Telus Stops Selling Porn
From Bloomberg.com:
Telus Corp., Canada's second-biggest phone company, reversed its decision to sell pornography on mobile phones after customers including the Catholic Church threatened to cancel their service.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Pope Benedict's Ash Wednesday Homily
From Asia News Italy:
In his homily the Pope said that “with the penitential procession we have begun the austere period of Lent. Introducing ourselves in the Eucharistic celebration we have prayed that the Lord may help the Christian people to ‘begin a journey towards true conversion so as to victoriously confront with the weapons of penance the fight against the spirit of evil’ (Opening Prayer). In receiving the ashes on the forehead, we shall listen again to a clear invitation to convert that can be expressed in a dual formula: ‘Convert and believe in the Gospel’ or ‘Remember that we come from dust and that we return to dust’.”
Benedict XVI then emphasised that “today’s liturgy and its gestures form an ensemble that anticipates the whole Lenten period,” a time “to become reconciled with God in Jesus Christ.”
“For the liturgy of Ash Wednesday,” he said, “a heartfelt conversion to God is the fundamental trait aspect of the time of Lent. It is the quite suggestive reference that comes to us from the traditional ritual of the imposition of the ashes. This ritual has a double meaning. The first refers to an inner change, to conversion and penance, whilst the second refers to the precariousness of human existence easily seen in the two expressions that accompany the gesture.”
Now “we have 40 days to deepen this extraordinary ascetic and spiritual experience.” Jesus himself tells us what are “the useful instruments to achieve a true inner and communal renewal: charity (alms), prayer and penance (fasting). These are three fundamental practices that are also dear to the Jewish tradition because they contribute to the man’s purification before God (cf Mt 6, 1-6.16-18). Such external gestures, which must be performed to please God and not to get men’s approval and consensus, are acceptable to Him if they express the heart’s determination to serve Him only in simplicity and generosity.”
“Fasting, which the Church invites us to do during this demanding time, is certainly not motivated by physical or aesthetic reasons. It stems man’s need to purify himself from within and detoxify himself from sin and evil. It teaches him to accept the beneficial renunciatory practices that free the believer from the slavery of his own self. It makes him listen more attentively to God and more available to Him and to serve his brothers. For this reason fasting and other Lenten practices are seen in the Christian tradition as spiritual ‘weapons’ in the fight against evil, wicked passions and vices.”
In his homily the Pope said that “with the penitential procession we have begun the austere period of Lent. Introducing ourselves in the Eucharistic celebration we have prayed that the Lord may help the Christian people to ‘begin a journey towards true conversion so as to victoriously confront with the weapons of penance the fight against the spirit of evil’ (Opening Prayer). In receiving the ashes on the forehead, we shall listen again to a clear invitation to convert that can be expressed in a dual formula: ‘Convert and believe in the Gospel’ or ‘Remember that we come from dust and that we return to dust’.”
Benedict XVI then emphasised that “today’s liturgy and its gestures form an ensemble that anticipates the whole Lenten period,” a time “to become reconciled with God in Jesus Christ.”
“For the liturgy of Ash Wednesday,” he said, “a heartfelt conversion to God is the fundamental trait aspect of the time of Lent. It is the quite suggestive reference that comes to us from the traditional ritual of the imposition of the ashes. This ritual has a double meaning. The first refers to an inner change, to conversion and penance, whilst the second refers to the precariousness of human existence easily seen in the two expressions that accompany the gesture.”
Now “we have 40 days to deepen this extraordinary ascetic and spiritual experience.” Jesus himself tells us what are “the useful instruments to achieve a true inner and communal renewal: charity (alms), prayer and penance (fasting). These are three fundamental practices that are also dear to the Jewish tradition because they contribute to the man’s purification before God (cf Mt 6, 1-6.16-18). Such external gestures, which must be performed to please God and not to get men’s approval and consensus, are acceptable to Him if they express the heart’s determination to serve Him only in simplicity and generosity.”
