pray the litany of Saints. Our church parish is named for a Saint, St. Jane de Chantal. Our mission is named for St. Michael. One of our ministries is named for St. Vincent de Paul.
We have in our own day and time some modern day Saints. We have the example of St. Maximilian Kolbe, who died in the concentration camps of World War II, St. Gianna Molla, a mother who died in 1962 not long after giving birth to a child she was told to abort due to cancer. And we have St. Padre Pio, the priest with deep spirituality who died in 1968.
Perhaps soon we will have Saints who have lived in our own lifetimes. Mother Theresa has already been declared blessed. Pope John Paul II is believed to be on the way to sainthood. In our own diocese, we continue to await the word on Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos and Mother Henriette DeLisle.
What makes a Saint? How does the church determine sainthood? We all know that the Church examines the lives of those proposed for sainthood for heroic virtues, piety and spirituality. One miracle, attributed to that person, once confirmed, leads to beatification and a second miracle to sainthood. But also, let’s take a look at today’s Gospel.
In St. Matthew’s description of the Sermon on the Mount, we hear the beatitudes. These are eight teachings of Jesus that the Saints obviously followed and we can follow too. Jesus challenges us to be poor in spirit, to mourn, be meek, hunger and thirst for righteousness, be merciful, have a clean heart, be a peacemaker and be willing to be persecuted for the sake of righteousness. These are saint-like qualities. And Jesus promises, among other things, that we can claim the kingdom of heaven if we follow these blessings and our reward will be great in heaven.
Notice, we don’t need x-ray vision, or super human strength, or be able to leap a tall building in a single bound. No, we can imitate the lives of the Saints. We can turn to heroes, not just of this world, but those who are happy in Heaven with God.
In the week ahead, I’m going to pray with these eight beatitudes and ask God to help me become like the Saints. I need a hero and thanks to God and His Church, I have many to come to my aid. And these Saints have a winning streak far greater than 6-0!
I’ve had plenty; there was Superman and Batman, a cartoon character named Johnny Quest, John Wayne; both the cowboy and the war hero, sports stars like Archie Manning, Danny Abramowicz (the early Saints) and my favorite Pistol Pete Maravich!
I also gave hero status to the astronauts when they walked on the moon and I’ve always thought of our men and women in the armed services as heroes.
We all learned a lot about heroes during the September 11th terrorist event and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Heroes, for the most part, have been those who could capture our imagination and thrill us with feats of great accomplishments!
As people of faith, who are our heroes? Do we ever consider the Saints as heroes? And I’m not talking about those 6-0 Saints, although they have played like heroes this year.
I’m talking about those special heroes that we commemorate today on All Saints Day; the men and women who have gone before us and have been declared Saints by the church. This feast day is celebrated every year, a holy day of obligation, because of the importance of the communion of Saints. Today, the church declares that the Church of heaven and the Church of earth are one. All live in Jesus Christ, including the Saints who intercede for us as we ask them to join their prayers with ours.
What is this communion of Saints? Every time we pray the Apostles Creed we say: “I believe in the communion of Saints.” We are saying that these Saints are more than just holy people with a title or examples for us to follow. While these things are true, the communion of Saints is the way that strengthens the unity of the whole Church. The Catechism states in paragraph 957: “our communion with the Saints joins us to Christ.” These heroes help us in becoming closer to Christ!
Saints, down through the centuries, come from every nation, race, people and tongue, as we hear in today’s first reading from Revelation. And we, like the Saints can proclaim: “salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne and the Lamb.”
Think about it; we all have prayed with Saints. We have our favorites, we are named for Saints, we have patron Saints, we add a Saint name at our Confirmation. We learn about the Saints as children. We pray the litany of Saints. Our church parish is named for a Saint, St. Jane de Chantal. Our mission is named for St. Michael. One of our ministries is named for St. Vincent de Paul.
We have in our own day and time some modern day Saints. We have the example of St. Maximilian Kolbe, who died in the concentration camps of World War II, St. Gianna Molla, a mother who died in 1962 not long after giving birth to a child she was told to abort due to cancer. And we have St. Padre Pio, the priest with deep spirituality who died in 1968.
Perhaps soon we will have Saints who have lived in our own lifetimes. Mother Theresa has already been declared blessed. Pope John Paul II is believed to be on the way to sainthood. In our own diocese, we continue to await the word on Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos and Mother Henriette DeLisle.
