Saturday, February 27, 2010

Lightning hit heretic who defaced Mary’s picture

This is the amazing story of the miraculous image of Our Lady of Czestochowa, that was attacked by Hussite heretics and survived due to intervention of Divine Providence – even by a bolt of lightning.

Tradition tells us that Saint Luke, an able painter, responding to the requests of many Christians, who wanted to preserve a remembrance of the Blessed Virgin Mary after her elevation into Heaven, painted her sacred face on an oak table, near which Our Lady used to sew and pray.

Some time later, when the Romans dominated Jerusalem and were destroying many churches, Divine Providence protected the icon from falling into the hands of the pagans. The relic, carried to Constantinople by the Empress Saint Helena, hidden by the Christians, always received divine protection, when that city fell into the power of the oriental emperors and under the dominion of the unbelievers for centuries.

In its constant pilgrimage, we find the image, in the year 802, in the chapel of the Belz, in White Russia. In those days, there were many marriages between members of the Byzantine and Russian nobility, so the icon was probably given as a wedding present in one of those marriages.

When in the second half of the fourteenth century, Louis, the Hungarian King of Poland and Hungary, annexed White Russia to his dominions, the Castle of Belz was confided to Prince Wladyslaw of Opole (Silesia). In that epoch, Ruthenia was submitted to the continuous incursions of the Tartars, and in one of those invasions, the Castle of Belz was besieged by the pagan hordes.

The defense became increasingly difficult and the defenders threatened to give in. Prince Wladyslaw was praying before the altar on which the picture of Our Lady rested, begging her assistance when an enemy arrow struck the face of the Virgin, leaving a scar. The ancient chronicles say, broad daylight was transformed into dark night. Fear seized the Tartars. The prince sallying forth with his knights to the open plain, overthrew the Tartar hordes.

On seeing how insecure Belz was, and wishing to avoid the possible destruction of the beautiful picture, Wladyslaw decided to transport it to Opole, in Silesia. And so he put the image in a splendid carriage drawn by six chargers, and began the long voyage through the territories of the Polish Crown, on the way to the land of his birth. But behold, when they arrived at the village of Czestochowa the powerful horses stopped and would not move from the place! Wladyslaw perceiving in this fact a sign from heaven went to the little chapel of the village, situated on top of the hill of Jasna Gora (Bright Mountain), where he gave himself up to prayer. Overcome by sleep, Our Lady communicated her desire to him in his dreams: Her image had to be venerated right there on Jasna Gora.

Without any delay, the picture was solemnly enthroned in the little church, while Wladyslaw gave orders for the construction of a church of greater dignity and scale in that place, and a monastery beside it. Later he would request sixteen Hungarian friars of the Pauline order whom he charged with the care of the relic. This took place in 1382.

The happy news soon spread all over the country and the historian Jan Dlugosz, who lived at the time, reports that pilgrims began to flow into Czestochowa from all the territories of the Polish-Lithuanian Crown, as well from Bohemia and Moravia.

The Attack of the Hussites

Good Friday night in 1430, a band of Czech Hussites, commanded by a Polish noble, also a Hussite (in nearby Silesia, this heresy had gained many followers among the nobles) attacked the sanctuary and killing five religious, seized the golden vessels and ornaments of the Church, some relics and the image of Our Lady, loading them all in a cart.

The chronicles of Jasna Gora tell us that immediately after descending the hill, the horses stopped and would not move from the place. Then, one of the heretics, cursing the picture, hurled it to the ground with such force that it broke into three pieces but the faces of Our Lady and of the Infant Jesus remained intact.

In the face of this, one of the Hussites took a sword and struck the right side of Our Lady's face twice, and when he raised his sword for the third blow, he fell fulminated by a bolt of lightning.

His companies fled in terror, but the chiefs of the band were caught and put to death by the sword. So profaned by the heretics, and abandoned in the midst of the slime, the holy picture was found by the Paulist friars.

When they bent over to pick it up, they saw a spring of crystalline water open underneath it and washed it of the dust and mud. In that place, at the foot of Jasna Gora, was placed a wooden cross, and later the Church of Saint Barbara was built there. In the interior of the temple, the spring continues to gush the miraculous water sought by the pilgrims and famous for the cures of eye diseases which it works.

The picture was then taken, at the request of King Wladyslaw Jagiello to Krakow to be restored. The best Polish artists dedicated their talent to the task, but a miraculous fact occurred: once the restoration was completed, the paint which covered the scars left in the faces by the sword blows of the heretics ran off! Italian artists called in later to restore it found that same phenomenon occurred with them.

Finally it was decided to make a copy of the original picture on a new canvas, preserving the wounds. This picture, however, is fixed to the original wood, which is considered to be a relic. (Nowadays there are three known copies of the picture done at the end of the fourteenth century, for the churches of Glogowek in Silesia, of Lepoglaw in Croatia and of Sokal; none of them since they were made before the attack of the Hussites, show the wounds in the face of Our Lady)

As a consequence of that attack, Wladyslaw Jagiello very nearly declared war on Bohemia. It was the fact that Polish nobles were also involved in the episode, which kept him from doing so. Those nobles, however, were severely chastised, and the historians of the epoch report that all of them died violently in the year following the profanation of the holy place.

Later, toward the end of the sixteenth century, King Zygmunt III, in order to give greater security to the sanctuary, built strong walls about it with four bastions constructed according to Dutch techniques, all surrounded by a moat and he provided a garrison maintained by the Crown. Thus Jasna Gora took on the aspect of a fortress. Against its walls in the following century, an invasion of the Swedish heretics would break up.

Replacing the rustic and primitive little church, there now rose a majestic one, with a high wooden tower. The work of its construction, in which King Wladyslaw Jagiello personally participated, lasted from spring until October for many years. In 1690, the tower burned and, falling on the nave, did great damage. In its place a new tower was built of wood, which was also destroyed by fire. In 1906, the present even more imposing tower of bricks and mortar was inaugurated. In that year, Pope Saint Pius X elevated the church - whose nave holds nearly 4,000 people - to the rank of Basilica.

To read more about the Seige of Czestochowa click here.

Compassion and Prayers for Chile

As we see the aftermath of the massive earthquake in Chile, we cannot help but be moved to have compassion on and pray for the victims in that country.  
The country and others are bracing for the impact of a possible tsunami, as well as great damage to its infrastructure.  Initial reports already mention deaths and people missing due to a large wave near the island of Juan Fernandez, 400 miles off the coast of Chile.

This is certainly a test of faith of those there as well as a call for the generosity of others to help in this time of dire need.  We ask all of our readers to continue their prayers and efforts to help the victims in Chile.

At this time of hardship for Chile, we kneel before Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the great Patroness of that nation, who knows, better than us, how to overcome suffering and adversity with Her abundant graces.

May She inspire all of us to pray for those suffering in Chile, to bring them closer to Her Divine Son, and to strengthen their faith and give them fortitude in this time of trial.

