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