What makes a Saint? How does the church determine sainthood? We all know that the Church examines the lives of those proposed for sainthood for heroic virtues, piety and spirituality. One miracle, attributed to that person, once confirmed, leads to beatification and a second miracle to sainthood. But also, let’s take a look at today’s Gospel.
In St. Matthew’s description of the Sermon on the Mount, we hear the beatitudes. These are eight teachings of Jesus that the Saints obviously followed and we can follow too. Jesus challenges us to be poor in spirit, to mourn, be meek, hunger and thirst for righteousness, be merciful, have a clean heart, be a peacemaker and be willing to be persecuted for the sake of righteousness. These are saint-like qualities. And Jesus promises, among other things, that we can claim the kingdom of heaven if we follow these blessings and our reward will be great in heaven.
Notice, we don’t need x-ray vision, or super human strength, or be able to leap a tall building in a single bound. No, we can imitate the lives of the Saints. We can turn to heroes, not just of this world, but those who are happy in Heaven with God.
In the week ahead, I’m going to pray with these eight beatitudes and ask God to help me become like the Saints. I need a hero and thanks to God and His Church, I have many to come to my aid. And these Saints have a winning streak far greater than 6-0!
Friday, October 30, 2009
You never know...
I was on my way to work today when God intervened. As is often the case, when you least expect it and in places simple not grand, opportunities to minister happen. The details are not important, let's just say it was God's will to place me in front of someone who needed to talk.
When I realized how late it was, I phoned it in. Taking the rest of a Friday off, I remembered that a few miles down the road at a neighboring parish, there would be an opportunity to venerate a first class relic of St. Mary Magdalene. Driving south, I arrived at the church a little before 1:30 and was greeted by a line at least a block long. Once inside, the wait was another 30 minutes. But there at the altar was a fragment of Mary Magdalene's tibia. Because of faith, the realization that you were kneeling in front of a relic of the eyewitness to the Resurrection was a spiritual moment. Right before I knelt, they brought in a lady suffering with cancer, recovering from surgery or treatment. When she knelt before the relic strangers in line began to cry, the two priests went to her and prayed, one blessing her. I can never describe it, but I felt presence.
Of course I am accutely aware that all of this is taking place just yards away from the Eucharistic Lord in the tabernacle. With the church lit just perfectly and reverent music playing it was a feast for the senses. I am so thankful to God that this opportunity came my way!
Just last night, I had another opportunity to witness a powerful spiritual moment. One of my favorite places for spiritual renewal is St. Joseph Abbey. One of the monks, Fr. Thomas passed away during the week. It was unexpected as Fr. Thomas was one of the younger priests at the Abbey. I attended the evening Vespers, where they also receive the body and began an evening vigil. It is always moving to see the beauty, reverence and respect the Benedictines monk display when saying goodbye. And of course, we mourn the loss of the good and faithful priest.
When I realized how late it was, I phoned it in. Taking the rest of a Friday off, I remembered that a few miles down the road at a neighboring parish, there would be an opportunity to venerate a first class relic of St. Mary Magdalene. Driving south, I arrived at the church a little before 1:30 and was greeted by a line at least a block long. Once inside, the wait was another 30 minutes. But there at the altar was a fragment of Mary Magdalene's tibia. Because of faith, the realization that you were kneeling in front of a relic of the eyewitness to the Resurrection was a spiritual moment. Right before I knelt, they brought in a lady suffering with cancer, recovering from surgery or treatment. When she knelt before the relic strangers in line began to cry, the two priests went to her and prayed, one blessing her. I can never describe it, but I felt presence.
Of course I am accutely aware that all of this is taking place just yards away from the Eucharistic Lord in the tabernacle. With the church lit just perfectly and reverent music playing it was a feast for the senses. I am so thankful to God that this opportunity came my way!
Just last night, I had another opportunity to witness a powerful spiritual moment. One of my favorite places for spiritual renewal is St. Joseph Abbey. One of the monks, Fr. Thomas passed away during the week. It was unexpected as Fr. Thomas was one of the younger priests at the Abbey. I attended the evening Vespers, where they also receive the body and began an evening vigil. It is always moving to see the beauty, reverence and respect the Benedictines monk display when saying goodbye. And of course, we mourn the loss of the good and faithful priest.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Louisiana Catholic Bishops on Health Care
The Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops recognizes the need to reform access to health care in the United States. The Catholic Church has been and continues to be an advocate for health care reform that provides medical care for all in an accessible and affordable manner.