See extremely graphic and violent martyrdoms of Franciscans by the Muslims during the middle ages in Jerusalem

    As Catholics, in the sacrament of confirmation we become soldiers of Christ.  Soldiers are primarily meant to give blows, but they also are trained to receive blows, in other words to suffer.

    A soldier understands when they take their military oath that they must be willing to sacrifice their life for their country.  How much more should we be willing to sacrifice our lives for our faith.  Our country is precious to us as it should be, but nothing can be as precious as the Holy Catholic Church.

    All good soldiers suffer.  They are deprived of sleep, they must exercise even in great pain and discomfort, they are exposed to the elements, and that is just in peace time. In war they must suffer all of that in addition to hunger, extreme cold or heat, sickness and disease and of course injury, deformities and death.  This is what a soldier lives for.

    As soldiers of Christ we must be willing to endure this, and even more out of love for our faith when situations present themselves to us.

    Our friend from the pilgrimage to Quito submitted these photos.  They are good lessons of what as Catholics we must be willing to endure if called upon by Our Lady to do so.  We like to think of life as pleasant and full with a nice tranquil ending.  For some of the greatest of Catholics life ended violently.  Yet compare their eternity with the eternity of someone who was always able to do what they wanted.

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    The first image is a painting in the Franciscan Monastery in Quito that depicts the extremely graphic and violent martyrdoms of many Franciscans by the Muslims during the middle ages in Jerusalem. Every kind of horrible death is depicted. 

               Mercedarian Martyr 331

    The second is a painting of Blessed Sancho of Aragon who was martyred in the 13th century by the Muslims. As the painting unpleasantly depicts, his martyrdom was extremely violent.  As a soldier of Christ, Blessed Sancho willingly endured this martyrdom out of his extreme love for Our Lord Jesus Christ.

    The sanitized yet pious depictions of martyrdoms in our country would never be depicted in such a graphic manner. We just couldn't take it.

Mercedarians 037

    The third painting depicts another form of militancy.  These Mercedarian friars are paying the ransom for the most grateful Christians who were enslaved by the Muslims. These friars have no material weapons.  Yet they have an arsenal that is much more powerful than an atomic bomb. They have Our Lady, in fact Our Lady of Mercy.  She protects them as they courageously face the wicked and crafty foe. 

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    The fourth painting is Our Lady of Mercy who reigns above the high altar in the Church of the Mercedarians. Interestingly enough, writing about being a soldier, Our Lady of Mercy is the patroness of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces.  This shows that there is no contradiction between the virtue of mercy and Catholic militancy.

              Our Lord Scourged 052

     The final photo is a statue of Our Lord scourged, which is located in the choir of the Conceptionist Sisters.  This statue of Our Lord should fill us not only with sorrow, but the desire to put into practice our role as soldiers of Christ, opposing the world, the flesh and the devil.  Gazing upon this statue should cause us to reflect upon how our sins have caused this, but not only that, but how the wicked thoughts and deeds of men have also done this.  We should be sorry for the part our sins played in Our Lord's Passion, we should also be more willing than ever to fight to prevent more evils in our society which greatly contributed to Our Lord's scourges.

    When we reflect upon these images we can see perhaps how little we do as soldiers of Christ.  Do we fight peacefully and legally to defend the honor of God and of His Church?  Unless we have served as a soldier in the military or in the police force have we ever had to face death for our faith?

    Even though we may not currently face the ultimate test of our loyalty as soldiers of Christ, there is so much that we can do, proportionally small though it may seem on appearances.

    Organize a public square rosary.  That is something that just about anyone can do.  While practically speaking there is not much to do to organize a public square rosary, it does take courage.  It is not uncommon to find that you only have a few to join you.  Sometimes your pastor may not understand or support you.  Your relatives and friends might criticize you. At the rally some may make fun of you. 

    When these things happen just reflect upon these images and remind yourself how little you have to suffer for such a glorious act of veneration, reparation and petition. The public square rosary is one of the great battles of today between the soldiers of Lucifer and the soldiers of Christ.  Our voluntary role in this battle can help tip the scale one way or the other. Just as so many were saved because of the heroic sufferings and martyrdoms of great saints, so many can be saved by our public square rosaries.

    If you would like to enlist as a soldier of Christ as a rally captain for the public square rosary campaign please call us toll free at (866) 584 - 6012.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Invitation to Monthly Rosary Rally in Miami

image

Buddhist display at Catholic monastery canceled!

The Buddhist propaganda display in Cuzco, scheduled for February 26 to 28, will no longer be held at the Convent of Santo Domingo as scheduled.  At the last minute, they decided to transfer it to another location.

There is no doubt the massive protest by faithful Catholics coordinated by Tradition in Action played a decisive role in bringing about this outcome.

People from all over Peru, the Americas and Europe sent countless Internet messages to the pertinent ecclesiastical authorities noting the display would be a "grave desecration" that would "turn the historic Cuzco shrine into a focus for the propaganda of a false and essentially anti-Christian belief.”

And the timely and massive Catholic reaction undoubtedly contributed to prevent the Convent from being incomprehensibly stained with an exhibition offensive to the Catholic faith.

Tradition and Action congratulates the Catholic people of Cuzco on this result, as well as all those around the world who joined the campaign by sending their protest messages; to them, we express our deep appreciation.

Once again it has been demonstrated how effective it is to always defend Catholic values within the laws of God and men, using the methods of public action that are the hallmark of TFPs and related entities.

Spanish Senate Approves Law Permitting Abortion on Demand as a 'Right'

Law now passes to king for final promulgation

By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman

MADRID, February 25, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Spanish Senate yesterday gave final approval to Spain's new "abortion law," which declares that abortion is a "right," and permits the procedure for any reason during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.

The law will now pass to King Don Carlos I, who is expected to sign and promulgate the law. He has been urged by a group of Catholic theologians, however, not to sign it. But if he does, the law will take effect in four months.

The law, entitled the "Organic Law of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy," will also allow adolescents as young as 16 to obtain an abortion without their parents' consent, although a compromise amendment will require them simply to inform their parents.

It also decrees mandatory sex education, which must "contemplate" teaching the "recognition and acceptance of sexual diversity" as well as the "prevention of unplanned pregnancies," according to the last version of the law posted on the internet, in October 2009.

Bnigno Blanco, the president of Spain's Family Forum, called Wednesday "a very sad day in the history of Spain" and said that he would work to overturn it, according to Europa Press.

The president of the Family Policy Institute, Eduardo Hertfelder, called the law "absolutely regressive" and said that it "attacks the Constitution and the backbone of the society."

"Despite the fact that there are 115,000 abortions each year, it will increase with this (law)," he added.

The new legislation represents a major change in the existing laws governing abortion in Spain.

Under current law, abortions may only be carried out if a special condition exists, such as a threat to the mother's health or life, and cases of rape or fetal deformity.