“Fasting, which the Church invites us to do during this demanding time, is certainly not motivated by physical or aesthetic reasons. It stems man’s need to purify himself from within and detoxify himself from sin and evil. It teaches him to accept the beneficial renunciatory practices that free the believer from the slavery of his own self. It makes him listen more attentively to God and more available to Him and to serve his brothers. For this reason fasting and other Lenten practices are seen in the Christian tradition as spiritual ‘weapons’ in the fight against evil, wicked passions and vices.”
Lent Begins Today
I've written a Lenten devotional that you might find a great help this Lent: The Power of the Cross: Meditations for the Lenten Season
What is it?
Daily Meditations based on the Gospel Readings of the day from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday…
- For Use as a private Lenten Devotional or
- For Use as in a Group Bible Study
Praise for The Power of the Cross: Meditations for the Lenten Season
Weekly Book Pick February 2005
For launching into Lent, Clare Siobhan recommends "The Power of the Cross: Applying the Passion of Christ to Your Life" by Michael Dubruiel.
And from those who've used it in the parish as a small group devotional:
We just finished studying your book "The Power of the Cross: Meditations for the Lenten SeasonVickie Loftis, Women's Bible Study, San Juan Del Rio Catholic Church, Switzerland, FL
It was soooo Catholic and thank you for speaking the truth. We have a lot of Catholics out there (including myself) who missed these lessons over the last 20 years. We have made Catholicism what we wanted it to be. Not how is really is. I believe your book opened the eyes of a lot of the ladies in the group.
“The Power of the Cross” will be our text for adult education classes during Lent. Keep on writing!
Pastor, Saint Patrick Catholic Church, Sarasota, FL
Check inside the book on Amazon to sample what the book is like.
Ash Wednesday Thought From "God Alone Suffices"
From God Alone Suffices
:
"Though full of dignity, created in the image of God, and redeemed by the blood of the Redeemer, a person remains only ashes, and his body turns to dirt after death. If we would acknowledge this truth that permeated the lives of saints, even in a limited way, each one of us would have a deep awareness of our nothingness. We would acknowledge that we are a handful of ashes loved by God, dirt in which the Creator of the universe wants to dwell."
:"Though full of dignity, created in the image of God, and redeemed by the blood of the Redeemer, a person remains only ashes, and his body turns to dirt after death. If we would acknowledge this truth that permeated the lives of saints, even in a limited way, each one of us would have a deep awareness of our nothingness. We would acknowledge that we are a handful of ashes loved by God, dirt in which the Creator of the universe wants to dwell."
Beginning of Lent Meditation
From Lenten Meditations:
Do you want to know the secret to making this Lent truly a life changing event?Stop thinking that you are different. I know the message you get from almost every corner of the world these days is that you are unique, one of a kind--sort of like a snowflake! There is an element of truth to that, but it is not the whole truth. Because you are also just like every other human being living on this planet.Jesus wasn't like everyone else--but he did not "deem eqaulity with God" and as Saint Paul said to the Philipians, that is something "to be grasped at."So have a change of mind--repent! Stop thinking of yourself in terms of how you are different from everyone else, i.e. stop praying like the pharisee in the Gospels. Stop worrying about this group of sinners or that group and see yourself as part of all of those or more correctly all of us sinful human beings.Then start genuinely praying, "Lord have mercy on us," Lord be generous with us. We are beggars before your throne.Let the ashes on your forehead mark you as just another in the crowd of dreadful need of Jesus the savior, not as a mark of what a great Christian you are--because quite frankly if you think the latter you really aren't that great of a Christian. Humility is the key to following Christ and being a Christian.
