Sunday, December 28, 2008



Mass of Pope St. Pius X in St. Peters Basilica



Pius XII: War in Rome



Pius XII: Audience in St. Peters Basilica



Death Bed of Pius XII



Pius XII: Bishop of Rome



Christ the Teacher with Saints & Pope Leo XIII



Leo XIII Card

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Urbi et Orbi Message of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20081225/i/r748373225.jpg?x=400&y=221&q=85&sig=XtmiXPi7DAMW0pIxUmUI1A--

“The grace of God our Saviour has appeared to all” (Tit 2:11, Vulg.)

Dear brothers and sisters, in the words of the Apostle Paul, I once more joyfully proclaim Christ’s Birth. Today “the grace of God our Saviour” has truly “appeared to all”!

It appeared! This is what the Church celebrates today. The grace of God, rich in goodness and love, is no longer hidden. It “appeared”, it was manifested in the flesh, it showed its face. Where? In Bethlehem. When? Under Caesar Augustus, during the first census, which the Evangelist Luke also mentions. And who is the One who reveals it? A newborn Child, the Son of the Virgin Mary. In him the grace of God our Saviour has appeared. And so that Child is called Jehoshua, Jesus, which means: “God saves”.

The grace of God has appeared. That is why Christmas is a feast of light. Not like the full daylight which illumines everything, but a glimmer beginning in the night and spreading out from a precise point in the universe: from the stable of Bethlehem, where the divine Child was born. Indeed, he is the light itself, which begins to radiate, as portrayed in so many paintings of the Nativity. He is the light whose appearance breaks through the gloom, dispels the darkness and enables us to understand the meaning and the value of our own lives and of all history. Every Christmas crib is a simple yet eloquent invitation to open our hearts and minds to the mystery of life. It is an encounter with the immortal Life which became mortal in the mystic scene of the Nativity: a scene which we can admire here too, in this Square, as in countless churches and chapels throughout the world, and in every house where the name of Jesus is adored.

The grace of God has appeared to all. Jesus – the face of the “God who saves”, did not show himself only for a certain few, but for everyone. Although it is true that in the simple and lowly dwelling of Bethlehem few persons encountered him, still he came for all: Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, those near and those far away, believers and non-believers… for everyone. Supernatural grace, by God’s will, is meant for every creature. Yet each human person needs to accept that grace, to utter his or her own “yes”, like Mary, so that his or her heart can be illumined by a ray of that divine light. It was Mary and Joseph, who that night welcomed the incarnate Word, awaiting it with love, along with the shepherds who kept watch over their flocks (cf. Lk 2:1-20). A small community, in other words, which made haste to adore the Child Jesus; a tiny community which represents the Church and all people of good will. Today too those who await him, who seek him in their lives, encounter the God who out of love became our brother – all those who turn their hearts to him, who yearn to see his face and to contribute to the coming of his Kingdom. Jesus himself would say this in his preaching: these are the poor in spirit; those who mourn, the meek, those who thirst for justice; the merciful, the pure of heart, the peacemakers, and those persecuted for righteousness’ sake (cf. Mt 5:3-10). They are the ones who see in Jesus the face of God and then set out again, like the shepherds of Bethlehem, renewed in heart by the joy of his love.

Brothers and sisters, all you who are listening to my words: this proclamation of hope – the heart of the Christmas message – is meant for all men and women. Jesus was born for everyone, and just as Mary, in Bethlehem, offered him to the shepherds, so on this day the Church presents him to all humanity, so that each person and every human situation may come to know the power of God’s saving grace, which alone can transform evil into good, which alone can change human hearts, making them oases of peace.

May the many people who continue to dwell in darkness and the shadow of death (cf. Lk 1:79) come to know the power of God’s saving grace! May the divine Light of Bethlehem radiate throughout the Holy Land, where the horizon seems once again bleak for Israelis and Palestinians. May it spread throughout Lebanon, Iraq and the whole Middle East. May it bring forth rich fruit from the efforts of all those who, rather than resigning themselves to the twisted logic of conflict and violence, prefer instead the path of dialogue and negotiation as the means of resolving tensions within each country and finding just and lasting solutions to the conflicts troubling the region. This light, which brings transformation and renewal, is besought by the people of Zimbabwe, in Africa, trapped for all too long in a political and social crisis which, sadly, keeps worsening, as well as the men and women of the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially in the war-torn region of Kivu, Darfur, in Sudan, and Somalia, whose interminable sufferings are the tragic consequence of the lack of stability and peace. This light is awaited especially by the children living in those countries, and the children of all countries experiencing troubles, so that their future can once more be filled with hope.

Wherever the dignity and rights of the human person are trampled upon; wherever the selfishness of individuals and groups prevails over the common good; wherever fratricidal hatred and the exploitation of man by man risk being taken for granted; wherever internecine conflicts divide ethnic and social groups and disrupt peaceful coexistence; wherever terrorism continues to strike; wherever the basics needed for survival are lacking; wherever an increasingly uncertain future is regarded with apprehension, even in affluent nations: in each of these places may the Light of Christmas shine forth and encourage all people to do their part in a spirit of authentic solidarity. If people look only to their own interests, our world will certainly fall apart.

Dear brothers and sisters, today, “the grace of God our Saviour has appeared” (cf. Tit 2:11) in this world of ours, with all its potential and its frailty, its advances and crises, its hopes and travails. Today, there shines forth the light of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Most High and the son of the Virgin Mary: “God from God, light from light, true God from true God. For us men, and for our salvation, he came down from heaven”. Let us adore him, this very day, in every corner of the world, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a lowly manger. Let us adore him in silence, while he, still a mere infant, seems to comfort us by saying: Do not be afraid, “I am God, and there is no other” (Is 45:22). Come to me, men and women, peoples and nations, come to me. Do not be afraid: I have come to bring you the love of the Father, and to show you the way of peace.

Let us go, then, brothers and sisters! Let us make haste, like the shepherds on that Bethlehem night. God has come to meet us; he has shown us his face, full of grace and mercy! May his coming to us not be in vain! Let us seek Jesus, let us be drawn to his light which dispels sadness and fear from every human heart. Let us draw near to him with confidence, and bow down in humility to adore him. Merry Christmas to all!

A Christmas Message from Fr. John Corapi

The blessed and joyous time of Christmas is here again. So, I’ll just take the opportunity to thank all of our viewing and listening family for allowing us into your homes. I don’t take that for granted. I am honestly grateful to you for allowing us to serve you in that way.

As I look out the windows of my home in Montana it sure is “beginning to look a lot like Christmas.” We have about a foot of snow and it’s been below zero for about ten days. Two of my dogs are under my desk with their heads resting on my feet--looking like those big fuzzy slippers that little kids sometimes wear.