According to church teaching, health care is not merely a privilege, but a basic human right. In Pacem in Terris, Pope John 23rd stated that "rights are universal and inviolable, and therfore altogether inalienable." These include, but are not limited to, the "right to medical care" and "to be looked after in the event of ill health." The New Testament Scriptures further reveal an apostolic duty, commanded by Jesus, to heal the sick, while proclaiming the Gospel (Mt 10:7-8).
For centuries, Catholic hospitals have served and ministered to the sick and the dying. Other Catholic institutions have welcomed and served the elderly, handicapped, expectant mothers, newborns, and others with physical, emotional or spiritual needs. This is an important expression of our respect for the innate dignity that lies within every human being, regardless of race, nationality, religion, political opinion, or social class.
This respect for life and dignity directs us to urge Congress to support reforms that:
> Exclude public health care monies for abortion
> Prohibit any form of euthanasia
> Protect the right of conscience of a health care professional or institution and
> Respect the right of a physicain and a patient to decide treatment for the healing of that patient without inteference.
Finally, in shaping public policy on access to health care, we appeal to Congress for a plan that ensures basic affordable medical care for all, including legal immigrants, and a plan that protects the role of personal and private entities in carrying out their health care mission.
The bishops urge that any health care plan embraces all of these principles, and invite all Catholics to pray for all legislators that they will be enlightened by God to know what is good for our society and particularly those in need.
According to church teaching, health care is not merely a privilege, but a basic human right. In Pacem in Terris, Pope John 23rd stated that "rights are universal and inviolable, and therfore altogether inalienable." These include, but are not limited to, the "right to medical care" and "to be looked after in the event of ill health." The New Testament Scriptures further reveal an apostolic duty, commanded by Jesus, to heal the sick, while proclaiming the Gospel (Mt 10:7-8).
For centuries, Catholic hospitals have served and ministered to the sick and the dying. Other Catholic institutions have welcomed and served the elderly, handicapped, expectant mothers, newborns, and others with physical, emotional or spiritual needs. This is an important expression of our respect for the innate dignity that lies within every human being, regardless of race, nationality, religion, political opinion, or social class.
This respect for life and dignity directs us to urge Congress to support reforms that:
> Exclude public health care monies for abortion
> Prohibit any form of euthanasia
> Protect the right of conscience of a health care professional or institution and
> Respect the right of a physicain and a patient to decide treatment for the healing of that patient without inteference.
Finally, in shaping public policy on access to health care, we appeal to Congress for a plan that ensures basic affordable medical care for all, including legal immigrants, and a plan that protects the role of personal and private entities in carrying out their health care mission.
The bishops urge that any health care plan embraces all of these principles, and invite all Catholics to pray for all legislators that they will be enlightened by God to know what is good for our society and particularly those in need.
Trick or Treat
I have heard it all; from Halloween being totally innocent to it being one of the most evil things we Christians can participate in. Usually, both sides have among their followers extremists. I'll concede that plenty of adults take Halloween too far; just like many have turned Mardi Gras into something other than it was intended to be. And the other side is almost hyperventilating with beliefs that all who trick or treat or costume are damned to hell.
Thanks to Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio I spotted this article written by Fr. Thompson. This may help put into proper perspective Halloween and a Catholic response.
Halloween!
The Real Story!
Father Augustine Thompson, O.P.,
We’ve all heard the allegations. Halloween is a pagan rite dating back to some pre-Christian festival among the Celtic Druids that escaped Church suppression. Even today modern pagans and witches continue to celebrate this ancient festival. If you let your kids go trick-or-treating, they will be worshiping the devil and pagan gods.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The origins of Halloween are, in fact, very Christian and rather American. Halloween falls on October 31 because of a pope, and its observances are the result of medieval Catholic piety.
It’s true that the ancient Celts of Ireland and Britain celebrated a minor festival on Oct. 31 — as they did on the last day of most other months of the year. However, Halloween falls on the last day of October because the Feast of All Saints or "All Hallows" falls on Nov. 1. The feast in honor of all the saints in heaven used to be celebrated on May 13, but Pope Gregory III (d. 741) moved it to Nov. 1, the dedication day of All Saints Chapel in St. Peter’s at Rome. Later, in the 840s, Pope Gregory IV commanded that All Saints be observed everywhere. And so the holy day spread to Ireland. The day before was the feast’s evening vigil, "All Hallows Even" or "Hallowe’en." In those days, Halloween didn’t have any special significance for Christians or for long-dead Celtic pagans.