However, Spain's abortion industry has used easy diagnoses of risks to the "mental health" of the mother to justify abortions for years, and the number has climbed to over 100,000 annually.

URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10022501.html

No more votive candles in some churches?

    Today with all of the true luxury that every American enjoys, it is very easy to lose sight of the Cross. The poorest of Americans live better than the wealthiest centuries ago.  We have shelter that is warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  We have plenty of food to eat, plenty of clothing to wear.  We have excellent health, so much so that the longevity of Americans exceeds by decades the average life expectancy of the past. We not only have freedom of movement, but just about every American owns a car.  There are hotels and restaurants everywhere attesting to the abundant wealth of our nation.

    We are currently suffering economic difficulties, but even with all of that there is still so much prosperity.  The proper use of this bounty can be a good if it is used to help us become better Catholics.  Sadly, too often lives become dominated by the possessions we own, instead of the other way around.

    In the past men faced the cross each and every day.  Maybe they were cold, or hungry, or did not have adequate clothing, or suffered from sickness and disease. It was not uncommon to lose a child or a spouse or a sibling to sickness.  These various trials kept the Churches full.  Votive lights burned everywhere in the churches, a testimony of the amount of prayers made to Our Lord, to Our Lady and to the Saints. Today, some churches don't even have votive candles, in the others that do, they are few.

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    In some places in the world the cross is still remembered.  As one of the pilgrims who went to Quito, Ecuador related, he was impressed by the flocks of visitors to the Blessed Sacrament, to a statue of Our Lord, to Our Lady's altar, to St. Joseph's altar, to the altars of the Saints.  The faithful there would pray most fervently before the statue.  I am sure that since the current moral crisis is universal that this piety is much diminished from what it was. Nevertheless, there are still noticeable remnants.

    Throughout Quito it was not uncommon to see the poor, the crippled and the sick.  When passed by a beggar it was obvious in most cases that the person truly needed help.  One woman who was missing both of her arms.  She had a simple basket in her lap for alms. 

    While such scenes were sad, in another sense they helped to remind the pilgrims that life is a vale of tears. Such scenes can also move us to practice the virtue of charity in person. 

    In America the poor, the crippled and the sick largely remain hidden from the public.  In Quito they are everywhere.

Quito 2010 019

    One of the churches that we visited was the Augustinian Church.  At a side altar was a statue of Our Lord, called, Our Lord of Good Hope.  There is a beautiful miracle attached to this statue, but besides that, the chapel before this statue of Our Lord was always filled. 

Quito 2010 116

    When the group of pilgrims visited the statue a man stood up and explained how this statue of Our Lord cured him of cancer.  He now visits that statue each and every day to give thanks to Our Lord.

    Something else that shows a remnant of understanding of the cross was that the Ecuadorians show a tremendous devotion to the passion of Our Lord.  Each and every church had at least one statue depicting some aspect of Our Lord's passion.  It was not a sanitized version either, but one where Our Lord's sufferings were graphic.

    The average American far removed from suffering might find such representations repulsive. 

    For the pilgrims who venerated such statues it helped them to have a greater adoration for Our Lord and a greater gratitude for all that He suffered.  It also helped them to more keenly be aware that life is a vale of tears.

    During this Holy Season of Lent let us reflect more on the passion of Our Lord and His sufferings for us.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Do a public square rosary in your community to offer reparation and pray for conversion

Call Francis Slobodnik: (866) 584 - 6012.   

Yesterday we posted on our blog an article about Servant of God, Mother Francisca de las Llagas Cornejo who lived in Quito, Ecuador.  We also explained how she founded the Franciscan Missionaries of the Immaculate in reparation for a single sacrilege committed against the Blessed Sacrament during the 19th century. 

    We also commented on the importance of an authentic Catholic indignation, sorrow, and legitimate expression of public outrage when sacrileges and blasphemies occur such as the most recent blasphemy committed by Elton John.

    What are some of the ways that we can express our public outrage for these serious offenses against Our Lord? 

    We can call, write or email those who commit and/or promote sacrilege and blasphemy and their sponsors.  We can write letters to the editors of newspapers.  We can post our indignation on social networking sites like facebook so that others can know and act.  If the outrage took place near our community we can organize a public protest or act of reparation.

    Besides these excellent ways of expressing our peaceful and legal public reparation another very important strategy is the public square rosary campaign.  Each October tens of thousands of Americans from across the United States organize and participate in public square rosaries right out among the public, so to speak, where the rubber meets the road.  The public square rosary is putting our words of indignation into concrete actions. 

    One of the main intentions of the public square rosary is to offer reparation for the sins of our nation, this particularly includes sacrilege and blasphemy.  If you want a perfect way to express your indignation as a Roman Catholic the public square rosary is for you. 

    If after an examination of conscience you might realize that you don't have sufficient indignation I would ask Our Lady and Mother Francisca to grant you the necessary level of indignation.  The measure of how much we love God,  can be measured by how indignant we are when God is offended.  As Our Lady spoke at Fatima, "let them offend Our Lord no more, for He is already much offended."

    Even though the public square rosary isn't until October 16th, here at America Needs Fatima we are already in intense preparations.  We take this campaign very seriously.  We desire to offer Our Lady the most perfect bouquet of public square rosaries that we can.

    Won't you join us in organizing a public square rosary in your community to offer much needed reparation and to pray for conversion?

    You can contact us at (866) 584 - 6012.

Buddhist relics in Catholic monastery!

Warning to Catholics

1. See – The facts

A world tour of Buddhist propaganda has now come to Peru. The news would have no greater significance if it were not, as was widely reported, the fact that the "tour" will include a visit to Cusco from February 26 to 28, during which relics of Buddha and some of his main followers will be exhibited in a certainly unexpected place: the Convent of Santo Domingo!

Although Buddhism is not presented as a religion but rather as a philosophy and spirituality, in fact it has a strong religious content, being a branch of pantheistic Gnosticism, which is the doctrine most opposed to the Gospel because it denies the very concept of one single, personal and absolute God. This denial makes Buddhism, in its essence, an anti-Christian belief.

Furthermore, Buddhist currents such as Lamaism from Tibet – where many of the said relics come from -- worship a series of “protector devils” to whom even human sacrifices are rendered, including the practice of cannibalism.[1]

2. Judge – The Analysis

How, then, can Catholic premises be made available to promote this belief opposed to the true Faith? This is puzzling, especially considering that, as the Scriptures teach, "all the gods of the Gentiles [pagans] are devils" (Ps. 95:5); therefore, St. Paul says, "But the things which the heathens sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God. And I would not that you should be made partakers with devils. You cannot drink the chalice of the Lord, and the chalice of devils: you cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord, and of the table of devils” (I Cor. 10:20-21).