Christmas is, of course, the best time to recall that Jesus, the Son of God, in fact was born in a poor stable or cave on a cold night—“for us men, and for our salvation.” Amidst the escalating uncertainty and chaos of the modern world we must sit still for a moment and remember what really matters.

In recent years major corporations have been vaporized in the twinkling of an eye. It’s a sign of the times, but recall that what really matters is that it was the twinkling of a star that led shepherds and wise men to the One who is the Light of the world.

In recent years the biggest accounting firm in the world ceased to be over night. They don’t account for anything today, but it honestly doesn’t matter. What really matters is that on a cold night two millennia ago the God who loves us was born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger by the Mother who loves Him.

In recent years the unthinkable has happened--major banks and financial institutions have ceased to be. That doesn’t matter either because the truly unthinkable happened on the first Christmas Eve long ago when the God who always was and will never cease to be came to show us the depth and breadth of His love.

In recent years I have been accused of being a “prophet of doom, and a pessimist.” I can understand this criticism, but it really isn’t true. I am a realist, and as a priest and Catholic/Christian of necessity must share in the prophetic dimension of Christ. The United States, and the entire world for the most part, is in many ways precipitating its own demise. That matters, and we must do all we can to “fight the good fight,” but what truly matters is the state of your soul and mine because in the end that will determine how we live forever, and compared to that nothing else really matters.

Things may go from bad to worse. It may well go from uncomfortable to dangerous to live your Catholic/Christian faith in a world unraveling rapidly due to one bad moral choice after the other. Remember that it will not be the first time if Christians are persecuted, even imprisoned and executed. “The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians.” The Western world is too fat and lazy, in the secular order and even in the religious. Perhaps a jolly good persecution may be what it takes for people to decide to live their faith, rather than go along with what they know to be a sick society.

In any event, don’t let it get you down. Whatever happens, stay close to Jesus and Mary. Remember that our God is not against you. He is for you, and He will be with you through all of the ups and downs of life. He will be with you in sickness and in health; in good times and in bad; and when death comes knocking at your door He will be there to comfort you and lead you safely home. Having fought the good fight and run the race to the finish line, you will surely hear those beautiful words:

“WELL DONE MY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT! NOW AT LAST ENTER INTO THE JOY OF YOUR MASTER’S HOUSE.”

A most blessed and merry Christmas and a holy, happy, and healthy New Year to each and all of you!

Fr. John Corapi

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Father Z Midnight Mass Live

Pope Benedict XVI walks past a statue of Baby Jesus as he celebrates ...
Pope Benedict XVI walks past a statue of Baby Jesus as he celebrates the Christmas Midnight Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican early Thursday, Dec. 25, 2008. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20081225/capt.cps.opi63.251208015409.photo01.photo.default-512x341.jpg?x=400&y=266&q=85&sig=1l5WYHqwa106gi2ZAhTJjg--

Pope Benedict XVI holds the pastoral staff as he celebrates ...

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20081225/i/r188537337.jpg?x=400&y=264&q=85&sig=pikGhrl13VEym2bZI8te.A--

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20081224/i/r2827169832.jpg?x=400&y=284&q=85&sig=vr.9_COuTHaCT14UTMCO_Q--

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20081225/i/r854263407.jpg?x=400&y=263&q=85&sig=zj96rPjiOJdmk.EjDcNbmg--

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20081225/capt.82251c5e537c4d718218ac3d7afd607f.vatican_pope_christmas_gb110.jpg?x=400&y=292&q=85&sig=Mmsl_xPswmPIGnSwzYz9.w--

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20081225/i/r2218068003.jpg?x=400&y=257&q=85&sig=8ePT_g4darCE2syp8WxROQ--

Pope Benedict XVI smiles at children as he celebrates the Christmas ...

Pope Benedict XVI leaves at the end of the Christmas Mass in ...

Hawaiian Chevy Dealer Attempts To Crush Honda With Suburban, Fails


"A Hawaiian Chevrolet dealership setup a jacked-up Suburban to crush a vintage Honda Accord to send a message to anyone buying Japanese. The message became somewhat cluttered when the tiny Honda broke the SUV..."

Saturday, December 20, 2008

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas - Bing Crosby

O little town of Bethlehem - Elvis Presley

Silver Bells - Dean Martin

Dean Martin - Silent Night, Holy Night

Winter Wonderland - Jewel

Mele Kalikimaka - Bing Crosby with The Andrews Sisters

Do You Hear What I Hear - Bing Crosby

ADESTE FIDELES - PAVAROTTI, DOMINGO,CARRERAS

Adeste Fideles - Bing Crosby - 1945 - 78RPM

Hey Jude - Bing Crosby

Little Drummer Boy - Bing Crosby & David Bowie

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Gabriel's Message - Sting



The Angel Gabriel from Heaven came
His wings as drifted snow
His eyes as flame
"All Hail!" said he, "Thou Holy Maiden Mary,"
"Most Highly Favoured Lady,"
Gloria!

"For know a Blessed Mother thou shalt be,
All generations laud and honour thee
Thy Son shall be Immanuel, by seers foretold
Most highly favoured Lady,"
Gloria!

Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head;
"To me, be as it pleaseth God," she said.
My soul shall laud and magnify His holy Name
Most highly favoured Lady!
Gloria!

Of her Immanuel, the Christ was born,
In Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn.
And everyone throughout the world forever saved,
Most highly favoured lady!
Gloria!

I Saw Three Ships - Sting

The Little Drummer Boy - Bing Crosby

I'll Be Home For Christmas - Dean Martin

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Jewel

Christmas Auld Lang Syne - Bobby Darin

Bobby Darin - O Come All Ye Faithful

Bing Crosby - White Christmas

All Saints Sisters Explore Roman Connection

Convent Chaplain – A Traditionalist Leader – Decides To Convert

By Auburn Faber Traycik

Rumors have appeared on the Internet which suggest that the All Saints Sisters of the Poor in Catonsville, Maryland, a community of Episcopal nuns well known among traditionalists, is actively exploring the possibility of being received into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, with the assistance of the archdiocesan authorities in Baltimore.

The resident chaplain at the Catonsville convent, the Rev. Canon Warren Tanghe, confirmed that the order’s 13 professed sisters are “serious about exploring that possibility..."

