Pope Benedict's Message on the Summer Olympics 2012

30th Summer Olympics 2012 in London.

There is no other sporting event quite like the Olympics and the Pope knows this very well. Benedict XVI talked about the London summer games by calling on all countries to see beyond the competition.

Pope Benedict's Message on Power/Authority

January 30, 2012. (Romereports.com) During Sunday's Angelus, the pope talked about abuse of power in both the workforce and social life. The pope said those in authority should be guided by an attitude of service.

Benedict XVI
“Often, authority means possession, power, dominance and success. To God, however, authority means service, humility and love. It means entering into the logic of Jesus Christ, Who leans down to wash the feet of His disciples.”


The pope also took time to talk about “World Leprosy Day.” Every year about 230,000 people contract the disease, especially in India, Brazil and Indonesia.

Benedict XVI
“I express my support to everyone affected by this disease as well as their caregivers, who in many ways strive to eliminate poverty and marginalization, which are the true causes of its continuance.”

The Pope also talked about the International Day of Intercession for Peace in the Holy Land, which is celebrated on January 30th. To honor the cause, a group of Italian families and young adults gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray for world peace.

At the end of the Angelus, the Pope released white doves from his window. But after being released they decided to go back into the Pope's study.

Benedict XVI
“They want to be in the Pope's home.”

The doves were released to symbolize peace. Some saw it as a metaphor, of the long road that still lies ahead.

Pope Benedict XVI Urges Us to Pray

Pope Benedict XVI urges us to continue the catechesis of prayer where man is in communion with God. He includes places and special intentions where prayer will serve to be of a greater need.

May 18, 2011. (Romereports.com) (-ONLY VIDEO-) During the general audience, the pope explained how the faithful prayed in the Old Testament. To highlight this point, the pope made reference to Abraham by stating the following "his intercession is based on the certainty that the Lord listens with patience to our prayers."

Message of Pope Benedict XVI for Lent 2011

"The first Sunday of the Lenten journey reveals our condition as human beings here on earth. The victorious battle against temptation, the starting point of Jesus’ mission, is an invitation to become aware of our own fragility in order to accept the grace that frees [us] from sin and infuses new strength in Christ — the way, the truth and the life." --Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI: Lenten Message for 2011

Church Needs Priests Who are Well-Prepared

The Church needs priests who are well prepared and full of the wisdom that is acquired in friendship with the Lord Jesus. These were the Pope's words today when he received the staff of the Pontifical Polish Ecclesiastical Institute of Rome which is celebrating its centenary. The Pope said: "The search for Truth for you priests who are enjoying this unique Roman experience, is stimulated and enriched by your proximity to the Apostolic See which has the task of offering specific and universal service to Catholic communion in truth and charity. Remaining close to Peter, in the heart of the Church, means gratefully recognising that we are part of a centuries-old and fruitful history of salvation which, ...

Vocation Awareness -- Quote of the Day

Saint Damien of Moloka'i

Leper Priest of Hawai'i

Stutue at St. Augustine Church in Waikiki

"Each person must discover his or her own personal vocation and respond to it with generosity.”
— Pope John Paul II

Pope Benedict XVI: Responsibility and Sin

Studies in Theology have been back, so my posts have become limited once again. I thank you for your patience. I have also been busy taking some of our priests around, who are on the island of Oahu for the Divine Mercy Conference. It's been a great pleasure experiencing agape with them at different levels of communication, including an exchange of jokes and interesting thought provoking punches. I feel so blessed to have been given the grace -- as Fr. Mark Wheelan, SOLT, calls it -- to show them God's wonderful creations on the Island and to let them experience aloha.

Divine Mercy in Hawai'i is scheduled on October 7-10. Here's info.

For the meantime, here's something to share with all of you:

vatican September 25, 2010
The salvation brought by Jesus is obtained through the assumption of responsibility, the recognition of sin, the will to become new men. The Pope reiterated this in a speech to a group of bishops from Eastern Brazil at the end of their ad limina visits. The Pope noted that forgiveness and reconciliation are two concepts that today are overshadowed by a misinterpretation of freedom, though they are fundamental aspects for a proper Christian life and the salvation brought by Christ. In his speech, Pope Benedict also asked the bishops to pay closer attention towards a renewed youth ministry.

SUSAN BOYLE SINGS FOR THE POPE - PAPAL VISIT TO SCOTLAND

Scottish Roman Catholics sing along with Susan Boyle's performance for the Pope when he came on an official visit to Britain.

