Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

From The Office of Readings:

The present festival, the birth of the Mother of God, is the prelude, while the final act is the fore-ordained union of the Word with flesh. Today the Virgin is born, tended and formed and prepared for her role as Mother of God, who is the universal King of the ages.

Justly, then, do we celebrate this mystery since it signifies for us a double grace. We are led toward the truth, and we are led away from our condition of slavery to the letter of the law. How can this be? Darkness yields before the coming of the light, and grace exchanges legalism for freedom. But midway between the two stands today’s mystery, at the frontier where types and symbols give way to reality, and the old is replaced by the new. Therefore, let all creation sing and dance and unite to make worthy contribution to the celebration of this day. Let there be one common festival for saints in heaven and men on earth. Let everything, mundane things and those above, join in festive celebration. Today this created world is raised to the dignity of a holy place for him who made all things. The creature is newly prepared to be a divine dwelling place for the Creator.

--St. Andrew of Crete--

Tropical Storm Ophelia and Mary

Coincidence or another sign?

Ophelia means "help" or "succor"...interesting when you link this to the area threatened by Tropical Storm Ophelia -- St. Augustine, FL which coincidently was founded on September 8th, 1565 (anniversary tomorrow)... the feast of the birth of Mary. The area is also dominated by a beautiful shrine marking the spot, including a large cross and chapel of Our Lady of LaLeche (nursing mother).

Given that Our Lady of Prompt Succor is the patroness against storms and of New Orleans---add to this St. John Bosco's prophecy (alluded to last month on this blog, during the Pope's boat trip in Cologne)...where a future pope linked the barque of Peter to a pilar on which stood Our Lady Help of Christians (prompt succor is another rendering of this title) might we see some unraveling of a mystery before our eyes to prepare?

Check out How do You Handle Tragedy?

Hoarse Pope Receives Blessing from a Child

From Agenzia Giornalistica Italia - News In English:

With the original sin, man 'has replaced the glory of incorruptible God with the
image and figure of corruptible man, choosing to worship idols and becoming
alike', said Pope Benedict XVI today, describing the temptation to be godless,
which has always affected man, and is still topical. In order to react to this
temptation, said the Pope in the general hearing, 'we must keep on considering
the son of God a model. He freed us from darkness and took us to the kingdom of
his son. This is the condition that grants us eternal salvation, because Jesus
Christ is the first-born of the dead, namely, the first to resuscitate'. The
pope then greeted the members of the Cistercense Order in St.Peter's square,
asking them to 'faithfully experience St.Bernard's charisma, and pursue his
century-long spirtitual fertility'. THe pope also met Moscow nuncio, mons.
Antonio Mennini, and the representatives of the Holy See in South Africa and
Peru. The pope was in good shape, but had a hoarse voice. A curious episode
after the general hearing: a down lad, waiting to be blessed by the pope, gave
him a blessing himself before receiving it, with the austere pontiff smiling.

Powerful Typhoon Lashes Southern Japan

From the Washington Post:

Typhoon Nabi lashed southern Japan on Tuesday, forcing tens of thousands to
evacuate as the government dispatched troops to fortify defenses against the
waves and flooding. At least 15 people were injured and three reported missing.

With winds of up to 89 mph, the storm churned near the coastal city of
Kushikino on Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu, Japan's Meteorological
Agency said.

Meanwhile back here Tropical Storm Nate forms in the Atlantic.

Feast of Blessed Mother Teresa

From Prayer to Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta:

Blessed Teresa, you promised to continuously bring the light of love to those on earth; pray for us that we also may long to satiate the burning thirst of Jesus by loving Him ardently, sharing in His sufferings joyfully, and serving Him wholeheartedly in our brothers and sisters, especially those most unloved and unwanted.

Rehnquist's Funeral to be at St. Mathew's Cathedral

It'll be a Lutheran service though...

From :

President Bush could have petitioned Congress for a state funeral for Rehnquist, a ceremony that would have allowed the body to lie in state in the Rotunda of the Capitol. Only state funerals include that honor.

Rules of the Roman Catholic Church permit church use for funerals for those who, like Rehnquist, are not Roman Catholics, according to a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Washington. Rehnquist belonged to a Lutheran church and the services will be Lutheran.