The Ecstasy of Gold by Ennio Morricone

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20081204/i/r3570902424.jpg?x=400&y=239&q=85&sig=I5VUfMnoPzNEzLDCZGN6eg--

Sunday, December 7, 2008

NLM: Fr. George Rutler and Church of Our Saviour, NYC, add Weekly Usus Antiquior

From NLM:

[IMG_1442.JPG]

"This just in from the Church of Our Saviour in New York City:

Church of our Saviour
Park and 38th Street
New York, NY 10016

NEW MASS SCHEDULE


Following the Vatican's instructions and in response to the request of some of the faithful, the traditional Latin Mass will be offered in our parish every Sunday beginning January 4 at 9 AM. Because of canonical regulations which limits the number of Masses which a priest normally offers, the 7:30 and 9:30 will be combined. The new 9 AM celebration will be a Missa Cantata, and books will be provided to assist worshipers in following the texts, along with an explanation of the ritual. This will also provide more time for confessions before the 11AM Mass which remains the principle Mass of Sunday. The rest of the Mass schedule remains the same, with the Vigil mass at 5PM on Saturday, and other Masses at 12:30 and 5PM. Some may want to attend the 9AM in addition to the Mass they normally attend. The church will open at 8PM on Sunday for preparatory prayer and private devotion.
Posted by Shawn Tribe on 6.12.08"

Saturday, December 6, 2008

WDTPRS: meme: p. 56, 5th sentence of the closest book

Father Z: "I was tagged in a meme to open the closest book to page 56 and copy the 5th sentence, as well as two to five sentences following."

From my closest book:
"To cook them uniformly, put the thickest pieces into the water a few moments before the thin, tapered ones. 2. Drain and cut the carrots lengthwise into sticks about 1/4 inch thick. Place in a small, but deep serving dish. 3. Mash the garlic clove with a heavy knife handle, crushing it just enough to split it and to loosen the skin, which you will remove and discard. Bury the peeled clove among the carrot sticks. Add the oregano, salt, a few grindings of pepper, the wine vinegar, and just enough olive oil to cover the carrots."
Hazan, M. (2004). Essentials of classic Italian cooking. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

P. 56. Marinated Carrot Sticks.

Gotcha!

"Like Mark Draughn, I've been somewhat skeptical of Barry Cooper, the former drug cop turned pitchman for how-to-beat-the-cops videos. He comes off as more of a huckster than a principled whistle-blower, which I think does the good ideas he stands for (police reform) more harm than good.

But damn. I have to hand it to him. This might be one of the ballsiest moves I've ever seen.

KopBusters rented a house in Odessa, Texas and began growing two small Christmas trees under a grow light similar to those used for growing marijuana. When faced with a suspected marijuana grow, the police usually use illegal FLIR cameras and/or lie on the search warrant affidavit claiming they have probable cause to raid the house. Instead of conducting a proper investigation which usually leads to no probable cause, the Kops lie on the affidavit claiming a confidential informant saw the plants and/or the police could smell marijuana coming from the suspected house.

The trap was set and less than 24 hours later, the Odessa narcotics unit raided the house only to find KopBuster’s attorney waiting under a system of complex gadgetry and spy cameras that streamed online to the KopBuster’s secret mobile office nearby.

To clarify just a bit, according to Cooper, there was nothing illegal going on the bait house, just two evergreen trees and some grow lamps. There was no probable cause. So a couple of questions come up. First, how did the cops get turned on to the house in the first place? Cooper suspects they were using thermal imaging equipment to detect the grow lamps, a practice the Supreme Court has said is illegal. The second question is, what probable cause did the police put on the affidavit to get a judge to sign off on a search warrant? If there was nothing illegal going on in the house, it's difficult to conceive of a scenario where either the police or one of their informants didn't lie to get a warrant.

Cooper chose the Odessa police department for baiting because he believes police there instructed an informant to plant marijuana on a woman named Yolanda Madden. She's currently serving an eight-year sentence for possession with intent to distribute. According to Cooper, the informant actually admitted in federal court that he planted the marijuana. Madden was convicted anyway.

The story's worth watching, not only to see if the cops themselves are held accountable for this, but whether the local district attorney tries to come up with a crime with which to charge Cooper and his assistants. I can't imagine such a charge would get very far, but I wouldn't be surprised to see someone try.

Here's some local media coverage:"



Metropolitan Kirill named interim leader of Russian Church

MOSCOW, December 6 (RIA Novosti) - The governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Holy Synod, elected on Saturday Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad as the interim leader of the Church.

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, who led the Russian Church for 18 years, died at the age of 79 in his residency near the capital on Friday. His body will be lying in state in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior from Saturday evening.

Alexy II will be buried on Tuesday in the Annunciation side-chapel of Moscow's Epiphany Cathedral.

Photo

Alexy II became patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1990, shortly before the collapse of the atheist Soviet Union, and presided over a religious revival in Russia, with thousands of churches and monasteries being restored and hundreds of new ones built across the country.

A national council of bishops, priests, monks and laymen should be summoned in six months to elect a new patriarch for the Russian Church.

Church not a political player, but it must promote human dignity, says Holy Father

Pope Benedict XVI leaves after his special audience with pilgrims ...

.- Upon receiving the letters of credence from the new ambassador of Argentina to the Holy See this morning, Pope Benedict XVI stressed that the Church seeks “to promote the dignity of human beings and to elevate them for the good of everyone.” He also recalled the 30 year anniversary of the papal intervention to resolve a dispute between Chile and Argentina.

Speaking to the new ambassador Juan Pablo Cafiero, the Pope described Argentina as a “place of profound Christian traditions which have planted and cultivated important customs.”

To demonstrate this, the Holy Father mentioned that the young Mapuche Indian, Blessed Ceferino Namuncura was "a splendid sign of how Christ, Who truly is the Word incarnate, is not foreign to any culture or person; quite the opposite, the answer for which all cultures long in their hearts is what gives them their true identity, uniting humankind while respecting differences."

Blessed Namuncura was a native of Argentina who began studying to become a Salesian at the age of 11. He traveled to Rome with the hope of becoming a priest, but died in 1905 at the age of 19 from an unknown illness. He was beatified in 2007.

The Holy Father continued his words by focusing on the necessity of the Church to protect the human person. It is through exercising her mission that the Church seeks “to promote the dignity of human beings and to elevate them for the good of everyone,” the Pope told the Argentine prelate.

“Without seeking to become a political player she aspires, with the independence of her moral authority, to co-operate faithfully and openly with all leaders of the temporal world in the noble goal of achieving a civilization of justice, peace, reconciliation, solidarity, and of those other ideals that can never be rescinded or left at the mercy of party consensus, as they are engraved in the human heart and correspond to truth."

The current century, the Pope said, continually shows us the need “to forge personal, family and social life in keeping with these elemental values, which exalt the individual and the entire community.”

“Among these we must highlight support for the family based on marriage between a man and a woman, ... defense of human life from conception to natural end, eradication of poverty, ... the struggle against corruption, adopting means to assist parents in their inalienable right to educate their children in their own ethical and religious convictions, and promoting young people that they may become men and women of peace and reconciliation."

Thirty years of papal mediation

The Pope concluded by informing his audience that today, “in the presence of a delegation from the Apostolic See,” the presidents of Argentina and Chile will meet “to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the meditation undertaken by John Paul II to resolve the dispute between the two nations over the demarcation of their borders at the southern tip of the continent.”

The original dispute between Argentina and Chile involved three islands that each country desired to claim so they could have rights over the territorial seas. Argentina desired to say that it had claims to the Pacific, while Chile wanted territorial rights to the Atlantic.