Considering the definitive statement of our Lord Jesus Christ: "He who is not with me is against me" (Luke, 11, 23), we have gone from bewilderment to confusion. Do the authorities of the Convent of Santo Domingo not realize the tremendous religious turmoil into which they cast the faithful by turning the historic Cuzco church into a propaganda vehicle for a false belief? This is all the more so since it will not be a simple display of the said relics, but they will practice Buddhist rituals such as "blessings" with supposed healing effects to attract the unwary, and others. Do the authorities of the convent not fear that these cults, as Saint Paul says, desecrate the convent by "sacrificing to demons and not to God"?

How all this recalls the famous pronouncements by H.H. Pope Paul VI, taken up by his successors John Paul II and Benedict XVI, about the mysterious process of "self-destruction" that affected the Church after Vatican II, making the "smoke of Satan enter the temple of God!" [2]

3. Act – The Duty of Catholics

St. Dominic founded the Order of Preachers to spread the only Truth and refute the errors against it, never to compromise with them! His first major victory was the extinction of the Albigensian heresy, which arose precisely from Eastern Gnosticism, of which Buddhism is a branch. Faced with such a bafflingly serious deviation from its mission, as seen above, the Catholic faithful cannot stand idly by. We must manifest, respectfully but firmly, our disagreement and rejection of that disgraceful display.

Through the sacrament of Confirmation we become "soldiers of Christ," that is, the Holy Spirit gives us the gift of fortitude to bear witness and defend the Faith. And God will ask us accounts for the good or bad use we make of that precious gift. This is a great opportunity to show that we have not received it in vain.

Let's let us respectfully make our protest heard. Join it right now by sending a message to the authorities of the Convent of Santo Domingo, the Prior of the Dominican Fathers, and the diocesan authority, asking them to take measures to stop this desecration and make sure that it never happens again.

If you prefer, you can copy the text suggested below:

4. THE PROTEST (copy and send to the addresses indicated)

Deeply shocked, I deplore the offense done to my Catholic faith by converting the convent of Santo Domingo into a propaganda venue for pagan beliefs diametrically opposed to the Faith in Jesus Christ. I believe that such an exhibition is a very serious and unacceptable desecration and therefore request that it be canceled and never a Catholic campus in our city be used again for such events.

Sincerely,
(name and ID number)

V – WHO TO SEND IT TO?

1. Conventual Prior:
Fr. Luis Enrique Ramirez Camacho OP
Convent: frayluisenriqueop@yahoo.com

2. Provincial Prior of Peru
Fr. Juan José Salaverry Villarreal OP
Phone: (051) (01) 4277426 - 4276792
Email: provincial@peru.op.org

3. Archbishopric of Cusco

1. arzcusco@speedy.com.pe,

2. seccusco@speedy.com.pe
Phone :   084 - 225211
Fax : 084 - 222781

(Please send a copy to tfpperu@gmail.com)

Undoubtedly, the religious confusion is the most serious aspect of the terrible current crisis.

May Our Lady of the Rosary, Queen and Patron of Peru, preserve the noble Peruvian nation from this confusion.  May She grant all Catholics the wisdom and determination to overcome it.

Cusco, February 23, 2010.

Tradition and Action for a Better Peru

tfpperu@gmail.com

www.tradicionyaccion.org.pe

phone: (01) 4620314 cell. 991975689


[1] Cf. for example: http://www.canalsocial.net/GER/ficha_GER.asp?id=11613&cat=religionnocristiana

[2] See for example: Paul VI, Allocution at the Lombard Seminary of Dec. 7, 1968, and Allocution “Restite fortes in fide”, at the commemoration of the feast of the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, June 29, 1972; John Paul II, Encyclical Veritatis Splendor, August 6, 1993, §29; Benedict XVI (then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger), Report on the Faith, interview with Vittorio Messori, Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos, Madrid, 1985.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Miraculous Medal Overpowers Jansenist Heretics

 

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Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal was the first great step toward the re-Marianization of the nineteenth century, preparing the great movement of souls that culminated with the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

On November 27, 1830, Our Lady appeared to Saint Catherine Labouré in Paris and revealed to her the design of the Miraculous Medal. Its first great miracle was the deathbed conversion of a bishop who had sworn allegiance to the French Revolution.

The Miraculous Medal shows an image of Our Lady of Grace with her hands emitting rays of light, just as she appeared to Saint Catherine.  This devotion to Our Lady of Grace on the medal marked a true renewal of devotion to Our Lady in Europe.

Devotion to Our Lady had been deeply eroded by Jansenism, which, although in great decline at the time, was replaced with more radical forms of Revolution, so that devotion to Our Lady left much to be desired. We can say that the Miraculous Medal was the first major step toward the ‘re-Marianization’ of the nineteenth century, preparing the great movement of souls that would culminate with the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

With the use of the Miraculous Medal, extraordinary graces spread throughout the Church. It became a common custom to wear a Miraculous Medal around one’s neck or to place it on the chest of an impenitent patient while making the novenas and prayers prescribed by Our Lady.  It seemed almost certain that the person would convert as a result.  Through this devotion, Our Lady began to dispense many other graces to the world.

Moreover, this devotion is linked to two other very important devotions, which the Jansenists had attempted to bury: the devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

This animosity was very evident in the case of Bishop Scipion de' Ricci of Prato and Pistoia, a man of the Enlightenment and Jansenist who combated devotion to the Sacred Heart and who also sought to bring about democratic reforms in the Church at the Synod of Pistoia (He was condemned by Pius VI in 1794).

There was also the rejection of this devotion to the Sacred Heart by the House of Bourbon, which did not spread this devotion as it should have before the Revolution. On the back of the medal, Our Lady decided to place a letter M which stands for her holy name, and below this letter one sees the hearts of Jesus and Mary, linking these three highly significant devotions so hated by the Jansenists.

Not only did this devotion help defeat Jansenist sentiments, it also helped give rise to a colossal ultramontane movement in the philosophical, political and social fields.

The results were a great nineteenth century movement devoted to Our Lady, the definition of papal infallibility, and the devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Indeed, this all gave rise to a Counter-Revolution led by Blessed Pius IX and continued by Saint Pius X.

Because of its important role in Church history, this devotion retains all its relevance for Catholics today. In view of these past graces and consolations, it should be cultivated with great fervor.

The following text is taken from an informal lecture given by Professor Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira.  It has been translated and adapted by John Horvat for publication without his revision.

Shocking Buddhist blasphemy hosted at Dominican Monastery

A world tour of Buddhist propaganda has come to Peru.   The "Tour" will include a visit to Cusco from 26 to 28 February, where the relics of Buddha will be hosted at the Convent of Saint Dominic!

Although Buddhism is not presented as a religion but rather as a philosophy and spirituality, in fact has a strong religious content, as a branch of the pantheistic Gnosticism, which in turn is the doctrine most opposed to the Gospel can because it denies the very concept of one God, personal and absolute.  This denial makes Buddhism, in its essence an anti-Christian belief.