Do you want to know the secret to making this Lent truly a life changing event?Stop thinking that you are different. I know the message you get from almost every corner of the world these days is that you are unique, one of a kind--sort of like a snowflake! There is an element of truth to that, but it is not the whole truth. Because you are also just like every other human being living on this planet.Jesus wasn't like everyone else--but he did not "deem eqaulity with God" and as Saint Paul said to the Philipians, that is something "to be grasped at."So have a change of mind--repent! Stop thinking of yourself in terms of how you are different from everyone else, i.e. stop praying like the pharisee in the Gospels. Stop worrying about this group of sinners or that group and see yourself as part of all of those or more correctly all of us sinful human beings.Then start genuinely praying, "Lord have mercy on us," Lord be generous with us. We are beggars before your throne.Let the ashes on your forehead mark you as just another in the crowd of dreadful need of Jesus the savior, not as a mark of what a great Christian you are--because quite frankly if you think the latter you really aren't that great of a Christian. Humility is the key to following Christ and being a Christian.
Ash Wednesday--Pope Benedict's General Audience
From the Vatican:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today – Ash Wednesday – we begin our Lenten journey in a spirit of prayer and penance. From the earliest days of the Church, Lent has been a special time of preparation for Baptism. For those already baptized, Lent is a time of conversion and renewed faith. It is a time to "exercise" our desire for God by opening our hearts to the new life offered to us in Christ. Jesus exhorts us to "repent and believe in the Gospel". Only conversion can lead to true happiness, and God’s grace is needed to inspire and sustain our efforts to direct our hearts completely to him.
Conversion consists in recognizing that we depend entirely on God, who created us and redeemed us in Christ. In my Lenten message this year, I wanted to emphasize God’s immense love for us, and to invite all Christians, together with Mary and the Beloved Disciple, to draw near to the Lord, who gave his life for us on the Cross. The Cross – the definitive revelation of God’s love and mercy – is the only way to enter this mystery of saving love. This Lent, by a more fervent participation in the Eucharist, may we learn to enter more deeply into the Paschal Mystery and to "re-give" Christ’s love to others, especially the suffering and those in need.\
I am pleased to greet the pilgrimage group from the Diocese of Jelgava in Latvia, led by Bishop Antons Justs. Upon all the English-speaking visitors present at today’s Audience, especially those from England, Wales, Ireland, Finland, Japan and the United States, I cordially invoke God’s blessings for a fruitful and spiritually enriching Lent.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today – Ash Wednesday – we begin our Lenten journey in a spirit of prayer and penance. From the earliest days of the Church, Lent has been a special time of preparation for Baptism. For those already baptized, Lent is a time of conversion and renewed faith. It is a time to "exercise" our desire for God by opening our hearts to the new life offered to us in Christ. Jesus exhorts us to "repent and believe in the Gospel". Only conversion can lead to true happiness, and God’s grace is needed to inspire and sustain our efforts to direct our hearts completely to him.
Conversion consists in recognizing that we depend entirely on God, who created us and redeemed us in Christ. In my Lenten message this year, I wanted to emphasize God’s immense love for us, and to invite all Christians, together with Mary and the Beloved Disciple, to draw near to the Lord, who gave his life for us on the Cross. The Cross – the definitive revelation of God’s love and mercy – is the only way to enter this mystery of saving love. This Lent, by a more fervent participation in the Eucharist, may we learn to enter more deeply into the Paschal Mystery and to "re-give" Christ’s love to others, especially the suffering and those in need.\
I am pleased to greet the pilgrimage group from the Diocese of Jelgava in Latvia, led by Bishop Antons Justs. Upon all the English-speaking visitors present at today’s Audience, especially those from England, Wales, Ireland, Finland, Japan and the United States, I cordially invoke God’s blessings for a fruitful and spiritually enriching Lent.
Office of Readings Podcast
I couldn't find one online (there is one for Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer), so I'm setting out to do one. I have three days available and I'll try to keep at least two-three days ahead of schedule.
Of all the hours the Office of Readings makes the most sense as a podcast because it largely is made up of two substantial readings-one from Scripture, the other from a Church Father, Saint or Council.
RSS URL: http://odeo.com/channel/286253/rss.xml
Subscription Page
Of all the hours the Office of Readings makes the most sense as a podcast because it largely is made up of two substantial readings-one from Scripture, the other from a Church Father, Saint or Council.
RSS URL: http://odeo.com/channel/286253/rss.xml
Subscription Page
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