Susan Gibbs, the spokeswoman for the archdiocese, said the request to use St. Matthew's came from the Rehnquist family through the court based on its size. The church has seating for about 2,000 in its main section and side chapels.

Pope on the Eucharist and Katrina at Sunday Angelus

From AsiaNews.it:

Dear brothers and sisters!

“The Year of the Eucharist is now entering its final phase. It concludes in the coming month of October with the celebration of the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in the Vatican, which will have as its theme: ‘The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church’. This special Year dedicated to the Eucharistic mystery was desired by the much-loved Pope John Paul II to reawaken in Christian people faith, awe and love towards this great sacrament, which constitutes the true treasure of the Church. With what devotion he celebrated Holy Mass, the centre of each of his days! And how much time he spent in adoring, silent prayer before the Tabernacle! Through his sickness, in the last months, he was assimilated even more in the suffering Christ. It is striking to think that at the hour of his death, he was uniting the offering of his life to that of Christ during Mass which was being celebrated at his bedside. His earthly existence ended in the Octave of Easter, right in the heart of this Eucharistic Year, in which the passage from his great pontificate to mine took place. So it is with joy that I reaffirm, right from the start of this service which the Lord has asked of me, the centrality of the Sacrament of the real presence of Christ in the life of the Church and in that of each and every Christian.

In view of October’s Synodal Assembly, the Bishops taking part will examine the ‘Instrument of Work’ prepared for the occasion. However I ask the entire ecclesial community to feel a part of this phase of immediate preparation and to participate through prayer and reflection, valuing each occasion, event and meeting. Even at the recent World Youth Day, many were the references made to the Eucharistic mystery. I recall, for example, the striking Vigil of Saturday night, 20 August, in Marienfeld, which had as its culminating moment the Eucharistic adoration: a courageous choice, which brought the gazes and hearts of the youth to look at Jesus present in the most Holy Sacrament. I also recall that during those memorable days, in some churches of Cologne, Bonn and Dusseldorf, continual adoration was held, day and night, with the participation of many youth, who could thus discover together the beauty of contemplative prayer!

I trust that, thanks to the commitment of pastors and faithful, participation in the Eucharist will be ever more assiduous and fervent in each and every community. Today in particular, I would like to exhort that the ‘Day of the Lord’, Sunday, a sacred day for Christians, be joyfully sanctified. In this context, I like to recall the person of St Gregory the Great, whose memory we celebrated yesterday in the liturgy. That pope gave a contribution of historical significance to the promotion of the liturgy in its various aspects and in particular to convenient celebration of the Eucharist. His intercession, together with that of the most Holy Mary, helps us every Sunday to live fully the joy of Easter and of the encounter with the risen Christ.”

After the Angelus prayer, the pope recalled victims of the Hurricane Katrina:

“In these days we are all saddened by the disaster wrought by a hurricane in the United States of America, especially in New Orleans. I wish to give assurance of my prayers for the deceased and for their relatives, for the injured and the homeless, for the sick, for children and for elderly people; I bless all those who are committed to the difficult work of aid and reconstruction. I have given the President of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes, the assignment of taking the testimony of my solidarity to the stricken populations.”

How Do We Deal With Tragedy? Michael Dubruiel

I've been thinking a lot about how the constant images of suffering and devastation challenge the common world view of most Americans...and unfortunately most Christians who have forgotten how the Gospel presents the Good News of Christ...aptly summarized in Archbishop Bruno Forte's statement "Life is either a pilgrimage or a foretaste of death."

I'm also struck by a letter that I received by a group of women in Hurricane stricken Florida last Fall after they had completed a group study of The Power of the Cross: Applying the Passion of Christ to Your Life. The leader of the group wrote to me, "We've missed out on this key element of the Gospel that helps us to understand where God is in the midst of horrific events."

Indeed.

The natural disaster that has stricken the Gulf Coast reminds us again that this life can bring many crosses which we either curse because we see nothing beyond or contemplate with Faith because of our belief in Christ.


Michael Dubruiel

Michael Dubruiel - 2005

Storm's Economic Toll at $100 Billion?

Staggering figure, but shows the enormity of the problem.

Explosions Fill New Orleans Sky With Smoke

Chemical plant blows up...unbelievable how this disaster grows more horrible by the day. Also hard to believe that there isn't a way to get these people out of the city faster.