But also, as the current Buddhist Lamaism of Tibet "from which several of the above - worship relics of a crowd of demons protectors', to which even human sacrifices were offered, not excluding even practice cannibalism.

II - JUDGE – Analysis

How do the Dominicans host something that is so opposed to the true Faith?

This is puzzling, especially since, as the Scriptures teach, "all the gods of the Gentiles [pagans] are devils" (Ps. 95, 5), and therefore St. Paul says that " things which the Gentiles sacrifice, the sacrifice to demons, not God. I do not want you to have any society with demons. You can not drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You can not take part in the Lord's table and the table of demons "(I Cor. 10, 20-21).

Considering the strict assertion of our Lord Jesus Christ: "He who is not with me is against me" (Luke, 11, 23), we go from bewilderment to confusion.

Do the authorities at  the Convent of Santo Domingo not see the tremendous religious turmoil of the faithful when they host a false belief at the historic convent  in Cuzco?

Moreover, this is a simple display of relics, but will include Buddhist rituals and "blessings" with supposed healing effects to attract the unwary.  Do not the authorities of the convent fear that these cults, as Saint Paul says, desecrate the temple with "sacrifice to demons and not to God"?

III. ACT - The duty of Catholics

The Order of Preachers was founded by St. Dominic to spread the truth and refute error, and never to compromise!

His first major victory was the extinction of the Albigensian heresy.  Gnosticism arose precisely from the East, of which Buddhism is a branch.

Faced with a serious deviation bafflingly its mission, as stated here, the faithful can not stand idly by.  Respectfully but firmly, we reject this disgraceful display.

Through the sacrament of Confirmation we become "soldiers of Christ", ie the Holy Spirit gives us the gift of fortitude, to witness and defend the Faith.  God will ask us accounts for the good or bad use we have made of that precious gift.  This is a great opportunity to show that we have not receive it in vain.

Let's voice our disagreement respectfully. 

Send a message to the Convent of Santo Domingo, the Prior of the PP. Dominicans, and the diocesan authority, requesting action to stop this desecration, and that it never again be repeated.

If you like, you can use this text and copy it right into your email browser:

IV - THE MESSAGE (copy and send to the addresses indicated)

Deeply shocked, I deplore the insult to my Catholic faith, the use of the convent of Santo Domingo as propaganda for pagan beliefs that are diametrically opposed to faith in Jesus Christ.

I believe that such an exhibition is a very serious and unacceptable desecration and therefore request that it be canceled, and never again be used a Catholic site in our city for similar events.
Sincerely,
(name)

V -  SEND THE MESSAGE TO:

1. Convent Prior
Fr Luis Enrique Ramirez Camacho OP
Convento: frayluisenriqueop@yahoo.com

2. Prior Provincial of Peru
Fray Juan Jose Villarreal Salaverry OP
Phone: (051) (01) 4277426 to 4276792
Email: provincial@peru.op.org

3. Archdiocese of Cuzco
1. arzcusco@speedy.com.pe,
2. seccusco@speedy.com.pe
Phone: 084 to 225,211
Fax: 084 to 222,781
(Please send us copies at:  tfpperu@gmail.com)

The religious confusion is undoubtedly the most serious aspect of the terrible crisis of current ideas.  May the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary, Queen and Patroness of Peru, preserve our country from this evil, and give all Catholics lucidity and determination to face it victoriously.

Cusco, 23 February 2010.
Tradition and Action for a Greater Peru
tfpperu@gmail.com

www.tradicionyaccion.org.pe

phone: (01) 4620314 cel. 991975689

City office of Planned Parenthood shuts down

Citing tough economic times and a lack of funding, Planned Parenthood of Northeast and Mid-Penn closed its Hazleton office Friday and will now look to pool resources with its larger office in Wilkes-Barre.

Formerly located at 10 W. Chestnut St., Planned Parenthood served women in the Hazleton community for nearly 30 years, offering numerous services including Pap smears, breast exams, pregnancy tests, STD tests, birth control and emergency contraception.

"The decision to close is a difficult one, and one that we regret having to make," President and CEO Kim Custer said in a press release. "As a result of inadequate funding for the services provided, Planned Parenthood could no longer sustain the services in this location."

Full story here:

http://standardspeaker.com/news/city-office-of-planned-parenthood-shuts-down-1.583203

Why people hate Catholics and why we grow under persecution

"Christians are indistinguishable from other men either by nationality, language or customs. They do not inhabit separate cities of their own, or speak a strange dialect, or follow some outlandish way of life. Their teaching is not based upon reveries inspired by the curiosity of men.

“Unlike some other people, they champion no purely human doctrine. With regard to dress, food and manner of life in general, they follow the customs of whatever city they happen to be living in, whether it is Greek or foreign.

And yet there is something extraordinary about their lives. They live in their own countries as though they were only passing through. They play their full role as citizens, but labor under all the disabilities of aliens. Any country can be their homeland, but for them their homeland, wherever it may be, is a foreign country. Like others, they marry and have children, but they do not expose them. They share their meals, but not their wives. 

They live in the flesh, but they are not governed by the desires of the flesh. They pass their days upon earth, but they are citizens of heaven. Obedient to the laws, they yet live on a level that transcends the law. Christians love all men, but all men persecute them. Condemned because they are not understood, they are put to death, but raised to life again. They live in poverty, but enrich many; they are totally destitute, but possess an abundance of everything. They suffer dishonor, but that is their glory.

They are defamed, but vindicated. A blessing is their answer to abuse, deference their response to insult. For the good they do they receive the punishment of malefactors, but even then they, rejoice, as though receiving the gift of life. They are attacked by the Jews as aliens, they are persecuted by the Greeks, yet no one can explain the reason for this hatred.

To speak in general terms, we may say that the Christian is to the world what the soul is to the body. As the soul is present in every part of the body, while remaining distinct from it, so Christians are found in all the cities of the world, but cannot be identified with the world. As the visible body contains the invisible soul, so Christians are seen living in the world, but their religious life remains unseen.

The body hates the soul and wars against it, not because of any injury the soul has done it, but because of the restriction the soul places on its pleasures. Similarly, the world hates the Christians, not because they have done it any wrong, but because they are opposed to its enjoyments.

Christians love those who hate them just as the soul loves the body and all its members despite the body's hatred. It is by the soul, enclosed within the body, that the body is held together, and similarly, it is by the Christians, detained in the world as in a prison, that the world is held together. The soul, though immortal, has a mortal dwelling place; and Christians also live for a time amidst perishable things, while awaiting the freedom from change and decay that will be theirs in heaven.

As the soul benefits from the deprivation of food and drink, so Christians flourish under persecution. Such is the Christian’s lofty and divinely appointed function, from which he is not permitted to excuse himself."