In 998, St. Odilo, the abbot of the powerful monastery of Cluny in Southern France, added a celebration on Nov. 2. This was a day of prayer for the souls of all the faithful departed. This feast, called All Souls Day, spread from France to the rest of Europe.
So now the Church had feasts for all those in heaven and all those in purgatory? What about those in the other place? It seems Irish Catholic peasants wondered about the unfortunate souls in hell. After all, if the souls in hell are left out when we celebrate those in heaven and purgatory, they might be unhappy enough to cause trouble. So it became customary to bang pots and pans on All Hallows Even to let the damned know they were not forgotten. Thus, in Ireland, at least, all the dead came to be remembered — even if the clergy were not terribly sympathetic to Halloween and never allowed All Damned Day into the Church calendar.
But that still isn’t our celebration of Halloween. Our traditions on this holiday centers around dressing up in fanciful costumes, which isn’t Irish at all. Rather, this custom arose in France during the 14th and 15th centuries. Late medieval Europe was hit by repeated outbreaks of the bubonic plague — the Black Death — and she lost about half her population. It is not surprising that Catholics became more concerned about the afterlife. More Masses were said on All Souls’ Day, and artistic representations were devised to remind everyone of their own mortality.
We know these representations as the "Dance Macabre" or "Dance of Death," which was commonly painted on the walls of cemeteries and shows the devil leading a daisy chain of people — popes, kings, ladies, knights, monks, peasants, lepers, etc. — into the tomb. Sometimes the dance was presented on All Souls’ Day itself as a living tableau with people dressed up in the garb of various states of life. But the French dressed up on All Souls, not Halloween; and the Irish, who had Halloween, did not dress up. How the two became mingled probably happened first in the British colonies of North America during the 1700s when Irish and French Catholics began to intermarry. The Irish focus on hell gave the French masquerades and even more macabre twist.
But, as every young ghoul knows, dressing up isn’t the point; the point is getting as many goodies as possible. Where on earth did "trick or treat" come in?
"Trick or treat" is perhaps the oddest and most American addition to Halloween, and is the unwilling contribution of English Catholics.
During the penal period of the 1500s to the 1700s in England, Catholics had no legal rights. They could not hold office and were subject to fines, jail and heavy taxes. It was a capital offense to say Mass, and hundreds of priests were martyred.
Occasionally, English Catholics resisted, sometimes foolishly. One of the most foolish acts of resistance was a plot to blow up the Protestant King James I and his Parliament with gunpowder. This was supposed to trigger a Catholic uprising against their oppressors. The ill-conceived Gunpowder Plot was foiled on Nov. 5, 1605, when the man guarding the gunpowder, a reckless convert named Guy Fawkes, was captured and arrested. He was hanged; the plot fizzled.
Nov. 5, Guy Fawkes’ Day, became a great celebration in England, and so it remains. During the penal periods, bands of revelers would put on masks and visit local Catholics in the dead of night, demanding beer and cakes for their celebration: trick or treat!
Guy Fawkes’ Day arrived in the American colonies with the first English settlers. But, buy the time of the American Revolution, old King James and Guy Fawkes had pretty much been forgotten. Trick or treat, though, was too much fun to give up, so eventually it moved to Oct. 31, the day of the Irish-French masquerade. And in America, trick or treat wasn’t limited to Catholics.
The mixture of various immigrant traditions we know as Halloween had become a fixture in the Unites States by the early 1800s. To this day, it remains unknown in Europe, even in the countries from which some of the customs originated.
But what about witches? Well, they are one of the last additions. The greeting card industry added them in the late 1800s. Halloween was already "ghoulish," so why not give witches a place on greeting cards? The Halloween card failed (although it has seen a recent resurgence in popularity), but the witches stayed. So, too, in the late 1800s, ill-informed folklorists introduced the jack-o’-lantern. They thought that Halloween was druidic and pagan in origin. Lamps made from turnips (not pumpkins) had been part of ancient Celtic harvest festivals, so they were translated to the American Halloween celebration.
The next time someone claims that Halloween is a cruel trick to lure your children into devil worship, I suggest you tell them the real origin of All Hallows Even and invite them to discover its Christian significance, along with the two greater and more important Catholic festivals that follow it.