The disagreement continued to escalate until the two nations were about to declare war on December 24, 1978. However, Pope John Paul II intervened, sending a special delegate, Cardinal Antonio Samore to resolve the dispute. After years of negotiations, the governments of Argentina and Chile agreed to divide the islands in a way that neutralized their claims to territorial oceanic rights.

The Holy Father also noted that a monument currently still in the planning stages “will stand as an eloquent witness and serve to tighten further the bonds of fraternity and understanding of both countries.”

Friday, December 5, 2008

Canons Regular of St. John Cantius Missa Cantata Instructional DVD

From NLM:
Latin High Mass and Benediction
1962 Missale Romanum

DVD Instruction of the Traditional Latin High Mass
for Priests, Seminarians, Altar Servers, Sacristans, Church Musicians


If your parish is wanting to start the Traditional Latin High Mass this is the DVD for you!

Full-length instructional video of the Latin High Mass with Incense

See the priest’s rubrics of the Missa Cantata (High Mass) demonstrated

Observe the rubrics of liturgical music for the Extraordinary Form

Video of Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament

Stunning choral music by the St. Cecilia Choir of St. John Cantius Church, Chicago.

Evocative rendering of the Gregorian Chant propers and ordinary by the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius

Organ music by Br. Jonathan Ryan, S.J.C., featuring the church’s 101 year-old Kilgen organ.

BONUS video of sacristy preparation and vesting.

For more information: DVD - Latin High Mass and Benediction - SanctaMissa.org

Posted by Shawn Tribe on 4.12.08 -

Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Alexy II dies

http://img.beta.rian.ru/images/15005/68/150056854.jpg

MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian Orthodox Church says its Patriarch Alexy II has died.

The church says the 79-year-old died at his residence outside Moscow on Friday. It did not give the cause of death, but the patriarch had long suffered from a heart ailment.

The outspoken patriarch had led the world's biggest Orthodox church since 1990, presiding over a flock that by most estimates numbers two-thirds of Russia's population of 142 million.

St. Nicholas the Miracleworker (12th-13th c.)

http://i34.tinypic.com/2jcbolc.jpg
"The third icon among our examples, St. Nicholas the Miracleworker, with Scenes from His Life, also comes from Sinai, but it is a later work, from the end of the twelfth or the first half of the thirteenth century. The saint is an amalgamation of two St. Nicholases, a bishop of the fourth century and a pious monk of the sixth. By the twelfth century St. Nicholas has become one of the most beloved and popular saints, not only in the Byzantine Empire but in Russia and the West. He was considered the patron of sailors, seamen, and fishermen, scholars, students and teachers, merchants, traders, marriageable maidens, bankers, and even robbers and thieves. Hagiographical icons of the saint presented in the middle his bust (in Russia, also his standing figure) and a selection of episodes from his life and from his posthumous miracles framing the central image. The icon shown here includes 16 episodes, from the saint's birth to his death. The monumental character of the central panel is softened by an addition of interesting decorative details. The hair and the beard of the saint are fancifully outlined by flowing white curls and the crosses on the saint's omophorion show intricate design. Next to Nicholas' head are two small figures: on the left Christ with a Gospel book, and on the right the Virgin with an omophorion. These two figures allude to the story of the saint's presence at the First Ecumenical Synod in Nicaea in 325. According to the story, Nicholas, angered by the blasphemous words of the heretic Arius against the Holy Trinity, slapped him on the face. For this, he was put in prison and his bishop's attributes, the Gospel Book and the omophorion, were taken from him. However, at night, Christ and the Virgin appeared in his prison cell and returned the Gospel book and the omophorion to him, forcing Emperor Constantine to free the saint and reinstate him as a bishop. In Russia, St. Nicholas became the most popular saint of all, depicted in literally thousands of icons, ranging from simple busts to very elaborate hagiographical icons with more than forty border scenes."

Thursday, December 4, 2008

A bishop on FOCA: “you can go take a flying leap”

From WDTPRS:

"A reader alerted me to this from Lifesite. My emphases and comments:


Catholic Bishop: "Go Right Ahead and Arrest Me" Rather than Obey Freedom of Choice Act

By Kathleen Gilbert
Life site
December 2, 2008


ARLINGTON, Virginia, December 2, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Bishop Paul Loverde of the diocese of Arlington weighed in on the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) last week, saying that if he oversaw a Catholic hospital he would neither close the facility nor allow it to perform abortions if FOCA were to become law.

Though there are currently no Catholic hospitals in the Arlington diocese, the bishop spoke defiantly against FOCA, which would force all health care providers to procure abortions at any stage of development, regardless of their moral or religious objection.

I would say, ‘Yeah, I’m not going to close the hospital, you’re going to arrest me, go right ahead," Bishop Loverde told a group of mostly young adults at a diocesan event, according to a CNS report.

"You’ll have to drag me out, go right ahead. I’m not closing this hospital, we will not perform abortions, and you can go take a flying leap.’” [HUZZAH!]

At a 2007 Planned Parenthood conference, Obama promised that one of his highest priorities as president would be to pass FOCA, rendering illegal all state and federal limits on abortion. This would include abortion clinic regulations, parental notification requirements, bars to taxpayer abortion funding, and the partial–birth abortion ban, in addition to laws protecting doctors’ rights to conscientious objection. [Which might lead to the defining battle of our age.]

“It’s quite a title, let me tell you,” Bishop Loverde said of the Freedom of Choice Act. “It’s a misnomer, it’s neither free nor choice, so I don’t know where they got the name of the act, because it’s just crazy, because it has no freedom, and it has no choice.”

Catholic and pro-life voices have raised the alarm on the unprecedented danger the bill represents for unborn Americans, with Catholic officials particularly concerned that U.S. Catholic hospitals will be forced to close en masse in the face of mandatory abortion.

Chicago Cardinal Francis George, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), issued in November a statement on behalf of all Catholic bishops warning Obama that "aggressive pro-abortion policies, legislation and executive orders will permanently alienate tens of millions of Americans, and would be seen by many as an attack on the free exercise of their religion."

One unnamed senior Vatican official recently told TIME magazine that the passage of FOCA would mean "the equivalent of a war" between Mr. Obama and the Catholic Church.
War between the President and the Catholic Church…..

Remember this post and review this one."




icon for podpress Going The Distance For Life: Download

Church Uses Devil To Rebrand Prayer Channel

TV and radio spots will feature the devil as an "anti-spokesperson"

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 12/3/2008 4:47:00 PM

A campaign debuting Wednesday will use the devil to pitch the rebranding of a New York religous cable service, The Prayer Channel, into NET (New Evangelism Television).