From a letter to Diognetus, approx. 125 AD

Discovered: Hidden Painting of Mother Mariana of Jesus Torres Made Public

During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, a Spanish nun lived and prayed in Quito, Ecuador. Her name was Mother Mariana of Jesus Torres y Berriochoa, a nun of the Conceptionist Order. Our Lady appeared to her asking that a statue be made under the title of Our Lady of Good Success. Her little-known but

ol_good_success2(1).jpg

Mother Mariana of Jesus Torres y Berriochoa as a young nun.

extraordinary life has a direct connection with the statue and devotion to Our Lady of Good Success.

For a long time, most people familiar with the apparitions have known the painting of Mother Mariana from when she was young. A different painting found in the Conceptionist choir chapel shows this holy nun when she was advanced in age. It was painted by an artist from the time when she lived. Until now, this painting was not known outside the convent. This new portrayal shows another side of Mother Mariana especially reflecting her great suffering and advanced holiness.

This exclusive painting is shown below for the benefit of our readers.

Sister Marianna Torres 01_1.jpg

Painting of Mother Mariana already advanced in age. She died on January 16, 1635, when she was seventy-two years old.

To read more about the life of Mother Mariana of Jesus Torres y Berriochoa and the apparitions of Our Lady of Good Success, click here.

Horrible sacrilege against the Blessed Sacrament and Mother Francisca’s response

    There are so many sacrileges and blasphemies that take place today, that sadly even the good often do not exhibit the indignation that they should.

     In the past, Catholics had a much more profound understanding of the eternal gravity of both sacrilege and blasphemy.

Convent of St. James 092

    Take the case of Mother Francisca de las Llagas Cornejo, of Quito Ecuador, foundress of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Immaculate.  She was born in 1874 and died in 1962.

                Francisca_de_las_Llagas11

    In 1897 a horrible sacrilege was committed against the Blessed Sacrament.  Mother Francisca was so horrified by the sacrilege that in 1901 she founded an order of sisters to offer perpetual adoration for that sacrilege and for all sacrileges against the Blessed Sacrament.

    Today with so many sacrileges, the overwhelming majority of men do not react.  Even Catholics react very little if at all.  Some even criticize America Needs Fatima for wasting their time fighting another blasphemy.  A brave few understand the gravity of the horrible blasphemies and sacrileges.

    Each sacrilege and blasphemy that we hear about should cause a tremendous stirring of indignation and sorrow in our souls.  These tragedies are so common that it is easy to become numb to them.  That is precisely what the devil wants. That is why public blasphemy is described as the devil's battering ram.  Public sacrileges and blasphemies are not targeted towards the evil, but rather towards the good, having a neutralizing effect upon public opinion.  In order to keep the indignation level high and to offer proportional restitution to God's honor,  public reparation is necessary.  If no one reacts then the crime is considered not to be serious. 

    Mother Francisca of a different era and mind set, had a profound understanding and indignation for sacrilege.  Let us pray to Mother Francisca, Servant of God, asking her to help us have the proper indignation for all sacrilege and blasphemy, and to offer up reparation to God each and every time that we learn of a new sacrilege or blasphemy.  Let us not sit idly by as if nothing important happened.  Let our indignation for each of these attacks rise up in the form of public outrage.   

Protest Elton John's statement in Parade Magazine (web exclusive) that Our Lord was a homosexual

Sign and send your e-protest now

In an interview with the world's largest magazine, Parade, Elton John said:

"I think Jesus was a compassionate, super intelligent gay man who understood human problems."

Here's the link (ACCESS WITH EXTREME CAUTION):
http://www.parade.com/celebrity/celebrity-parade/2010/elton-john-web-exclusive.html

As a Catholic, I consider this statement to be not only misleading, but an unspeakable insult and blasphemy to the Sacred Person of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Sacred Person of Our Lord is untouchable. His purity is so complete and encompassing that it surpasses our very power of expression.

Moreover, this blasphemy to Our Lord was reported on over the internet to people across America and the world.

That's why I ask you to protest this statement of Elton John and the fact that Parade Magazine (web exclusive) has circulated it to readers worldwide.

Send your instant e-protest to Parade Magazine

And please join me in offering urgent and heartfelt prayers of reparation to Our Lord Jesus Christ for this immense blasphemy.

It is my opinion, this is one of the worst insults ever made to Our Lord, due to its gravity and scope.

And therefore, you and I must strive to offer Him sublime, fervent and fitting reparation -- reparation that we must extend not only to our friends and family, but also to Catholics worldwide.

And please pray that the Most Pure and Holy Virgin Mary bless this protest and act of reparation with Her grace and protection.

Protest to Parade Magazine

Please pass on this urgent protest alert to all your friends by simply going here.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

11th Century Prayer from the Bishop of Chartres

 

File:Chartres 1.jpg

Holy Mary, help the helpless, strengthen the faithful, comfort the sorrowful, pray for the people, plead for the clergy, intercede for all women consecrated to God; may all who keep thy sacred commemoration experience the might of thine assurance. Amen

 

 

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Picture of Atlant, (Chartres Cathedral from the front). This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license.

Blasphemous cartoon sparks new religious violence

Religious violence broke out in India's Punjab region after the publication of a cartoon that pictured Jesus drinking beer and smoking a cigarette. After Christians marched in the town of Batala to protest the blasphemous image, Hindu gangs fought back, attacking Christian shops. Bishop Anil Couto of Jalandhar condemned the "provocative actions" but called for a restoration of peace and order.

 

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=5524

Monday, February 22, 2010

The Rosary and Saint Dominic Overpower Heresy

The Rosary—as spiritual weapon against evil—has a very long and precious history. In twelfth and thirteenth century France, a group of heretics known as the Albigensians was destroying the minds of the Catholic laity with its erroneous ideas. The Albigensians’ teachings encouraged suicide, many times by self-induced starvation, because they believed that the body was an intrinsic evil and that the soul must be liberated from matter at all costs.

However, as history often shows, Providence raises up great Saints in times of dire crises. This time it was no different. Saint Dominic, born of noble lineage, received the Rosary from Our Lady in the year 1214. Our Lady gave Saint Dominic the Rosary as a weapon to combat the awful Albigensian heresy.

The Rosary as we know it today took some time to develop. After Saint Dominic died in the year 1221, the Rosary was almost immediately forgotten. However, in 1464 Our Lord, Our Lady, and Saint Dominic appeared to Blessed Alan de la Roche, a Dominican friar, after which he preached the Rosary until his death in 1475. This tremendous apostolate by Blessed Alan de la Roche, through the direct intercession of Our Lady, made the Rosary a widespread devotion. The fifteen mysteries as we know them came about through the many confraternities founded after Blessed Alan de la Roche’s preaching, and were formalized with Pope Saint Pius V’s encyclical, Consueverunt.