September: Month of Our Lady of Sorrows

When you think about the tragedy of 9/11 that we will commemorate a week from this Sunday and the horrific images coming from the Gulf Coast today it is comforting to think that in Catholic devotion and belief God is not far off but suffers with us. Paul was told by Jesus on the road to Damascus "Why are you persecuting me?" such was the risen Lord's association with those he left behind.

So too in Catholic devotion Our Lady's Assumption has not removed her from our sorrow and this image of a statue that survived Katrina's destruction with a few fingers missing reminds me of that...



"To you do we cry, to you do we send up our sighs, mournings and weepings in this vale of tears, turn then most gracious advocate and show unto us the fruit of your womb--Jesus!"

Feast of St. Giles (Patron of cripples, breastfeeding)

Every now and again there are saints whose lives are just that interesting...

From Catholic Culture:

St. Giles

According to tradition, St. Giles was born at Athens, Greece, and was of noble
extraction. After his parents died, he fled from his fatherland to avoid
followers and fame. He went to France, and in a cave in a forest near the mouth
of the Rhone he was able to lead the life of a hermit. Legend has a hind came
everyday to his cell and furnished him with milk. One day the King's hunters
chased the hind and discovered St. Giles and his secret hermitage. The hunters
shot at the hind, but missed and hit Giles' leg with an arrow, which kept him
crippled the rest of his life. He then consented to King Theodoric's request of
building a monastery (known later as "Saint Gilles du Gard") and he became its
first Abbot. He died some eight years later towards 712.

In
Normandy, France, women having difficulty becoming pregnant would sleep
with a picture or statues of the saint.

In England,
churches named for St. Giles were built so that cripples could reach them
easily, and he was also considered the chief patron of the poor. That in his
name charity was granted the most miserable is shown from the custom that on
their passage to Tyburn for execution, convicts were allowed to stop at St.
Giles' Hospital where they were presented with a bowl of ale called St. Giles'
Bowl, "thereof to drink at their pleasure, as their last refreshing in this
life."

St. Giles is included in the list of the fourteen "Auxiliary
Saints" or "Holy Helpers". These are a group of saints invoked because they have
been efficacious in assisting in trials and sufferings. Each saint has a
separate feast or memorial day, and the group was collectively venerated on
August 8, until the 1969 reform of the Roman calendar, when the feast was
dropped.

Patron: Beggars; breastfeeding; hermits;
horses; physically disabled; woods; blacksmiths; against lameness; against
leprosy; against sterility; against infertility.

Symbols: Hand pierced with arrows; hind pierced with
arrows; gold doe, pierced by a silver arrow; Benedictine with crosier, arrow
piercing hand, protecting hind.

How You Can Help the Victims

Check out Helping victims and survivors

Katrina Refugees will go to Astrodome

From one dome to another...frommlive.com: NewsFlash - Katrina refugees will go to Astrodome:

At least 25,000 of Hurricane Katrina's refugees, a majority of them at the New
Orleans Superdome, will travel in a bus convoy to Houston starting Wednesday and
will be sheltered at the 40-year-old Astrodome, which hasn't been used for
professional sporting events in years.

The Federal Emergency Management
Agency will provide 475 buses for the transfer, and the Astrodome's schedule has
been cleared through December for housing evacuees, said Kathy Walt, a
spokeswoman for Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

1,000 Die in Iraq Stamped Fueled by Terror Rumor

From Top News Article Reuters.com:

Up to 1,000 Iraqi Shi'ites might have died in a stampede on a Tigris River
bridge in Baghdad on Wednesday, panicked by rumors a suicide bomber was about to
blow himself up, government officials told Reuters.

Most victims were women and children who 'died by drowning or being
trampled' after panic swept a throng of thousands as they headed to a religious
ceremony, an Interior Ministry official said.

'An hour ago the death toll was 695 killed, but we expect it to hit
1,000,' said Dr Jaseb Latif Ali, a general manager at Iraq's Health
Ministry.

Fuel Here $3.29 a Gallon

For the cheap stuff.



Last night the local (Northern Indiana) fuel people were claiming they were nearly out--I can guarantee you that our fuel comes from the Great Lakes not the Gulf. How these people aren't all prosecuted for price gouging and lying is beyond me.