According to a spokesman for LA-based agency Cesario Migliozzi, which is handling the rebranding campaign, TV and radio spots featuring the devil as an "anti-spokesperson" will begin running Dec. 3 and will include MySpace and Facebook pages, a web site www.StopGoodTV.com and NYC bus advertising (the channel is on Time Warner Cable and Cablevision). The spots feature a "vertically challenged" devil trying to warn viewers off the channel.

NET, which is affiliated with the Catholic Archdioses of Brooklyn, programs religious news, lifestyle, entertainment, and kids programming 24/7 to approximately 850,000.

"The Church has used the good vs. evil conflict to promote religion for two centuries,” he added. “In our campaign, the Devil urges viewers to avoid good TV and stick with ‘crappy, pointless, bad television,’ said Ad Agency parnter Michael Migliozzi in announcing the new campaign/ "There is even an online petition fronted by the Devil, in which viewers pledge not to tune into NET."

The Archdiocese's TV arm approved the campaign, according to agency spokesman Ted Faraone.


Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg opposes euthanasia and loses power

David Charter, Europe Correspondent

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg is to be stripped of his executive power to veto laws passed by parliament after threatening to block a Bill to allow euthanasia in the tiny state.

The hereditary sovereign, 53, who is the last Grand Duke in the world, caused a constitutional crisis when he gave notice that he objected to Luxembourg following its neighbours Belgium and the Netherlands in permitting euthanasia before a second-reading vote in the Chamber of Deputies next week.

Jean-Claude Juncker, the Prime Minister, also opposed the Bill but decided that the Grand Duke had overstepped the mark in threatening to deny the will of parliament.

Mr Juncker will propose a change to the constitution to downgrade the role of the Grand Duke to promulgating laws with his signature rather than approving them, giving him a purely ceremonial duty in line with the other European constitutional monarchies.

Luc Frieden, the Justice Minister, said: “[The Grand Duke] will no longer participate in the legislative process; he will just sign the law to mark the completion of the procedure.”

The Grand Duke, who was trained at Sandhurst, succeeded to the dukedom in 2000 when his father abdicated.

His ethical stance on euthanasia caused the worst constitutional crisis in Luxembourg — which has a population of fewer than half a million — since Grand Duchess Marie-Adelaide was forced to abdicate in 1919 for being too pro-German during the First World War.

The first reading of the euthanasia Bill was approved by 30 votes to 26 in February and the intervention by the Grand Duke was seen by some as an attempt to influence the final vote.

Mr Juncker said: “I understand the Grand Duke's problems of conscience. But I believe that if the parliament votes in a law, it must be brought into force.”

The only other time that a sovereign has blocked a law was in 1912, when the Grand Duchess Marie-Adelaide refused to sign an education Bill.

François Bausch, the leader of the Green party, which supported the euthanasia Bill, said: “I hope the law will pass through Parliament by the end of the year. I hope that the Grand Duke will respect the consensus which has always prevailed in Luxembourg.”

Privilege and power

— In Europe there are only 12 monarchies left, including seven kingdoms and the elective monarchy of the Vatican

— Juan Carlos of Spain became King upon Franco's death in 1975. He supported a move to strip much of his own power

— Queen Beatrix is a member of the Government and a head of state in the Netherlands

— In 2001 ex-King Simeon of Bulgaria became Prime Minister

Source: Times archives

O Holy Night - Celine Dion

Let it Snow! - Dean Martin

White Christmas - Dean Martin

Iraqi archbishop encourages Christian refugees to return home for Christmas

.- Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk said in an interview with the L’Osservatore Romano this week that the situation in Iraq “is quite good and this means refugees could return to their homes. There are hundreds of empty and abandoned rooms and tents that await the return of Christians.”

“Christians draws near,” the archbishop said, “and what better time to come together and await the birth of our Lord Jesus?” he asked.

“Our Muslim brethren also await the return of the Christian community. When Muslims are in need and ask us for help, we do not hesitate. I assure you that in Iraq there has always been a great spirit of coexistence and reciprocal respect,” he added.

Archbishop Sako also noted that “towards the middle of December at the offices of the Archdiocese of Kirkuk, a day of prayer and reflection will be held, which will be attended not only by Christians but by leaders of other faiths as well. It will be day of prayer during which hymns and psalms will be read and we will ask Jesus to help us live together, to dialogue and to keep Kirkuk and Iraq free of violence. This will once again show the spirit of coexistence and peace that is found in Iraq.”

“Of course,” he warned, “we cannot underestimate the terrorist groups, whose objective is to spread fear among Christians and break the good relations that unite the country. But with common prayer we can lessen the danger.”

6 Things That Make Me Happy

Swissmiss tagged me.

6 Things That Make Me Happy:

1. Swissmiss
2. Cathy
3. Tara
4. Belinda
5. Father R.
6. Monkeys


Pontiff: Christian Concept of Sin Veils Happy Fact

Notes Doctrine on Goodness of Creator

Pope Benedict XVI delivers his blessing as he arrives at the ...
VATICAN CITY, DEC. 3, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The Christian explanation of evil and original sin is a happy proclamation, since it affirms that life and living is good, says Benedict XVI.

The Pope offered an explanation of original sin today during the general audience in St. Peter's Square, in which he reflected on St. Paul's teaching about Adam and Christ as found in the Letter to the Romans.

As "men of today," the Holy Father said, "we must ask ourselves: What is this original sin? […] Is this doctrine still tenable today? Many think that, in the light of the history of evolution, there is no longer a place for the doctrine of a first sin, which then spread to the whole history of humanity. And, consequently, the question of the Resurrection and of the Redeemer would also lose its foundation."

In answering if original sin exists, the Pontiff said that we must "distinguish two aspects of the doctrine on original sin. There is an empirical aspect, namely, a concrete, visible, I would say tangible reality for all, and a mysterious aspect, regarding the ontological foundation of this fact."

The empirical fact, he said, is clear: There is a contradiction within man, who wants to do good, but feels the impulse toward the contrary.

"This interior contradiction of our being is not a theory," Benedict XVI said. "Each one of us experiences it every day. […] Suffice it to think of the daily news on injustice, violence, falsehood, lust. We see it every day: It is a fact. […]

"Hence, the fact of the power of evil in the human heart and in human history is undeniable. The question is: How is this evil explained?"

Unique understanding

The Pope said that Christianity stands alone in the history of human thought with the explanation it offers.

In all other proposals, "there is a principal model of explanation, with several variations," he explained. "This model says: Being itself is contradictory, it bears within it good and evil. In ancient times this idea implied the opinion that two equally original principles existed: a good principle and an evil principle. […]

"In the evolutionist, atheist version of the world the same vision returns in a new way. Even if, in such a concession, the vision of being is monistic, it is implied that being as such from the beginning bears in itself evil and good. […] Evil is equally original as good, and human history would develop only the model already present in the whole of the preceding evolution."

"Deep down," the Holy Father affirmed, "it is a despairing vision: If it is so, evil is invincible. In the end, only self-interest matters."