Thanks to Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio I spotted this article written by Fr. Thompson. This may help put into proper perspective Halloween and a Catholic response.
Halloween!
The Real Story!
Father Augustine Thompson, O.P.,
We’ve all heard the allegations. Halloween is a pagan rite dating back to some pre-Christian festival among the Celtic Druids that escaped Church suppression. Even today modern pagans and witches continue to celebrate this ancient festival. If you let your kids go trick-or-treating, they will be worshiping the devil and pagan gods.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The origins of Halloween are, in fact, very Christian and rather American. Halloween falls on October 31 because of a pope, and its observances are the result of medieval Catholic piety.
It’s true that the ancient Celts of Ireland and Britain celebrated a minor festival on Oct. 31 — as they did on the last day of most other months of the year. However, Halloween falls on the last day of October because the Feast of All Saints or "All Hallows" falls on Nov. 1. The feast in honor of all the saints in heaven used to be celebrated on May 13, but Pope Gregory III (d. 741) moved it to Nov. 1, the dedication day of All Saints Chapel in St. Peter’s at Rome. Later, in the 840s, Pope Gregory IV commanded that All Saints be observed everywhere. And so the holy day spread to Ireland. The day before was the feast’s evening vigil, "All Hallows Even" or "Hallowe’en." In those days, Halloween didn’t have any special significance for Christians or for long-dead Celtic pagans.
In 998, St. Odilo, the abbot of the powerful monastery of Cluny in Southern France, added a celebration on Nov. 2. This was a day of prayer for the souls of all the faithful departed. This feast, called All Souls Day, spread from France to the rest of Europe.
So now the Church had feasts for all those in heaven and all those in purgatory? What about those in the other place? It seems Irish Catholic peasants wondered about the unfortunate souls in hell. After all, if the souls in hell are left out when we celebrate those in heaven and purgatory, they might be unhappy enough to cause trouble. So it became customary to bang pots and pans on All Hallows Even to let the damned know they were not forgotten. Thus, in Ireland, at least, all the dead came to be remembered — even if the clergy were not terribly sympathetic to Halloween and never allowed All Damned Day into the Church calendar.
But that still isn’t our celebration of Halloween. Our traditions on this holiday centers around dressing up in fanciful costumes, which isn’t Irish at all. Rather, this custom arose in France during the 14th and 15th centuries. Late medieval Europe was hit by repeated outbreaks of the bubonic plague — the Black Death — and she lost about half her population. It is not surprising that Catholics became more concerned about the afterlife. More Masses were said on All Souls’ Day, and artistic representations were devised to remind everyone of their own mortality.
We know these representations as the "Dance Macabre" or "Dance of Death," which was commonly painted on the walls of cemeteries and shows the devil leading a daisy chain of people — popes, kings, ladies, knights, monks, peasants, lepers, etc. — into the tomb. Sometimes the dance was presented on All Souls’ Day itself as a living tableau with people dressed up in the garb of various states of life. But the French dressed up on All Souls, not Halloween; and the Irish, who had Halloween, did not dress up. How the two became mingled probably happened first in the British colonies of North America during the 1700s when Irish and French Catholics began to intermarry. The Irish focus on hell gave the French masquerades and even more macabre twist.
But, as every young ghoul knows, dressing up isn’t the point; the point is getting as many goodies as possible. Where on earth did "trick or treat" come in?
"Trick or treat" is perhaps the oddest and most American addition to Halloween, and is the unwilling contribution of English Catholics.
During the penal period of the 1500s to the 1700s in England, Catholics had no legal rights. They could not hold office and were subject to fines, jail and heavy taxes. It was a capital offense to say Mass, and hundreds of priests were martyred.
Occasionally, English Catholics resisted, sometimes foolishly. One of the most foolish acts of resistance was a plot to blow up the Protestant King James I and his Parliament with gunpowder. This was supposed to trigger a Catholic uprising against their oppressors. The ill-conceived Gunpowder Plot was foiled on Nov. 5, 1605, when the man guarding the gunpowder, a reckless convert named Guy Fawkes, was captured and arrested. He was hanged; the plot fizzled.
Nov. 5, Guy Fawkes’ Day, became a great celebration in England, and so it remains. During the penal periods, bands of revelers would put on masks and visit local Catholics in the dead of night, demanding beer and cakes for their celebration: trick or treat!
