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My Prayer Box
the Newsletter of My Catholic Tradition
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Pontiff Tells
Why He's Reaching Out to Lefebvrists
Points
to Unity as "Explicit Duty" of a Pastor
Reported in
The World Seen From Rome.
VATICAN
CITY, JAN. 28, 2009 (Zenit.org).-
Benedict XVI is offering a personal
explanation for his decision to remove the
excommunication of four traditionalist bishops
ordained without papal permission. |
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The Pope spoke today at the
general audience of the decree made public
Saturday, which lifted the excommunication of four
prelates of the Society of St. Pius X, illicitly
ordained to the episcopate by Archbishop Marcel
Lefebvre in 1988.
The move has been criticized as an affront to
Jewish-Catholic relations because one of the four,
Bishop Richard Williamson, told an interviewer
that he didn't believe 6 million Jews died in the
Holocaust. Another of the cleared bishops, the
superior-general of the Society of St. Pius X,
Bishop Bernard Fellay, has since silenced the
prelate.
But, the Holy Father made clear today that the
lifting of the excommunication is about one thing
only: Church unity.
"In the homily delivered on the occasion of the
solemn inauguration of my pontificate, I said that
the 'call to unity' is an 'explicit' duty of the
pastor," he said.
The Pontiff recalled how he reflected in that
first of his papal homilies on the story of the
miraculous catch of fish, and how Christians could
now say: "Alas, beloved Lord, with sorrow we must
now acknowledge that it [the net] has been torn."
But, he continued quoting from his homily, "We
must not be sad! Let us rejoice because of your
promise, which does not disappoint, and let us do
all we can to pursue the path towards the unity
you have promised. … Do not allow your net to be
torn, help us to be servants of unity!"
Weaving torn threads
Benedict XVI said that it was "precisely in
fulfilling this service to unity, which determines
in a specific way my ministry as the Successor of
Peter," that he decided to lift the
excommunication.
And, he clarified, "I have carried out this act of
paternal mercy because repeatedly these prelates
have manifested their sharp suffering in the
situation in which they found themselves."
Furthermore, the Holy Father stated, there is the
expectation of further steps from the four newly
released bishops.
"I trust that following from this gesture of mine
will be the prompt effort on their part to
complete final necessary steps to arrive to full
communion with the Church," the Bishop of Rome
said, "thus giving testimony of true fidelity and
true recognition of the magisterium and the
authority of the Pope and the Second Vatican
Council."
Pope's outlook
Benedict XVI then immediately turned his attention
to his own reflections on the Holocaust.
"In these days in which we remember the Shoah, my
memory turns to the images taken in during my
repeated visits to Auschwitz, one of the
concentration camps in which was carried out the
brutal massacre of millions of Jews, innocent
victims of a blind racial and religious hate," he
said.
"As I renew with affection the expression of my
total and indisputable solidarity with our brother
recipients of the First Covenant, I hope that the
memory of the Shoah moves humanity to reflect on
the unpredictable power of evil when it conquers
the human heart," the Holy Father added.
He expressed his prayer that the Holocaust be a
warning for everyone: "May the Shoah teach
especially, as much the old generations as the new
ones, that only the tiring path of listening and
dialogue, of love and pardon, leads peoples,
cultures and religions of the world to the desired
encounter of fraternity and peace in the world.
May violence never again humiliate the dignity of
man!" |
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This article
can be found in the
The World Seen From Rome. |
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A friend of
mine begins each new day by praying
briefly over the Ten Commandments—and
not just each Commandment individually,
but also the way in which our tradition
structures them.
The first three Commandments outline our
relationship with God. The remaining
seven proceed from the first three. They
establish our duties to one another.
There’s a very good reason for this. The
First Commandment—I am the Lord your
God; you shall have no other gods before
me—is the bedrock of Judaism and
Christianity. All of our Western beliefs
about the sanctity of life, human
dignity and human rights ultimately
depend on a Creator who guarantees them.
In other words, we have infinite value
because God made us, and no other human
being or political authority can revoke
that infinite value. Only God is God,
and there is no other God but the God of
Israel and Jesus. Every other little
godling that poses as an answer to human
suffering and hope—from Wicca to fortune
telling to pop psychology to political
messianism to cult spirituality—is
finally an impostor and a road away from
God’s light. Only God is God. There is
no other.
I mention this because we live in an age
that sees itself as scientific,
reasonable and enlightened. In a sense
it is. It’s certainly true that science
and technology have improved the quality
of life for millions of people. But as
C.S. Lewis wrote in “The Abolition of
Man” and his novel “That Hideous
Strength,” science doesn’t necessarily
kill off superstition or barbarism. In
fact, the three can get along quite
comfortably. As the Christian moral
consensus has declined over the past
century, and science has made
spectacular strides, people haven’t
become more logical or morally mature.