But faith, he said, has a different proposal: "As a first point, it confirms the fact of the competition between the two natures, the fact of this evil whose shadow weighs on the whole of creation. […] Evil simply exists."

"As explanation, in contrast with the dualisms and monisms that we considered briefly and found desolating, faith tells us: There are two mysteries of light and one mystery of night, which is, however, shrouded by the mysteries of light. The first mystery of light is this: Faith tells us that there are not two principles, one good and one evil, but only one principle, the creator God, and this principle is good, only good, without a shadow of evil.

"As well, being is not a mixture of good and evil; being as such is good and because of this it is good to be, it is good to live. This is the happy proclamation of faith: there is only one good source, the Creator. And because of this, to live is good, it is a good thing to be a man, a woman, life is good."

The mystery of darkness follows, he said, "Evil does not come from the source of being itself, it is not equally original. Evil comes from a created liberty, from an abused liberty."

Still mysterious

How this happened, the Bishop of Rome contended, "remains obscure."

Images have offered explanation, like those of Chapter 3 of Genesis, but "it cannot explain how much in itself is illogical. We can guess, not explain. […] It remains a mystery of darkness, of night," he said.

"However, a mystery of light is immediately added," Benedict XVI affirmed. "Evil comes from a subordinate source. With his light, God is stronger and, because of this, evil can be overcome. Therefore, the creature, man, is curable; […] man is not only curable, he is in fact cured. God has introduced healing. He entered in person into history. To the permanent source of evil he has opposed a source of pure good. Christ crucified and risen, the new Adam."

The Pope concluded with an Advent reflection: "In the language of the Church the word Advent has two meanings: presence and expectation. Presence: The light is present, Christ is the new Adam, he is with us and in our midst. The light already shines and we must open the eyes of the heart to see the light and to enter the river of light. […]

"But Advent also means expectation. The dark night of evil is still strong. […] And we pray with insistence: Come Jesus; come, give force to light and goodness; come where falsehood, ignorance of God, violence and injustice dominate; come, Lord Jesus, give force to the good of the world and help us to be bearers of your light, agents of peace, witnesses of truth. Come Lord Jesus!"

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Heavenly Father, bless and protect priests and fill them with the joy and courage of their vocation as personal ministers of Christ in preaching your word, forming communities in your name and nourishing us with the Sacraments. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient Mother Teresa of Calcutta receiving Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Ronald Reagan with First Lady Nancy Reagan.

Remarks on Presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Mother Teresa

June 20, 1985

The President. This great house receives many great visitors, but none more special or more revered than our beloved guest today. A month ago, we awarded the Medal of Freedom to 13 heroes who have done their country proud. Only one of the recipients could not attend because she had work to do -- not special work, not unusual work for her, but everyday work which is both special and urgent in its own right. Mother Teresa was busy, as usual, saving the world. And I mean that quite literally. And so we rather appreciated her priorities, and we're very happy, indeed, that she could come to America this week.

Now, a moment ago, I said we'd awarded the Medal of Freedom to heroes who've done our country proud. And I believe Mother Teresa might point out here that she is most certainly not an American but a daughter of Yugoslavia, and she has not spent her adult life in this country but in India. However, it simply occurred to us when we wanted to honor her that the goodness in some hearts transcends all borders and all narrow nationalistic considerations.

Some people, some very few people are, in the truest sense, citizens of the world; Mother Teresa is. And we love her so much we asked her to accept our tribute, and she graciously accepted. And I will now read the citation.

Most of us talk about kindness and compassion, but Mother Teresa, the saint of the gutters, lives it. As a teenager, she went to India to teach young girls. In time, Mother Teresa began to work among the poor and the dying of Calcutta. Her order of the Missionaries of Charity has spread throughout the world, serving the poorest of the poor.

Mother Teresa is a heroine of our times. And to the many honors she has received, including the Nobel Peace Prize, we add, with deep affection and endless respect, the Presidential Medal of Freedom .

[At this point, the President presented the award to Mother Teresa.]

Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient Mother Teresa of Calcutta - Mother Teresa bows to President Reagan while his wife Nancy looks on

In June 1985, Mother Teresa was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Reagan, who said of her: "Some people, some very few people are, in the truest sense, citizens of the world; Mother Teresa is."

May I say that this is the first time I've given the Medal of Freedom with the intuition that the recipient might take it home, melt it down and turn it into something that can be sold to help the poor. [Laughter]

And I want to thank you for something, Mother Teresa. Your great work and your life have inspired so many Americans to become personally involved, themselves, in helping the poor. So many men and women in every area of life, in government and the private sector, have been led by the light of your love, and they have given greatly of themselves. And we thank you for your radiant example.

Mother Teresa. I am most unworthy of this generous gift of our President, Mr. Reagan, and his wife and you people of United States. But I accept it for the greater glory of God and in the name of the millions of poor people that this gift, in spirit and in love, will penetrate the hearts of the people. For in giving it to me, you are giving it to them, to my hands, with your great love and concern.

I've never realized that you loved the people so tenderly. I had the experience, I was last time here, a sister from Ethiopia found me and said, ``Our people are dying. Our children are dying. Mother, do something.'' And the only person that came in my mind while she was talking, it was the President. And immediately I wrote to him, and I said, ``I don't know, but this is what happened to me.'' And next day it was that immediately he arranged to bring food to our people. And I can tell you the gift that has come from your people, from your country, has brought life -- new life -- to our suffering people in Ethiopia.

I also want to thank the families here in United States for their continual and delicate love that they have given, and they have shown, by leaving their children to become sisters and to serve the poor throughout the world. We are now over the world and trying to bring the tenderness and the love of Jesus.

And you, you cannot go where we go. You cannot do what we do. But together, we are doing something beautiful for God. And my gratitude to you, President, and your family and to your people. It's my prayer for you that you may grow in holiness to this tender love for the poorest of the poor. But this love begins at home, in your own family, and it begins by praying together. Prayer gives a clean heart, and a clean heart can see God. And if you see God in each other, you will have love, peace, joy together. And works of love are works of peace. And love begins at home.

So, my sisters, brothers, and fathers, you are going -- and all our poor people, thousands and thousands and thousands of people that we deal with, I bring their gratitude to you. And keep the joy of loving. Love them, and begin in your own family first. And that love will penetrate right through the furthest place where no one has ever been -- there is that tenderness and love of Christ.

And remember that whatever you do to the least, you do it to Him, Jesus said. You did it to me. What a wonderful opportunity for each one of us to be 24 hours with Jesus. And in doing what we are doing, as he said, if you receive a little child in my name, you receive me. If you give a glass of water in my name, you give it to me. What a wonderful and beautiful tenderness and love of Christ for each one of us.

So, once more, I want to thank you for this beautiful gift, which I am sure it will bring great joy to our people by sharing it with them.