Pope Prays for Victims of Katrina

From The Seattle Post-Intelligence:

Pope Benedict XVI said Wednesday he was praying for victims of Hurricane Katrina
and urged rescue workers to persevere in bringing comfort to survivors.

CATASTROPHIC!

From CATASTROPHIC

In Lakeview, the scene was surreal. A woman yelled to reporters from a rooftop,
asking them to call her father and tell him she was OK, although fleeing to the
roof of a two-story home hardly seemed to qualify.

About 5 p.m., almost
as if on cue, the battery power of all the house alarms in the neighborhood
seemed to reach a critical level, and they all went off, making it sound as if
the area was under an air-raid warning. Two men surviving on generator power in
the Lake Terrace neighborhood near the Lake Pontchartrain levee still had a dry
house, but they were watching the rising water in the yard nervously. They were
planning to head out to retrieve a vast stash of beer, champagne and hard liquor
they found washed onto the levee. As night fell, the sirens of house alarms
finally fell silent, and the air filled with a different, deafening and
unfamiliar sound: the extraordinary din of thousands of croaking frogs.

Feast of Beheading of St. John the Baptist

From the Office of Readings:

"He preached the freedom of heavenly peace, yet was thrown into irons by ungodly men; he was locked away in the darkness of prison, though he came bearing witness to the Light of life and deserved to be called a bright and shining lamp by that Light itself, which is Christ. John was baptised in his own blood, though he had been privileged to baptise the Redeemer of the world, to hear the voice of the Father above him, and to see the grace of the Holy Spirit descending upon him. But to endure temporal agonies for the sake of the truth was not a heavy burden for such men as John; rather it was easily borne and even desirable, for he knew eternal joy would be his reward.

Since death was ever near at hand through the inescapable necessity of nature, such men considered it a blessing to embrace it and thus gain the reward of eternal life by acknowledging Christ's name. Hence the apostle Paul rightly says: You have been granted the privilege not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for his sake. He tells us why it is Christ's gift that his chosen ones should suffer for him: The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us."

Homily of St. Bede

More about Michael Dubruiel

Throw Us Some Beads...

In New Orleans rosary beads should be thrown out to all so that they can thank God for sparing them the brunt of the storm, no matter how bad they still got it.

Lefebre Head Meets with Pope

From Vatican-Pope-Schism:

Pope Benedict met with the head of the ultraconservative movement founded by the excommunicated Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre on Monday amid a renewed push to bring the 'schismatic' group back into Rome's fold.

Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said the meeting between the Pope and Monsignor Bernard Fellay, secretary general of the Society of St. Pius X, was held 'in a climate of love for the church and a desire to arrive at perfect communion.'

A great book on the topic:

New Orleans Warned?

This story is from last Tuesday...the Virgin Mary on a billboard for a funeral home, a ticking clock, looking west toward a graveyard.

FromVirgin Mary spotted on Big Easy billboard:- - World News - Webindia123.com:

A New Orleans billboard for a funeral home is attracting the curious after a painter spotted an image of the Virgin Mary standing in it.

Mark Kleindorf, 40, said he first noticed the image while he was painting a shop's walls. Kleindorf said he noticed a white blotch on the left side of the sign, part of the original funeral home photograph that could be described as sunlight. Within it, he saw the profile of Mary, standing in the archway with her back to the ticking clock on the right side of the sign. The solitary figure seems perfectly proportioned, the New Orleans Times-Picayune said. She is clothed in a white gown and veil and is facing west, toward a cemetery.

However, Archdiocese of New Orleans spokesman, the Rev. William Maestri dismissed the claim.

This would not even remotely qualify as an apparition, Maestri said. This is simply a speculation based on an imaginative interpretation of what something appears to be.

More on the man who first spotted it:

Kleindorf, who refers to himself as a "cajew" because he was raised by a Jewish father and Catholic mother, said he is not the first member of his family to have a vision of Mary. Years ago, his uncle, Broadway and local actor Jay Kleindorf, shared with his nephew his story of a vision.

"When he was in World War II, he was driving in the back of a flatbed truck with a bunch of his Army buddies, and he looked up in the trees and he saw the Blessed Mother waving, pulling him towards her like, 'Come to me. Come to me,' " Kleindorf said. "So, he shouted to his guys, 'Jump,' and when they jumped, that's when the mortar hit the truck and blew up everybody else in it. . . . When he got older, he told me the story the same way over and over, didn't miss a beat."