The Rosary and the Battle of Lepanto

The Battle of Lepanto was a crucial conflict between the Christians and the Ottoman Turks, one of the greatest naval battles of all time. The Christian lands around Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean were constantly getting sacked by Muslim pirates, and Imperial warships were ravaging the land. At this point in time, Pope Saint Pius V saw it appropriate to raise a Crusade against these heathen Muslims. After raising a Crusade, he asked every non-combatant across the whole Christian world to pray the Rosary.

Even after this call to arms, the Christian fleet at Lepanto was greatly outnumbered by the Ottoman Turks. The Crusaders got on their knees and began to pray the Rosary. Soon after, the Christians and the Muslims were immersed in a bloody battle. Thus it was that on October 7, 1571, the Christian fleet was blessed with a miraculous victory. Pope Saint Pius V immediately dedicated the victory to Our Lady, establishing October 7 as “The Feast of the Most Holy Rosary.”

Holy Rosary Crusade of Reparation

After World War II, Austria was divided between four countries: America, France, the United Kingdom, and Russia. At the time, Russia was still communist. The section of Austria controlled by the communists was the richest, and included the city of Vienna. The Viennese were subject to the all the atrocities and tyrannies of communism. However, in 1946, Fr. Petrus Pavlicek, after making a pilgrimage to Mariazell, the principle Marian shrine in Austria, was told by an interior voice: “Do as I say and there will be peace.”

To obey this inspiration of Our Lady, Fr. Pevlicek founded the Holy Rosary Crusade of Reparation in 1947. This Crusade consisted of the Viennese faithful coming out of their homes in order to participate in a public Rosary procession in the streets of the city. The intentions of the Rosary were for the end of communism in their country and in the world. At first, the processions were miniscule, but in time they grew to staggering proportions. In 1955, after eight years spreading the word about the Crusade throughout Austria, the Rosary processions would reach sizes of half a million people, about 1/10 of the Austrian population. Finally, through the help of Our Lady, the Soviet forces pulled out of Austria in October of 1955, leaving the country for good.


The Rosary and the Fatima Message

Between May 13 and October 13, 1917, Our Lady appeared to three shepherd children, Jacinta, Lucia, and Francisco, at the Cova de Iria, near Fatima, Portugal. During six visits, Our Lady communicated to them a secret which had three parts. The first part was a vision of Hell. During this vision, Sister Lucia said numerous souls fell into Hell like “snowflakes.”

In the second part, Our Lady states that WWI would end, but “if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during the Pontificate of Pius XI. To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church.”

As Our Lady predicted, World War II erupted and the errors of atheist Communism spread. Our Lady added that many will be martyred and nations will be annihilated, if people do not convert. Have people converted? The answer is no. Can Divine punishment be avoided? It depends on the world’s fidelity to Our Lady’s requests.

Lucia asked Our Lady during the apparitions, “Who are you and what do you want?” Our Lady responded, “I am the Lady of the Rosary, and I have come to warn the faithful to amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins. People must not continue to offend the Lord, Who is already so deeply offended. They must say the Rosary.”

Therefore, Our Lady gave us a solution: the recitation of the daily Rosary for the conversion of sinners. The Fatima message is a remedy for our culture immersed in sin. If it were not for Our Lady’s promise that “Finally, My Immaculate Heart will Triumph,” we would be much dismayed and disheartened. So let us heed her requests. Let us practice the First Saturday devotions. Let us pray the daily Rosary. By fulfilling these requests, we will be consoling the sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary and hasten the triumph of good over evil.

State Governors Sue Mexico City to Stop Gay "Marriage" and Homosexual Adoption

 

'Children are not pets,' says Jalisco state official

by Matthew Cullinan Hoffman, Latin America Correspondent

MEXICO CITY, February 19, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Five Mexican state governors are suing the nation's Federal District, Mexico City, for legalizing homosexual "marriage" in December of last year.

The governors of the states of Jalisco, Tlaxcala, Guanajuato, Morelos, and Sonora say that the law is unconstitutional, and will require their state governments to recognize "marriages" between people of the same sex, despite the states' rejection of such unions.

Moreover, they argue, adoption by homosexual couples is "totally against the best interests of the children, which should prevail over any circumstance," according to a press release by the National Action Party, to which all five governors belong.

"These reforms could obligate the states and municipalities to recognize marriages between same-sex couples and so, in Jalisco, the same rights recognized for matrimony in its laws would be awarded to them," said Secretary General of Government Fernando Guzman in a statement issued to the press.

Indeed, the Mexican homosexualist organization "Codise," says that it will attempt to achieve legal recognition for such unions in the states that have filed suit immediately following the first "marriages," which are to be formalized in Mexico City in the first week of March.

In an interview with the Guadalajara newspaper Publico, Guzman added that "unions of convenience are one thing, but marriage is another, let alone the right of adoption.  What we are protecting is marriage and children, so that children who are adopted have the right to a family, and a family consisting of a father and a mother."

Arguing that such rights are recognized by the International Commission of Human Rights, Guzman added that children "are not pets, and all of this must be done with respect to the rights of children."

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Responding to a question about Our Lady and the objections of Protestants

In regard to the story of the miraculous resurrection of the mother and two children at the shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, this blog received a comment which I would like to try to address.

It reads:

“This kind of a post confuses Protestants. They accuse us of "Mary Worship". I think you should clarify that this was done by Mary's INTERCESSION, and not of her own power as if she was a goddess.
A.”

Response:

Yes, it is absolutely correct to say that we Catholics believe that God is ultimately the Source of all power, virtue and grace.  Nothing happens that He does not Will.

In the collect of the Mass for the Feast of the Queenship of Mary, we read:

“Father, you have given us the mother of your Son to be our queen and mother. With the support of her prayers may we come to share the glory of your children in the kingdom of heaven. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

And, therefore, of herself, Our Lady has no power.  

But for that matter, nor does any creature.  For example, the little bird that lands on the ground, nibbles a seed, and flies back to his perch on a branch, does all these things by the power of God.

However, I never hear a Protestant say: 

“The bird, by the power of God flies up and down; by the power of God it eats and sleeps, etc.)

It is not reasonable to qualify every statement we make with the phrase, “by the Power and Will of God.” 

Sadly, Protestants are constantly looking for a way to try to justify their rejection for the Blessed Mother by framing the discussion in terms that are simply not true: that we Catholics worship Mary as a goddess.

Going back to the bird analogy,  how far superior is Mary to a little bird?

Moreover, in regard to the Blessed Virgin Mary, we know that her intercession before the Throne of God is omnipotent. 

In his treatise on True Devotion to Mary, Saint Louis de Montfort writes:

10. (4) God chose her to be the treasurer, the administrator and the dispenser of all his graces, so that all his graces and gifts pass through her hands. Such is the power that she has received from him that, according to St Bernardine, she gives the graces of the eternal Father, the virtues of Jesus Christ, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit to whom she wills, as and when she wills, and as much as she wills.

It is in this sense that we Catholics says “by the grace of Our Lady”, or “thanks to Our Lady.”