God bless you and keep you in his heart.

Note: The President spoke at 3:01 p.m. in the Rose Garden at the White House.

Mother Teresa - Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born august 26, 1910; baptized august 27 in Skopje, in Macedonia. Her family belongs to the Albanian community. They are catholic, though the majority of the Albanians are muslim there. The Turkish Empire is ruling the country. Her father is a businessman. He owns a building company and is connected to a food shop. He travelled a lot, was multi-lingual and very interested in politics. He was member of the community council. He, Kol�, thought Agnes her first lessons in charity, together with Drana, his wife and Agnes' mother.

Beloved and Blessed Mother Teresa

Medal of Freedom Recipient and Humanitarian

Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient Blessed Mother Teresa prays during a religious service in 1977

Blessed Mother Teresa prays during a religious service in 1977

Citation

THE REVEREND MOTHER TERESA
Awarded by
President Ronald Reagan
May 23, 1985

Most of us talk about kindness and compassion, but Mother Teresa, the saint of the gutters, lives it. As a teenager, she went to India to teach young girls. In time, Mother Teresa began to work among the poor and the dying of Calcutta. Her order of the Missionaries of Charity has spread throughout the world, serving the poorest of the poor.

Mother Teresa is a heroine of our times. And to the many honors she has received, including the Nobel Peace Prize, we add, with deep affection and endless respect, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Mother Theresa at the White House

Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient Mother Teresa of Calcutta with President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan in the White House.

Biography Youth

Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born august 26, 1910; baptized august 27 in Skopje, in Macedonia. Her family belongs to the Albanian community. They are catholic, though the majority of the Albanians are muslim there. The Turkish Empire is ruling the country. Her father is a businessman. He owns a building company and is connected to a food shop. He travelled a lot, was multi-lingual and very interested in politics. He was member of the community council. He, Kol�, thought Agnes her first lessons in charity, together with Drana, his wife and Agnes' mother.

Totally unexpected, when Agnes was 9, her father died. It was 1919 and Drana had to raise her three children, Aga (1904), Lazar (1907) and Gonxha (1910) alone. To foresee in their needs she sew wedding dresses, made embroidery and worked hard. In spite of all this, she made time for the education of her children. They prayed every evening, went to church every day, prayed the rosary every day in may and assisted the service for the Holy Virgin. A great and warm attention went also to the poor and needy who came to knock at the door. During the holidays a stay in the pilgrimage place of Letnice, where Our Lady was venerated, was a custom for the family.

Agnes liked to be in church, she liked to read and to pray and to sing. Here mother also took care of an alcoholistic women in the neighbourhood. She went to wash and feed her twice a day and she also took care of a widow with 6 children. When Drana could not go, Agnes went to do this charitable work. And when the widow died, the children were raised in the house as if they were family. Lazar won a scholarship in Austria, Aga followed commercial school and Agnes went to the Lyceum. She studied well. Together with Aga she was in the Choir, she was a soprano, Aga second voice. She also played the mandolin.
Back to the beginning The Call

A great part of their time also went to the Legion of Mary. She helped a father, who had difficulties with the language, to teach catechism and read a lot about Slovenian and Croatian missionaries in India. At twelve she felt for the first time the desire to spend her life for Gods' work, to give it to Him and to let Him decide. But how could she be sure?

She prayed a lot over it and talked about it with her sister and her mother. And also the father to whom she confessed she asked: "How can I be sure?" He answered: "through your JOY. If you feel really happy by the idea that God might call you to serve Him, Him and your neighbour, then this is the evidence that you have a call." And he added: "the deep inner joy that you feel is the compass that indicates your direction in life".

At 18 it is the day! The decision was made. The last two years she assisted several religious retreats in Letnice and it was clear to her that she would be a missionary for India. On Assumption day in 1928 she went to Letnice to pray for Our Lady's blessing before leaving. She was going to join the Sisters of Our Lady of Loreto, who were very active in India.

September 25 she leaves, accompanied to the station by the whole community: friends, schoolmates, neighbours, young and old and of course her mother and her sister Aga (who will be later a translator and a radio speakerin). And everybody weeps. (Mainly from the book: "A life: Mother Teresa, Lush Gjergi, Albania).

She travels over Zagreb, to Austria, Switzerland, France to London and then to the abbey close to Dublin where the mother house of the Loreto Sisters is. Gonxha learns to speak English and is trained in religious life. She receives the clothes of a sister and chooses the name of Sister Teresa, in memory of the Little Teresa of Lisieux, where they stopped on the way to London. In the mean time her papers get ready and 1928 on december the 1st the crossing to India starts: the country of her dreams. It is a long and tiring journey. Some more sisters are on board but the main group is anglican. For weeks they cannot attend mass or receive communion. Not on Christmas either. But they make a crib, pray the rosary and sing Christmas songs.

In the beginning of 1929 they reach Colombo, then Madras and finally Calcutta. The journey continues to Darjeeling, at the feet of the Himalayas, where the young sister will accomplish her training. On may 23, 1929 she is accepted as a novice and two years later she makes her first vows. Immediately after that she is send to Bengali to help the sisters in the little hospital with the care for sick, starving and helpless mothers. She is touched by the endless misery which is there.
Back to the beginning Sister and Teacher

She is send to Calcutta to study to become a teacher. Whenever she can she helps in the care for the sick. When her study is finished, she is named to be teacher and has to cross the city every day. The first work was to clean the classroom. Quickly the children learned to love her for her enthusiasm and her tenderness and their number raised to three hundred. In another part of the city there were one hundred little students. She saw where they lived and what they ate. For her care and her love, they soon called her "ma". Sundays, whenever there was time, she went to visit this family's.

On may 24 in 1937 she makes her final vows in Darjeeling. She is named headmaster of a secondary school for middle class Bengali girls in the centre of Calcutta. She was there teacher for history and geography for some time. Close to the institute is one of the great slums of Calcutta. Sister Teresa cannot close her eyes: who cares for this poor living in the streets? The great charity that speaks through her mothers letters, reminds her of the basic call: to care for the poor.

The Legion of Mary is also active in this school. With the girls, Sister Teresa goes regularly to the hospitals, the slums, the poor. They do not only pray. They talk seriously about what they see and what they do. The Belgian Walloon Jesuit, Father Henry, who was the spiritual director, was a great inspiration in this work. He will direct Sister Teresa for years. Under his inspiration the desire grows to do more for the poor, but how?
Back to the beginning The Second Call

With all this in her head she leaves for retreat to Darjeeling on the 10th of September. "The most important journey of my life" she said afterwards. It was then that she really heard Gods' voice. His message was clear: she had to leave the convent to help the poorest of the poor and to live with them. "It was an order, a duty, an absolute certainty. I knew what to do, but I did not know how". The 10th of September is so important in the Society that this day is called "Inspiration day".