'This is spooky'

Strong Category Five Now

From NOLA.com: Weather News:

As of Sunday morning, Katrina has strengthened to Category 5 with winds of 175 mph. As of 8:30 a.m., winds were 160 mph winds. Winds of 155 or greater mark a Category 5 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Katrina is comparable to Hurricane Camille in intensity, which devastated the New Orleans area in 1969; the difference is that Katrina is larger.

The entire Southeastern Louisiana area is under hurricane warning. The area extends from Morgan City eastward to the Alabama/Florida border--including metro New Orleans and Lake Ponchartrain.

From Our Lady of Prompt Succor:

It is customary for devout citizens of New Orleans to gather to pray before the statue of Our Lady of Prompt Succor whenever a hurricane threatens New Orleans. They know they can depend upon Our Lady’s succor and her promptitude. Our Lady of Prompt Succor, ora pro nobis.

Prayer to Our Lady of Prompt Succor:

Lord Jesus, we know You are the ultimate power. We know that when You grant graces through Your mother they can come to us faster than the speed of light, with unfathomable power. Dear Lord, let us grow closer to You through Our Lady of Prompt Succor, that we may please God and that He may come to our assistance in a hasty fashion.

Grant us the faith, that we too may see miracles in our lives, and grant us the inspiration and grace to pray fervently during Mass and at the Blessed Sacrament.

And oh Mary, you have come so many times through history to aid your children. Come now to our aid. Come to the prompt aid of our families. Come to the aid of the United States, which has sunken into materialism and unholiness and darkness.

Save us, Blessed Mother. Save our nation. Save the heritage that men like General Jackson fought for. Save this great country founded upon the precepts of Christianity. Bring back holiness, oh Lord. Bring back goodness. Rescue our nation as quickly as possible!

In our own lives, instill a fervent faith and love. Oh Blessed Mother, let us feel love for all human beings. Let our hearts soften. Let us become your vessels of purity and charity.

(Response: be with us):

Oh Virgin so gracious,

Oh Virgin who saved France,

Oh Virgin, who beckons New Orleans,

Oh Virgin who can save our own nation,

Oh Virgin of quick response,

Oh Virgin who instills charity,

BE WITH US

Ejaculation:

Virgin Mary of Prompt Succor, be ever and quickly attendant to our needs!

Angelus:

V: The angel spoke God's message to Mary

R: And she conceived of the Holy Spirit

(Hail Mary, full of grace...)

V: "I am the lowly servant of the Lord:

R: Let it be done to me according to your word."

(Hail Mary...)

V: And the Word became flesh

R: and dwelt amongst us.

(Hail Mary...)

V: Pray for us, holy Mother of God,

R: That we may become worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: Lord, fill our hearts with your grace: once, through the message of an angel, you revealed to us the incarnation of your Son; now, through His suffering and death, lead us to the glory of His resurrection. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us further pray:

Our Lady of Prompt Succor, you are after Jesus our only hope. O Most Holy Virgin, whose merits have raised you high above angel choirs to the very throne of the Eternal and whose foot crushed the head of the infernal serpent, you are strong against the enemies of our salvation. O Mother of God, you are our mediatrix most kind and loving. Hasten, then, to our help, and as you did once save your beloved city from ravaging flames and our country from an alien foe, do now have pity on our misery, and obtain for us the graces we beg of you. Deliver us from the wiles of Satan, assist us in the many trials which beset our path in this valley of tears, and be to us truly Our Lady of Prompt Succor now and especially at the hour of our death. Our Lady of Prompt Succor, O Mary Immaculate, you are the model of all virtues, the path by which we go to Jesus, the mysterious channel through which divine favors are imparted to us. You have such power over the Heart of Jesus, hasten to our assistance and obtain our earnest request (here name the favor desired).

In you, O Mary, we put our trust. Let it not be said that our hopes have been frustrated. O Mother most chaste, be our strength against temptation, our help in danger, our consolation in sorrow, but especially Our Lady of Prompt Succor at the hour of our death. Amen.

Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us. (Repeat three times and recite the Hail Mary and Our Father.)