Thanks to my good friend, Ghee Se, for sharing this post.

Novena for Pope Benedict on Papal Visit to UK

This post below is from the Diocese of Honolulu Spiritual Mothers Apostolote blog which Esther G. and I run and maintain. The post below was posted by Esther yesterday, September 15. I apologize for not seeing it right away, but do jump in and join the many Catholics in praying for Pope Benedict XVI.



The Novena period which precedes the Feast begins on Wednesday
15th of September - Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.

As this Novena period surrounds the Papal Visit - (September
16th to 19th) it is suggested that people pray the Novena for
the following intentions:

"For God's mighty blessing and protection upon the Papal Visit
and for the Holy Father's intentions".

For overseas readers, perhaps the best way of joining in the Novena is to say the Rosary each day, or at least one decade, for this intention.

Here at this blog, we are asking that you offer your Holy Rosary prayers for the Holy Father's intentions for nine consecutive days, along with the following prayer from the Knights of Columbus' prayer card, for his intentions:

PRAYER FOR POPE BENEDICT XVI

Lord, source of eternal life and truth,
give to your shepherd, Benedict, a spirit
of courage and right judgment, a spirit
of knowledge and love. By governing
with fidelity those entrusted to his care,
may he, as successor to the Apostle Peter
and Vicar of Christ, build your Church
into a sacrament of unity, love and peace
for all the world. Amen.

V. Let us pray for Benedict, the pope.
R. May the Lord preserve him,
give him a long life,
make him blessed upon the earth,
and not hand him over
to the power of his enemies.
V. May your hand
be upon your holy servant.
R. And upon your son,
whom you have anointed.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be…

Renew All Things in Christ

Pope: Renew All Things in Christ.
Pope Benedict XVI recalled Pope Pius X during his weekly general audience on Wednesday.
Source: Pope YouTube

He said St. Pius X taught us all that the basis of our apostolic activity in the various fields in which we operate, must always be an intimate personal union with Christ, which grows and increases day by day.

The Pope mentioned the motto of the saint's pontificate, "To Renew All Things in ChristChrist", and pointed out the early years of his tenure were dedicated to the reorganization of the Roman Curia and the drafting of the Code of Canon Law.

Pius X also promoted the reform of the studies for the training of future priests, and the work towards a single catechism. Pope Benedict also mentioned Pius X's dedic ... Pope Benedict XVI recalled Pope Pius X during his weekly general audience on Wednesday.

He said St. Pius X taught us all that the basis of our apostolic activity in the various fields in which we operate, must always be an intimate personal union with Christ, which grows and increases day by day...

Congratulations, Bishop McFadden!

Source: Archdiocese of Philadelphia

"Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, announced at a news conference at the Archdiocesan Office Center in Philadelphia this morning that Pope Benedict XVI has named Most Reverend Joseph P. McFadden, currently Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia, as the Tenth Bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg. Cardinal Rigali also announced that the Holy Father has appointed Monsignor Michael J. Fitzgerald as Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia."

Read all about it here.

Pope Benedict on the Eucharist

vatican — June 16, 2010 — Tuesday evening in the Roman Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Pope opened the proceedings of the conference of the Diocese of Rome, dedicated to the Sunday Eucharist and the witness of charity. The celebration of the Eucharist, Benedict XVI explained in his address, is a meeting with the Risen Christ "present in our day," requires us to become, and at the same time makes us capable of becoming, the bread broken for our brothers and sisters, meeting their needs and giving of ourselves." Pope Benedict XVI: "For this reason, a Eucharist celebration that does not lead us towards men and women where they live, work and suffer, to bring them the love of God, fails to express the truth it contains." The ge ...

Opening communication

vatican — June 14, 2010 — Full adhesion to the Pope and the Magisterium and a passion for the ecclesial community should characterize those who are formed by the Holy See's diplomatic service. This was the message underlined by Benedict XVI today in his address to the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. He said to represent the Roman Pontiff means being able to secure a channel of communication between particular the churches and the Apostolic See: first, by providing the Pope and his assistants with an objective, accurate and in-depth perspective of the ecclesial and social realities where they live. Secondly, it means transmitting the information of the Holy See, at the same time respecting and valuing the efforts of the bish ...