Sister Teresa prayed, talked with some other sisters, asked her superior, who sent her to see the archbishop of Calcutta, Mgr. Perrier. She explained to him her vocation, but he refused her the permission. He talked it over with father Henry, who knew Sister Teresa well. They considered thoroughly the problems: India was about to be independent and Sister Teresa was a European! What were the political and other dangers? Would Rome approve this decision? The bishop told Sister Teresa to pray over this decision for at least a year or to join the Daughters of Saint Anna, sisters wearing a dark blue sari and working among the the poor. Sister Teresa did not consider this the right response for her. She wanted to live among the poor.

When after a year Sister Teresa renewed her intention, the archbishop wanted to grant her the permission but decided it would be better to ask the permission from Rome and from the mother general in Dublin. This decision took a long time.
Back to the beginning Decision

In august 1948 she received the permission to leave the Loreto community under the condition to keep the vows of poverty, purity and obedience. She is 38 when she says goodbye to her sisters and religious Loreto robe, to change it for a cheap white and blue sari. First she goes to Patna to follow a nursing training with the sisters there. It is obvious to her that she can only help the poor in their dirty, sickening habitation if she herself knows how to prevent and cure. This medical training is indispensable for the fulfilment of her new call.

The superior in Patna, a doctor, gives her good advice when Sister Teresa talks about how she wants to live among the poor and how she wishes to care for them. When Sister Teresa says that she wants to live on rice and salt, like the poor, the superior answers that this would be the best way to hinder herself in following her call: this kind of life demands a strong and good health.

Back in Calcutta, Sister Teresa goes in the slums and the streets, to talk with the poor, to help them. All she has is a piece of soap and five roepies. She helps to wash the babies, to clean the wounds. The poor people are astonished: Who is this European lady in that poor sari? She speaks fluently Bengali! And she helps them wash, clean and care! Soon she starts to teach the poor children how to read and write, how to wash and to have some hygiene. Later it will be possible to hire a small place to make a school.

She herself sleeps with the Sisters of the Poor. God is her great refuge for strength and material support. And He is: always she finds the right medicine, clothes, food and a place to receive the poor to be able to help them. At noon children receive a cup of milk and a piece of soap, when they come regularly, but they also hear about God, who is love and who - contrarily to their obvious reality - loves them, really loves them.
Back to the beginning A Touching Moment

One day a Bengalise girl, from a well-off family and former student of Sister Teresa, wants to stay with Sister Teresa and help her. This is a touching moment. But Sister Teresa is realistic: she speaks about the full poverty, about all the disagreeable aspects of the work which is hers. She proposes the girl to wait some time.

The 19th of march 1949 the girl comes back with no jewels and in a poor dress. The decision was made. She was the first to join Sister Teresa and took her girls' name: Agnes. Other girls follow: in may they were three, in November five, next year seven. And Sister Teresa prayed fervently for more vocations to the Lord and to Our Lady. There was a lot of work. The sisters raised early in the morning, prayed a long time, had adoration and attended mass to find in their spiritual life the strength to do the material work in the service of the poor. Thank God, a certain Mister Gomes offered the top floor of his house to Sister Teresa for her first community. In this year also Sister Teresa takes the Indian nationality.

Sister Teresa sees the community grow and knows she can think seriously about starting a congregation. For the first constitutions she asks the advice of two from her first helpers: Father Julien Henry S.J. and Father Celest Van Exem S.J. The last reading was done by father P. De Gheldere. The "Constitutions of the Society of the Missionaries of Charity" could be presented to the archbishop, who would send them for approval to Rome.

Early in autumn the papal approval arrived and 7th of October 1950, feast of the Holy Rosary, the foundation was celebrated in the chapel of the sisters. The archbishop celebrated mass and father Van Exem read the foundation papers. That moment there were 12 sisters. Every year hundreds of sisters over the world celebrate on the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary the foundation of the Congregation. Not even five years after this day the congregation became papal, this means that they depend straight from the pope.

It is basic in the Rule of the Society that the sisters, out of love for Jesus, devote themselves out of their free will, to the service of the poorest of the poor and this is as a fact, their fourth vow. This is their way to live and spread the gospel and work for the salvation and the sanctification of the poor.
Back to the beginning The Mission

While the number of poor and sick that asked for help was increasing, the admiration for the free devotion of the sisters was growing as well. Find a suitable house to accept the increasing number of sisters was a real necessity. After a novena to Saint Cecilia the solution came: a muslim leaving town to Pakistan sold his big house for a cheap price and this became the famous Mother house, Lower Circular Road 54A.

The postulants first came from Bengaly, then from all over India and finally from all over the world. The foundress herself was novice mistress. For the spiritual training she asked one of the fathers, but for the matters of the house and the Community, it was clear, this was not his responsibility. She did not want an interference from outside in the inside matters.

The first confession father was father Edward Le Joly S.J. Like the other Jesuits he was from Belgian origin. He had a good contact and a good co-working and wrote some of the first and most respected books about Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity.
Back to the beginning The Succession

While the society grew in work and number Mother kept praying for vocations and the work kept growing. Houses were opening and some closing down from one day to another for one or another political, social or security reason. The society is very much alive and moving. Mother Teresa went all over the world to help people, rescue children, advise her sisters; to organize and to talk. More and more she was asked to address words to a group of sometimes 'ordinary' sometimes very exquisite crowds. In spite of the fact that her message is often the same, can be captured in few sentences and that she certainly has many times a quite "traditional" point of view, she is listened to carefully. In spite of her age she continues to search means to help the poor people all over the world and she helps with the means she has. In every continent, even in Russia her sisters are present in their service to the lost, for the love of Jesus. In 1992 by the election of the New Superior general, she is prepared to hand over the responsibility. But she is re-elected. When in 1996 her health starts to fail seriously, due to her heart getting worn out by love and action she expresses the wish not to continue. On march 13th 1997 the assembly of sisters elect Sister Nirmala to continue the beautiful work, for the love of Jesus.

On September 5th 1997, late in the evening around 9.30 h, Mother Teresa goes to Heaven in the Mother house in Calcutta. Totally finished and worn out, as she had given herself totally, wholeheartedly, freely and unconditionally to the service of the poorest of the poor, for the love of Jesus.

Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient Mother Teresa of Calcutta - Mother Teresa's work with the order she founded, the Missionaries of Charity, is recognised by the Vatican. Here, she kisses a statuette of Jesus after being awarded the first Pope John XXIII Peace Prize by Pope Paul VI in 1971.

Mother Teresa's work with the order she founded, the Missionaries of Charity, is recognized by the Vatican. Here, she kisses a statuette of Jesus after being awarded the first Pope John XXIII Peace Prize by Pope Paul VI in 1971.

Blessed Mother Teresa in Prayer

See a Video of the Event

Mother Teresa's Official Website & Mother Teresa In Memoriam 1910-1997

Venerable Mother Teresa Link