Stanislaw Dziwisz Officially Installed as Archbishop of Krakow

At the right, seen kissing an image of Our Lady of Czestochowa.

From Buffalo News - John Paul's aide officially installed as archbishop:

Dressed in a white-and-gold robe and miter, Dziwisz, surrounded by hundreds of priests and bishops in white robes, nuns and city officials, walked in a procession to St. Mary's Church. He held a silver-and-gilded staff given to Karol Wojtyla - the future John Paul - when he became archbishop of Krakow in 1958.

Feast of St. Augustine

From The Confessions:

To Carthage I came, where there sang all around me in my ears a cauldron of unholy loves. I loved not yet, yet I loved to love, and out of a deep-seated want, I hated myself for wanting not. I sought what I might love, in love with loving, and safety I hated, and a way without snares. For within me was a famine of that inward food, Thyself, my God; yet, through that famine I was not hungered; but was without all longing for incorruptible sustenance, not because filled therewith, but the more empty, the more I loathed it. For this cause my soul was sickly and full of sores, it miserably cast itself forth, desiring to be scraped by the touch of objects of sense. Yet if these had not a soul, they would not be objects of love. To love then, and to be beloved, was sweet to me; but more, when I obtained to enjoy the person I loved, I defiled, therefore, the spring of friendship with the filth of concupiscence, and I beclouded its brightness with
the hell of lustfulness; and thus foul and unseemly, I would fain, through exceeding vanity, be fine and courtly. I fell headlong then into the love wherein I longed to be ensnared. My God, my Mercy, with how much gall didst Thou out of Thy great goodness besprinkle for
me that sweetness? For I was both beloved, and secretly arrived at the bond of enjoying; and was with joy fettered with sorrow-bringing bonds, that I might be scourged with the iron burning rods of jealousy, and suspicions, and fears, and angers, and quarrels.

A Very Dangerous Storm

Katrina takes aim at New Orleans

FromNOLA.com: Weather News:

With winds up to 145 mph and Katrina is now a Category 4 storm. This hurricane may continue to strengthen to Category 5 (winds of 155 mph) before making landfall on the Southeastern Louisiana coast early Monday afternoon. Hurricane watches extended from Intracoastal City, LA, to east as Destin, Fla., but for almost 24 hours, the center of the projected path has bobbled only slightly between the New Orleans/Metairie line and Slidell.

President Bush late Saturday declared a state of emergency in Louisiana, following a request earlier by Gov. Kathleen Blanco, a move that frees up federal emergency aid for the storm. Bush also urged residents to follow the advice of forecasters, and flee the storm.

Vatican Plan to Block Gay Priests

In some ways a non-story because there is really nothing new in this story--just speculation. Also the pope never signs these type of documents (something alluded to in the story)

From The Observer:

The controversial document, produced by the Congregation for Catholic Education and Seminaries, the body overseeing the church's training of the priesthood, is being scrutinised by Benedict XVI.

It been suggested Rome would publish the instruction earlier this month, but it dropped the plan out of concern that such a move might tarnish his visit to his home city of Cologne last week.

Feast of Saint Monica

From the Office of Readings:

This was the substance of our talk, though not the exact words. Yet you know, O Lord, how on that very day, amid this talk of ours that seemed to make the world with all its charms grow cheap, she said, “For my part, my son, I no longer find pleasure in anything that this life holds. What I am doing here still, or why I am still here, I do not know, for worldly hope has withered away for me. One thing only there was for which I desired to linger in this life: to see you a Catholic Christian before I died. And my God has granted this to me more lavishly than I could have hoped, letting me see even you spurning earthly happiness to be his servant. What am I still doing here?”

Benedict Speaks on Brother Roger Again

From Zenit:

Benedict XVI revealed details of his relationship with the 90-year-old religious, a "great pioneer of unity," who was stabbed to death Aug. 16 by an apparently unstable 36-year-old Romanian woman.

"I had known him personally for a long time and had a cordial friendship with him," said the Pope.

"He often came to visit me and, as I already said in Rome on the day of his murder, I received a letter from him that moved my heart, because in it he underlined his adherence to my way and told me that he wanted to come and see me," said the Holy Father.

"He is now visiting us and speaking to us from on high," said Benedict XVI. "I think that we must listen to him, we must listen from within to his spiritually lived ecumenism and allow ourselves to be led by his witness toward an interiorized and spiritualized ecumenism."