Support Priests in Moments of Difficulty

SUPPORT PRIESTS, ESPECIALLY IN MOMENTS OF DIFFICULTY


VATICAN CITY, 5 MAY 2010 ( VIS ) - In today's general audience, which was celebrated in St. Peter's Square, the Pope focused his remarks on the priest's mission to sanctify humankind.

"Sanctifying a person means putting that person in contact with God", said the Pope, noting how "an essential part of a priest's grace is his gift, his task to establish such contact. This comes about through the announcement of the Word of God, ... and particularly intensely in the Sacraments".

"Over recent decades", he went on, "various schools of thought have tried to make the aspect of announcement prevail in the priest's mission and identity, separating it from sanctification. It has often been affirmed that there is a need to go beyond merely sacramental pastoral care".

"Ordained ministers", the Pope explained, "represent Christ, God's envoy, they ... continue His mission through the 'Word' and the 'Sacrament', which are the two main pillars of priestly service". In this context he identified the need "to reflect whether, in certain cases, having undervalued the faithful exercise of 'munus sanctificandi' has not perhaps led to a weakening of faith in the salvific effectiveness of the Sacraments and, in the final analysis, in the real action of Christ and His Spirit, through the Church, in the world".

"It is, therefore, important to promote appropriate catechesis in order to help the faithful understand the value of the Sacraments. But it is equally necessary, following the example of the saintly 'Cure of Ars', to be willing, generous and attentive in giving the faithful the treasures of grace that God has placed in our hands, treasures of which we are not masters but custodians and administrators. Especially in our own time - in which on the one hand, the faith seems to be weakening and, on the other, there is a profound need and widespread search for spirituality - it is necessary for each priest to remember that ... missionary announcement and worship are never separate, and that he must promote a healthy sacramental pastoral care in order to form the People of God and help them to fully experience the liturgy ... and the Sacraments as gratuitous gifts of God, free and effective aspects of His action of salvation".

The Pope went on to highlight how "each priest knows he is a tool necessary for God's salvific action, but nonetheless just a tool. This awareness must make him humble and generous in administering the Sacraments, respecting the canonical norms but also profoundly convinced that his mission is to ensure that mankind, united to Christ, can offer itself to God as a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to Him".

Addressing himself directly to priests the Holy Father encouraged them "to practice liturgy and worship with joy and love". He also renewed his call "to return to the confessional, as a place in which to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, but also as a place in which 'to dwell' more frequently, that the faithful may find mercy, counsel and comfort, feel themselves to be loved and understood by God, and experience the presence of Divine Mercy alongside the real presence in the Eucharist".

"I would also like to invite each priest to celebrate and to live the Eucharist intensely", said Benedict XVI. Priests "are called to be ministers of this great Mystery, in the Sacrament and in life".

Likewise, "it is indispensable to strive after the moral perfection which must dwell in each authentically priestly heart", because "there is an example of faith and a witness of sanctity that the People of God expect from their pastors".

Pope Benedict concluded by calling on the faithful "to be aware of the great gift that priests represent for the Church and the world. Through their ministry the Lord continues to save mankind, to make Himself present, to sanctify. Give thanks to God and above all remain close to your priests with prayer and support, especially in moments of difficulty, that they may increasingly become pastors in keeping with God's heart".

AG/ VIS 20100505 (680


From:
Sr. Margaret Kerry, fsp
50 St Paul’s Ave
Boston, MA 02130
617-510-5409

Association of Pauline Cooperators
Living the gospel in every dimension of life in a world of communication.

Thank you, Sr. Margaret Kerry!

Happy Birthday to our Papa!

Happy Birthday and many blessings to

Pope Benedict XVI!

Stand by our Pope!

I'd listened to the song Lead Me by Sanctus Real many times before and thought how beautiful and well-written it is. It dawned on me how the longing of a good father to care for his wife and children can be so tremendous that it can leave him feeling powerless. He looks to God for help. What a better place that is! - this place where he sees himself in need of God, the One who will see him through. Do listen to the song to capture the father's clamor - with a tinge of melancholy - to guide him, to lead him. Because God, after all, has the stronger hands.

But when my 8-year old sang it to me last night, with a bit of struggle on his part as he was reading the lyrics at the same time, I was immediately taken to a deeper level. I thought of our priests and how each one of them must struggle to make things right for his bride, the Church, and all who belong to her. Then our pope came to mind. Our father here on earth - with all the attacks hurled at him these days - must be struggling so hard to keep our Church standing tall and strong.