Guy Fawkes’ Day arrived in the American colonies with the first English settlers. But, buy the time of the American Revolution, old King James and Guy Fawkes had pretty much been forgotten. Trick or treat, though, was too much fun to give up, so eventually it moved to Oct. 31, the day of the Irish-French masquerade. And in America, trick or treat wasn’t limited to Catholics.
The mixture of various immigrant traditions we know as Halloween had become a fixture in the Unites States by the early 1800s. To this day, it remains unknown in Europe, even in the countries from which some of the customs originated.
But what about witches? Well, they are one of the last additions. The greeting card industry added them in the late 1800s. Halloween was already "ghoulish," so why not give witches a place on greeting cards? The Halloween card failed (although it has seen a recent resurgence in popularity), but the witches stayed. So, too, in the late 1800s, ill-informed folklorists introduced the jack-o’-lantern. They thought that Halloween was druidic and pagan in origin. Lamps made from turnips (not pumpkins) had been part of ancient Celtic harvest festivals, so they were translated to the American Halloween celebration.
The next time someone claims that Halloween is a cruel trick to lure your children into devil worship, I suggest you tell them the real origin of All Hallows Even and invite them to discover its Christian significance, along with the two greater and more important Catholic festivals that follow it.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Of Prison and Purgatory
Tonight was my return to the Rayburn Prison after my short vacation. It was good to be back with my brothers in community. After preaching a little bit tonight on All Saints Day, coming up this Sunday, we got into a discussion about purgatory. Is it real? What is it like? How long do you go there? Is it punishment?
So I thought we could go to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and review purgatory. The section that addresses purgatory starts with paragraph 1030: "All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. Then paragraph 1031: "The Church gives the name purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence(1439) and Trent(1563).
The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire (1 Corinthians 3:15 states: "But if someone's work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire." A cursory exegesis of this points out that St. Paul can envision very harsh divine punishmentbut he appears optimistic about the success of divine corrective means both here and elswhere. Also, look at 1 Peter 1:6-7 where we read: "although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuiness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at te revelation of Jesus Christ." Exegesis reveals a long standing belief that the new life of faith must be subject to many trials before achieving fullness of salvation.)
We also read: "As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgement, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come. (Based on Matthew 12:31)
Paragraph 1032: This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore Judas Maccabeus made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin." (2 Maccabeus 12:46). From the beginnin the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead: "Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their father's sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesistate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them." (See Job 1:5).
In addition to these paragraphs about purgatory, one can trace the writings on purgatory from St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, St. Gertrude and St. Robert Bellarmine. We have the teachings of the Church also from Mary's appearance at Fatima.
John Paul II addressed purgatory in a larger address about the existence of hell in July 1998.
What is the greatest takeaway from this is that purgatory is an assurance of heaven and an opportunity for final purification. It is a dogma of our faith and one that we should not be afraid of. We should also return to the practice of praying for souls in purgatory as they cannot pray for themselves.
So as we approach All Saints and All Souls days, let us remember the souls in purgatory and pray for their entrance to heaven.
So I thought we could go to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and review purgatory. The section that addresses purgatory starts with paragraph 1030: "All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. Then paragraph 1031: "The Church gives the name purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence(1439) and Trent(1563).
The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire (1 Corinthians 3:15 states: "But if someone's work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire." A cursory exegesis of this points out that St. Paul can envision very harsh divine punishmentbut he appears optimistic about the success of divine corrective means both here and elswhere. Also, look at 1 Peter 1:6-7 where we read: "although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuiness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at te revelation of Jesus Christ." Exegesis reveals a long standing belief that the new life of faith must be subject to many trials before achieving fullness of salvation.)
We also read: "As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgement, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come. (Based on Matthew 12:31)
Paragraph 1032: This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore Judas Maccabeus made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin." (2 Maccabeus 12:46). From the beginnin the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead: "Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their father's sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesistate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them." (See Job 1:5).
In addition to these paragraphs about purgatory, one can trace the writings on purgatory from St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, St. Gertrude and St. Robert Bellarmine. We have the teachings of the Church also from Mary's appearance at Fatima.
John Paul II addressed purgatory in a larger address about the existence of hell in July 1998.
What is the greatest takeaway from this is that purgatory is an assurance of heaven and an opportunity for final purification. It is a dogma of our faith and one that we should not be afraid of. We should also return to the practice of praying for souls in purgatory as they cannot pray for themselves.
So as we approach All Saints and All Souls days, let us remember the souls in purgatory and pray for their entrance to heaven.
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