Katrina Moves Into the Gulf of Mexico

Things are heating up in the Atlantic too...

Pope Benedict XVI to Visit Poland

I'll bet a beatification will take place during that visit.

Guardian Unlimited World Latest Pope Benedict XVI to Visit Poland

Hints that there is talk of Beatifying John Paul as a Martyr:

Mario Agnes, editor-in-chief of the official Vatican daily L'Osservatore Romano, told an annual pro-catholic political meeting that the stones in St Peter's Square where John Paul's blood was shed should be preserved because it was the blood of "an authentic martyred Pope.

Archdiocese of Louisville to Ordain Married Man

Their first, but of course many dioceses already have several.



From Future Catholic priest is married

Stuck in 1971

Keynote at the Leadership Conference of Catholic Women focuses on the luminous moment of 1971...thirty-four years ago!



How about being for today!

Hurricane Katrina makes landfall near Fort Lauderdale

From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

Katrina, whose winds rose to 75 mph and was named a hurricane Thursday afternoon, began to make landfall between Pompano Beach and south to Aventura.

At 5 p.m. the center of Hurricane Katrina was located about 15 miles east-northeast of Fort Lauderdale. Katrina is moving toward the west near 6 mph. At that rate and on its current course, the storm would strike somewhere near Fort Lauderdale or Pompano Beach or Deerfield Beach around 8 p.m.

The Remarkable Lesson of the Pope

A unique and good appraisal of the Pope at WYD.

From Sandro Magister

Benedict XVI spoke the latter of these words at the culmination of the nocturnal vigil in Marienfeld, before an altar beneath a starry sky. And then, all of a sudden, he added: "Dear friends, this is not a distant story that took place long ago. It is with us now. Here in the sacred Host he is present before us and in our midst. [...] He is present now as he was then in Bethlehem. He invites us to that inner pilgrimage which is called adoration." Silence. The pope blessed the crowd with the host and quickly withdrew into the shadows, without passing through the crowd. He would return the next morning for the Mass, to repeat that it is only through God and the Eucharist that true revolution comes to the world. And he would give two pieces of advice to the young people: that they attend Sunday Mass and study the catechism.

Pele, who?

From POPE DOESN'T KNOW PELE:

At least the pontiff got his nationality right, asking: "Are you Brazilian?"

But he was spared his blushes thanks to an aide who whispered: "He's Pele. He's the world's greatest-ever footballer."

The three-times World Cup winner was then allowed to kiss the pontiff's hand before he was granted a blessing.

Tropical Storm Katrina Threatens South Florida

Sun-Sentinel: South Florida weather

Feast of St. Bartholomew

Bible Trivia: What was the Apostle Bartholomew's other name?

From the Catholic Encyclopedia:

Many scholars, however, identify him with Nathaniel (John 1:45-51; 21:2). The reasons for this are that Bartholomew is not the proper name of the Apostle; that the name never occurs in the Fourth Gospel, while Nathaniel is not mentioned in the synoptics; that Bartholomew's name is coupled with Philip's in the lists of Matthew and Luke, and found next to it in Mark, which agrees well with the fact shown by St. John that Philip was an old friend of Nathaniel's and brought him to Jesus; that the call of Nathaniel, mentioned with the call of several Apostles, seems to mark him for the apostolate, especially since the rather full and beautiful narrative leads one to expect some important development; that Nathaniel was of Galilee where Jesus found most, if not all, of the Twelve; finally, that on the occasion of the appearance of the risen Savior on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias, Nathaniel is found present, together with several Apostles who are named and two unnamed Disciples who were, almost certainly, likewise Apostles (the word "apostle" not occurring in the Fourth Gospel and "disciple" of Jesus ordinarily meaning Apostle) and so, presumably, was one of the Twelve. This chain of circumstantial evidence is ingenious and pretty strong; the weak link is that, after all, Nathaniel may have been another personage in whom, for some reason, the author of the Fourth Gospel may have been particularly interested, as he was in Nicodemus, who is likewise not named in the synoptics.

Vatican Denies Papal Trip to Istanbul

While European media continues to insist that it is a done deal, for November 30, Feast of St. Andrew.