The opposite has happened. The 20th
century was the bloodiest in history,
and today the occult is flourishing in
developed nations—especially among young
people who’ve lost the vocabulary to
understand the gravity of the forces
they play with. Knowledge is merely
knowledge. Power is merely power.
Nothing inherent to knowledge or power
guarantees that it will translate to
wisdom or justice or mercy.
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The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 1,
2009 |
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First Reading From
the Book of Deuteronomy: |
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Dt 18:15-20
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Moses spoke
to all the people, saying:
"A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise
up for you from among your own kin; to him you
shall listen.
This is
exactly what you requested of the LORD, your God,
at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you
said,
'Let us not again hear the voice of the LORD, our
God, nor see this great fire any more, lest we
die.'
And the
LORD said to me,
'This was well said.
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from
among their kin,
and will put my words into his mouth;
he shall tell them all that I command him. Whoever will not listen to my words which he
speaks in my name,
I myself will make him answer for it. But if a prophet presumes to speak in my name
an oracle that I have not commanded him to speak,
or speaks in the name of other gods, he shall
die.'" |
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Responsorial From the Book of Psalms:
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Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9 |
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R. If
today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your
hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he
guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your
hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works."
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your
hearts.
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Second Reading from the Letter to the
Corinthians |
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1 Cor 7:32-35 |
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Brothers and sisters:
I should like you to be free of anxieties.
An unmarried man is anxious
about the things of the Lord, how he may please
the Lord.
But a married man is
anxious about the things of the world, how he may
please his wife, and he is divided.
An unmarried woman or a
virgin is anxious about the things of the Lord,
so that she may be holy in both body and spirit.
A married woman, on the
other hand, is anxious about the things of the
world, how she may please her husband.
I am telling you this for
your own benefit, not to impose a restraint upon
you, but for the sake of propriety and adherence
to the Lord without distraction. |
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Reading From
the Gospel of Mark:
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Mk 1:21-28 |
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Then they came to
Capernaum, and on the sabbath Jesus entered the
synagogue and taught.
The people were
astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as
one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a
man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus
of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us? I know who you
are—the Holy One of God!"
Jesus rebuked him and
said,
"Quiet! Come out of him!"
The unclean spirit
convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another,
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"What is this? A new
teaching with authority. He commands even the
unclean spirits and they obey him."
His fame spread
everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.
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References |
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Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life
by
Charles J. Chaput
(Author)
“At a time
when the ‘faith and values’ vote has never
been more important, Archbishop Charles Chaput
deftly explores the intersection of morality,
reason, and politics. |
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This isn’t
just a book for Catholics, but for anyone who
cares about the state of America’s soul —and
how that concern might shape the 2008
elections.”
—John
L. Allen Jr., NCR and CNN senior Vatican
correspondent,
Amazon |
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Happiness Is a Serious
Problem: A Human Nature Repair Manual
by Dennis Prager.
In this unique blend of self-help and moral
philosophy, talk-radio host Dennis Prager
asserts that we're actually obligated to be
happy, because it makes us better people.
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Praying With Frederic Ozanam (Companions for the Journey Series)
- Paperback, by Ronald Cm Ramson (Author) |
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Praying With Louise De Marillac (Companions for the Journey Series)
by Audrey Gibson (Author), Kieran Kneaves
(Author) |
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Praying with Vincent de Paul (Companions for the
Journey)
2004, by Thomas McKenna
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The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal, Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force ....
(Paperback)
by
Rodney Stark (Author)
From the Publisher |
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"... this account of Christianity's remarkable
growth within the Roman Empire is already the
subject of much fanfare. "Anyone who
has puzzled over Christianity's rise to
dominance... must read it," ...
Read
the first page. |
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Living Liturgy: Spirituality, Celebration, and Catechesis for Sundays and Solemnities - Year B - 2009
by C.PP.S. Joyce Ann
Zimmerman (Author), Thomas A. Greisen (Author),
S.N.D. de N. Kathleen Harmon (Author), M.S.
Thomas L. Leclerc (Author) |
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"Perfect for home use or to prepare for weekly
liturgy . . . It includes help for the
celebration, ideas for catechesis on the
particular event, and ways to understand the
readings more deeply. Finally, it includes
sample questions from which priests, deacons,
lay groups, ministers and others can jump off
into deeper discussion." |
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Straight Answers, Answers to 100 Questions about
the Catholic Faith
by Ph.D Rev. William P.
