Groundhog Day

He saw his shadow (meaning six more weeks of winter or in our case meaning temperatures are about to dip back into the winter range) and waved a terrible towel (is that good or bad for the Steelers?)

Lent is Soon Approaching

I didn't realize it but now that I've had time to read Pope Benedict's encyclical several times and in preparation for a talk I'm giving soon I've discovered that my The Power of the Cross covers many of the same themes as the Pope's encyclical. Go to Google's books search and do a search of "God is Love"...

The book is set up to be used as a daily Lenten meditation book beginning with Ash Wednesday and taking you to the Triduum on Holy Saturday.

Young French Nun Healed of Parkinson's Disease

After praying for the intercession of Pope John Paul shortly after his death last April...

From Reuters:

The Vatican may have found the "miracle" they need to put the late Pope John Paul one step closer to sainthood -- the medically inexplicable healing of a French nun with the same Parkinson's disease that afflicted him.

Monsignor Slawomir Oder, the Catholic Church official in charge of promoting the cause to declare the late Pope a saint of the Church, told Reuters on Monday that an investigation into the healing had cleared an initial probe by doctors.

Oder said the "relatively young" nun, whom he said he could not identify for now, was inexplicably cured of Parkinson's after praying to John Paul after his death last April 2.

The Wedding of Jesus

Subject of my talk tomorrow night in Columbus (don't worry folks nothing heretical--in fact I will quote from the Pope's latest encyclical and will show the stupidity of those theologians who say "it doesn't matter if Jesus were married to Mary Magdalene--since they of all people should know what I'm going to speak about and who Jesus intended spouse is!).

At 7:00 p.m. at St. Joan of Arc in Powell, Ohio (just a bit north of Columbus near Worthington). Amy will also speak on the DaVinci Code.

We both will speak for Catholic Schools week earlier in the day. I will speak about Catholic Publishing for youth in a talk "Do you want to be like Reggie or Pat?"

Thanks to Dave Hartline for arranging both talks, visit his great web site The Catholic Report.

Evangelical Counsels Witness God's Love

From Pope Benedict's Angelus message today at AsiaNews.it:

Persons consecrated in poverty, chastity and obedience 'are eloquent signs in the world ' of God's merciful love, celebrated in the encyclical 'Deus caritas est.' Recalling the recently released document, Benedict XVI reaffirmed at today's Angelus 'the primacy of charity in the life of Christians and in the Church', and saints as 'privileged witnesses' who 'have made of their existence, in thousands of different tonalities, a hymn to God-Love.' The Pope cited the past week's saints from the liturgical calendar (Paul, Timothy, Titus, Angela Merici, Thomas Aquinas) and the saints mentioned in his Encyclical, who are 'known mainly for their charity': John of God, Camillo de Lellis, Vincent de Paul, Louise de Marillac, Giuseppe Cottolengo, Luigi Orione, Teresa of Calcutta. In referring to them, all consecrated persons, the Pope reaffirmed 'the importance of consecrated life as an expression and school of charity' and the 'imitation of Christ in chastity, poverty and obedience....entirely geared to the attainment of perfect charity.' To indicate to the entire Church the importance of the state of the evangelical counsels, Benedict XVI will preside Mass at Saint Peter's Basilica on February 2, Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and World Day for Consecrated Life."

You may recall that last year when the dove was released on the same day that it flew back in toward Pope John Paul II causing him to be very animated.

Deus Caritas Est...

What may be lost on many about this encyclical is the depth that it goes to undermining a variety of positions that have blossomed in the years following the Second Vatican Council...this document is a corrective vision of what it means to say "God love you" and how you and I are to share that love with one another.

Besides the not so subbtle references to libeation theology are the more gentle prodding of those who think they can live a life of devotion without charity or those who think in the name of the church they can carry out charity in a purely humanitarian way.

There is also a steering of the barque of Peter back to the center, reminding all in the Church that the we are Christian because of the love that God has for us and the mission of the Church is to reveal that love to the world.

What does it mean concretely...pray like Blessed Teresa of Calcutta...respond like Teresa of Calcutta to Jesus in your midst--in need. Devotion and charity are connected on the cross as Jesus entrusts Himself to the Father while giving himself completely for our redemption.

Cardinal George Hospitalized

Remember him in your prayers.

From the Chicago Tribune:

Cardinal Francis George was hospitalized for tests Thursday after suffering from bouts of dizziness, officials said.

George, 69, spiritual leader for Chicago's 2.4 million Roman Catholics, was in fair condition at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood on Thursday evening.