ZAMAN DAILY NEWSPAPER (2005082323269)

Virgins by Choice, Women Embrace Ancient Ministry

Consecrated virgins...in the Detroit Free Press

'Hail Mary' Is More Than a Football Play

Newsweek on Steubenville...Roman Catholicism: 'Hail Mary' Is More Than a Football Play - Newsweek Society - MSNBC.com

Pope's Wednesday Audience

AsiaNews.it -Benedict XVI: Eucharist, vocation, mission are the tracks of the WYD:

"Jesus is our companion on the journey in the Eucharist and the Eucharist - as I
said in the homily at the closing celebration, adapting a well-known image from
physics - carries "nuclear fission" to the most hidden depths of the heart of
the being. Only this intimate explosion of good which triumphs over evil can
give life to those other transformations necessary to change the world. We pray
now so that the youth may go from Cologne with the light of Christ, who is truth
and love and that they may spread this everywhere."

Brother Roger's Catholic Funeral

Taize:

"Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical council for the unity of
Christians, pronounces the opening allocution then celebrates the Eucharist with the brothers of Taize who are priests"

Feast Day of St. Rose of Lima

From Catholic Culture:

Rose of Lima, a member of the Third Order of St. Dominic, was the "first blossom of sanctity that South America gave to the world." Hers was a life heroic in virtue and penance. The evils perpetrated by the conquerors of the land in their lust for gold, she expiated. For many her life was a silent sermon of penance. Pope Clement X stated in the bull of canonization: "Since the discovery of Peru no missionary has arisen who effected a similar popular zeal for the practice of penance."

Already as a five-year-old child (born 1586), Rose vowed her innocence to God. While still a young girl, she practiced mortifications and fasts that exceeded ordinary discretion; during all of Lent she ate no bread, but subsisted on five citron seeds a day. In addition, she suffered repeated attacks from the devil, painful bodily ailments, and from her family, scoldings and calumnies. All this she accepted serenely, remarking that she was treated better than she deserved. For fifteen years she patiently endured the severest spiritual abandonment and aridity. In reward came heavenly joys, the comforting companionship of her holy guardian angel and of the Blessed Virgin. August 24, 1617, proved to be the day "on which the paradise of her heavenly Bridegroom unlocked itself to her."

Excerpted from The Church's year of grace, Pius Parsch.

Robertson Calls for Leader's Assasination

By the U.S.



While this is something that you might imagine the CIA doing behind closed doors, it is not something you expect from a follower of Jesus Christ--hardly an endorsement of the Sermon on the Mount.



Yet I know that we all have a hard time reconciling our faith with our politics. Some exclude "life" issues from their vote, others exclude "war" issues from theirs.



The Gospel of Jesus calls us to be different from the world and most of us while at first glimpsing the truth and power of Jesus' call in the end sort of forget that and end up being no different than the agnostic living next door to us.



We get Christian leaders who mimic us. It is easy to jump on Pat Robertson, but "let he who is without sin cast the first stone," meaning in this case "have you and I embraced the radical nature of the Gospel yet?"



Story on the UK Guardian

Queenship of Mary

This was to fulfill what the prophets had prophesied:

At your right hand stands the queen, clothed in gold of Ophir.

Pray the rosary today!

Al Gore TV

I was a big fan of International News, it gave a world perspective of what others considered the news of the day. But now that is gone, bought out by Al Gore and what we have instead is a waste of time...Betting a Network on Youths Who Think - New York Times:

It was impossible not to snicker a little at the notion of Al Gore creating a hip, youth-oriented cable network, and sure enough, Current TV is at first glance a punch line: MTV without the music.

But after only three weeks, Current is not a joke. It actually lives up to its billing as a slick, commercial cable network that gives its audience a voice in the programming.

Q & A on Stem Cell Research

From the Pensylvania Catholic Bishops

More than 1 Million Greet Pope in Germany

From AP Wire | 08/21/2005 | More than 1 million greet Pope in Germany:

"As he began his homily (text posted in post below), calling on the pilgrims and visitors to World Youth Day to make wise use of the freedom God had given them, the sun broke through the thick, gray clouds."

Follow Brother Roger’s Funeral on the Internet

According to Amy it will be a Catholic funeral...

Taize- Follow Brother Roger’s funeral on the internet