Saunders (Author)
Review by:
Reverend William G. Curlin Bishop of Charlotte
Straight Answers offers Catholics a simple and
direct response |
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to the many questions
concerning the Catholic Church. It spells out
profound truths in very simple language for all
who seek a better understanding of their Faith.
I highly recommend it for Catholics, both young
and old. |
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The Power of Intention: Learning to Co-create Your World Your Way
From Amazon: |
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After years of spiritual study and reflection,
inspirational speaker and bestselling
author Wayne Dyer has emerged a highly esteemed
teacher. His current message about tapping into
the power of intention may sound like good old
positive thinking: just stay focused on what you
want, rather than focusing on the lack of having
what you want. But the teaching here goes deeper
than just controlling thoughts (although he does
acknowledge that thought control is a
surprisingly challenging and significant
endeavor).
This book might
help readers land a better job, but it's more
relevant for those who are ready to detach from
an ego-driven life filled with quick fixes of
happiness and step into a more authentic,
joyful, and spiritually fulfilling life. His
core teachings speak to tapping into a universal
source of energy that can also be called the
"power of intention." |
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The Chariot of Israel: Exploits of the Prophet of Elijah
THE CHARIOT OF ISRAEL: When Elijah was caught up
to heaven, his disciple Elisha cried out, "the
chariot of Israel, and its horsemen." Elisha was
referring not to the chariot but to the prophet.
This study of Elijah’s life will captivate you
as |
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it walks you through a
pivotal period in Israel’s history, and
illustrative maps will give you a better
picture of the physical geography of this
ancient land. |
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The First Book of Kings (Cambridge Bible Commentaries on the Old Testament) This
volume of commentary on the New English Bible text of the First Book of Kings
follows the pattern of the now well-established series on the Old and New
Testaments. The main divisions of the text are those provided |
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by the New English Bible
itself, but these are further subdivided for the
purposes of the commentary, which is printed in
short sections following the relevant portion of
the text.
Canon Robinson suggests that the editors of I
Kings compiled their history in order to teach
the Hebrews that their existence as Israel, the
covenant people of God, depended upon their
continuing loyalty to their own religious
traditions, and their refusal to exchange them
for the very different traditions of the
Canaanites among whom they lived.
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I & II Samuel: A Commentary (Old Testament Library)
First sentence in
the book:
""THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL contain that
part of the history of Israel which describes
the foundation of the State, running from the
close of the period of the Judges to the
establishment of the united kingdom." |
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Read more about the Liturgical Year |
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The Origins of the Liturgical Year (Pueblo
Books)
by
Thomas J. Talley
(Author) The Rev. Dr.
Thomas J. Talley, Professor of Liturgics
at the General Theological Seminary in New
York, is one of the leading liturgists in
the country. He gives us a fresh
examination of the complex history of the
Liturgical Year. |
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The Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday, Cycle C. (Bestseller! the Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday)
by
John J. Pilch (Author)
Reader
Review: The book by Pilch provides those
who not only fill the pulpits across this
country but also all interested in the |
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cultural world in which Jesus lived with a lot
of pertinent information that sheds light on a
lot of areas that have been "muddled" in the
past. Yes, I highly recommend this book. -
James Mauldin |
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Learn more and read the Old Testament. |
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Preaching from the Old Testament
by Elizabeth Achtemeier (Author) Reader
Review: The author of these
thirty-two short chapters begins and ends
with the assumption that problems we
experience with the Old Testament are our
problem, not the Bible's. This
subordinating of the Bible reader to the
well-weathered book he holds in his hand
opens doors, not to forced
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harmonisations
of problematic passages, but to fresh
reappraisal of difficult texts on their
own terms. -
David A. Baer |
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The Navarre Bible: Pentateuch (The Navarre Bible: Old Testament)
This volume helps you make the first five
books of the Old Testament a vital part of
your spiritual reading and practical
growth in the Christian life. It contains
the full English and Latin texts of these
books, along with extensive and
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faithfully Catholic
commentaries. Like other volumes in the
world-renowned Navarre Bible series, these
commentaries draw on Church documents, the
exegesis of Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and the works of contemporary
spiritual writers — particularly St. Josemaría
Escrivá, who initiated the Navarre Bible
project. |
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Comments and
Suggestions are Most Welcome.
If you have any
comments or contributions, please
use the form in this link.
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Comments and Suggestions are Most Welcome.
If you have any comments or contributions,
please
use the form in this link.
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© 2006. My Catholic Tradition. All rights reserved |
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Rey
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