We are called to stand by our earthly father, Pope Benedict XVI. Here is how we can help with prayers.

I dedicate this song to our beloved Pope Benedict XVI and to all our priests...

Lead Me lyrics

Sanctus Real - “Lead Me”

I look around and see my wonderful life
Almost perfect from the outside
In picture frames I see my beautiful wife
Always smiling
But on the inside, I can hear her saying...

“Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, what about us?

Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone”

I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes
They're just children from the outside
I'm working hard, I tell myself they'll be fine
They're in independent
But on the inside, I can hear them saying...

“Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, but what about us?

Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone”

So Father, give me the strength
To. be everything I'm called to be
Oh, Father, show me the way
To lead them
Won't You lead me?

To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can't
Don't want to leave them hungry for love,
Chasing things that I could give up

I'll show them I'm willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone

Father, lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone

Pope Benedict's Message this Lent

The pope speaks of justice and injustice. Justice is usually defined as giving to everyone what is their due. But what human beings need most is not something that can be guaranteed by law. The pope writes “Just as man needs bread, so does man have even more need of God.” And what is injustice? “Injustice, the fruit of evil, does not have exclusively external roots; its origin lies in the human heart, where the seeds are found of a mysterious cooperation with evil.” So addressing the exterior causes of injustice is not enough. We need to look at our hearts. The pope points out that there is nothing we can do to free ourselves or make up for our faults. We receive justification as a gift.

“But now the justice of God has been manifested apart from law … the justice of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (3, 21-25).

“Conversion to Christ, believing in the Gospel, ultimately means this: to exit the illusion of self-sufficiency in order to discover and accept one’s own need – the need of others and of God, the need of His forgiveness and His friendship.”

“Thanks to Christ’s action, we may enter into the ‘greatest’ justice, which is that of love (cf. Rm 13, 8-10), the justice that recognizes itself in every case more a debtor than a creditor, because it has received more than could ever have been expected. Strengthened by this very experience, the Christian is moved to contribute to creating just societies, where all receive what is necessary to live according to the dignity proper to the human person and where justice is enlivened by love.”

My prayers for a very blessed and joyful Lent!

Italized text by Sr. Margaret Kerry, FSP

Sr Margaret Kerry, fsp
50 St Paul’s Ave
Boston, MA 02130
617-522-8911
Pauline Cooperator Weblog
http://paulinelaity.blogspot.com/
Social Network
http://paulinecooperators.ning.com/

Thank you, Sr. Margaret!

Our Pope says YES to Life

"Commitment to help families, especially young people who want to establish them, and commitment to the formation of youth are among the issues touched upon by Benedict XVI this morning as he met with the trustees of the City of Rome, the Province of Rome and the Lazio Region...."

Pope Benedict's next book

"Jesus of Nazareth" due to be released in the early part of 2010.

A Tribute to St. John Mary Vianney

It is my hope that this Year for Priests will help all priests to appreciate the immense grace of their vocation, consecration and mission. During this Year may the whole Church pray and work more fervently for the sanctification of priests, an increase of priestly vocations, and a greater appreciation of the role of the priest in the life of the ecclesial community." Pope Benedict XVI

The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI’s proclamation of a “Year for Priests” in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the death of John Mary Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests worldwide.
www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/letters/2009/documents/hf_ben-xvi_let_20090616_anno-sacerdotale_en.html

The Nature of the Priesthood by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, 1990
www.vocations.com/benedictxvi/natureofpriesthood.html

Pope John Paul II’s 1986 letter to priests highlighting the “matchless example of the Cure of Ars” St. John Vianney
www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/JP2CUR.HTM

Vatican Website for the Year for Priests
www.vatican.va/special/anno_sac/index_en.html


Archdiocese of Baltimore Vocations Page
www.becomeapriest.org/

YouTube Videos on St. Jean Baptiste Vianney–
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9-UL9cRQGg
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBiHz4x0Zn8

Information Regarding the Life of Saint John Vianney
www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintOfDay/default.asp?id=1097
www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/stjeanvianney.HTM
www.catholic-forum.com/saints/stj18011.htm
www.osv.com/Portals/0/images/pdf/P950_Sample.pdf
www.arsnet.org/index_en.php
www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/CURE.htm

Prayers
A Novena in honor of St. John Vianney
www.ewtn.com/devotionals/novena/Vianney.htm

Litany in Honor of St. John Vianney
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1130