In another passage, Saint Louis says:

“But the power of Mary over all the devils will especially shine forth in the latter times, when Satan will lay his snares against her heel: that is to say, her humble slaves and her poor children, whom she will raise up to make war against him. They shall be little and poor in the world’s esteem, and abased before all like the heel, trodden underfoot and persecuted as the heel is by the other members of the body. But in return for this they shall be rich in the grace of God, which Mary shall distribute to them abundantly. They shall be great and exalted before God in sanctity, superior to all other creatures by their lively zeal, and so well sustained with God’s assistance that, with the humility of their heel, in union with Mary, they shall crush the head of the devil and cause Jesus Christ to triumph.”

Of course, Saint Louis, by saying “the power of Mary” does not means that this power comes from Her, but that is was given to Her by God to use to crush the devils.  And, in that second sense, Our Lady has an effective power over the devils.

Saint Bernadine of Siena, speaks of Our Lady’s sway over the devils in these terms: 

“The Most Blessed Virgin Mary rules over the infernal regions.  She is therefore called the ruling mistress of the devils because She brings them into subjection.”

I have no more beautiful expression of the protection of Our Lady for her faithful servants than this passage of Saint Louis de Montfort:

“Mary, the beloved Mother of chosen souls, shelters them under her protecting wings as a hen does her chicks. She speaks to them, coming down to their level and accommodating herself to all their weaknesses. To ensure their safety from the hawk and vulture, she becomes their escort, surrounding them as an army in battle array.

“Could anyone surrounded by a well-ordered army of say a hundred thousand men fear his enemies? No, and still less would a faithful servant of Mary, protected on all sides by her imperial forces, fear his enemy. This powerful Queen of heaven would sooner dispatch millions of angels to help one of her servants than have it said that a single faithful and trusting servant of hers had fallen victim to the malice, number and power of his enemies.

And, finally, allow me to conclude with these words taken from AD CAELI REGINAM by Pope Pius XII:

“Let all Christians, therefore, glory in being subjects of the Virgin Mother of God, who, while wielding royal power, is on fire with a mother's love.“

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Children with same-sex parents prone to suicide, study reveals

Mexico City, Mexico, Feb 19, 2010 / 01:57 am (CNA).- A study presented at the symposium in Mexico, “Homosexual Adoption: What Science Has Discovered,” revealed that most children adopted by same-sex couples display “greater levels of stress,”  and suffer from “suicidal tendencies and attempts.”

The symposium was organized by the Mexican Institute on Sexual Orientation, “Renacer,” in order to provide scientific information about homosexuality, homosexual adoptions and their impact on child development.

During his presentation, George A. Rekers, Professor of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science at the University of South Carolina, said that “boys and girls adopted by lesbian and homosexual couples show a greater level of stress than that which is already generated by their status as orphans or children abandoned by their biological parents.”  He added that this situation “produces diverse trauma and behavioral disorders that can even lead to suicidal tendencies or attempts.”

“According to various studies containing testimonies from children of homosexual parents, most them of admit to suffering strong emotions, such as fear, anxiety, apprehension, shame and anger in trying to hide from their friends and relatives the homosexuality of their father or mother,” he continued.

FULL STORY HERE

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/children_with_same-sex_parents_prone_to_suicide_study_reveals/

Friday, February 19, 2010

Hollywood actress turns contemplative nun

FROM CELEBRITY TO CONTEMPLATIVE ABBEY

Amidst the serene Latin chants of the Divine Office from Matins to Compline, an unsuspecting visitor to the rustic environs of the 400 acre Abbey of Regina Laudis (Queen of Praise) in Bethlehem, Connecticut would have never guessed that among these select daughters of St. Benedict is one Dolores Hart, a former film and stage actress who once basked in the glitter and glamour of the Hollywood limelight of the late 50’s and early 60’s.

Mother Dolores as she is now known turned her back on a promising movie career, broke off her engagement to an up-and-coming Los Angeles businessman Don Robinson, and entered the cloister to answer the call of the contemplative monastic life.

Since 1963, she has lived an austere life following the Rule of St. Benedict in the spirit and time-tested tradition of ora et labora (prayer and work.) Mother Dolores became prioress there in May 2001.

Early years

Born an only child from actor parents (Bert and Harriett Hicks) who were bit or studio contract players, little Dolores found herself moving from Chicago to Beverly Hills in California where she often accompanied her father to Hollywood studio lots.  The early exposure to the allures of the movie world spurred her desire to be an actress. "From the age of 7, I never in my life wanted to be anything but an actress," Hart said.

Domestic affairs turned sour as her parents engaged in troublesome bickering which disrupted their family life.  Shortly thereafter she was on her way alone to the Windy City where her grandparents lived, train ticket tucked in her coat pocket. She stayed there while her parents tried to pursue their respective careers in Hollywood. She would shuttle back and forth either by train or plane between Los Angeles and Chicago spending summers in California and winters in the Windy City.

Hart's grandfather worked as a projector operator at a downtown movie theater and she frequently joined him there. He often took naps and tasked her to wake him up every so often so he could change the reels. Though she watched these movies with no sound at all, the experience proved a blessing in disguise as it gave Hart the chance to analyze how actors perform. She would later attribute to these episodes in the projection booth as her lessons in “acting school.”

A little girl’s conversion

Her grandparents chose to send her to St. Gregory Catholic School for practical and safety reasons since it was closest to their home and less exposed to street traffic. Her studies there turned out for the better as she decided to become a Catholic at age 10. She relates in an interview with Barbara Middleton,

“I was attending St. Gregory Catholic School in Chicago when I told the sister I wanted to take bread with the children.
“I was alone with the Blessed Sacrament in the chapel waiting for them to have their breakfast. I went back to my grandparents and said, ‘I want to take bread with the children. I want to become Catholic.’ They said, ‘Okay!’
“I told the sisters, I'd like to take bread. Nobody asked me if I was speaking of the Eucharist. I was baptized, and my mother was thrilled.”

Back in Los Angeles

Years later Hart, age 11and her parents divorced, moved back to Beverly Hills to be reunited with her mother now remarried to restaurant owner Al Gordon. While in high school she played St. Joan of Arc which opened the doors for her to get a scholarship to Marymount College (currently Loyola Marymount University) for drama. It was at that time when she became obsessed with the idea of becoming an actress often times praying for the chance to get her foot in the front door of big time movie studios like MGM and Paramount just twenty minutes away from her school..

While a freshman at Marymount College she got the lead role (again) in the school’s production of “St. Joan.” A male friend from Loyola University took notice of her remarkable thespian abilities and promptly informed the Southern California studios. Hal Wallis, an independent producer at Paramount, sought to check her out through a scout who eventually gave her the nod and a screen test and contract soon followed.

Dilemma and Crisis

However things didn’t go smoothly at first. Hart would recall,

“In the middle of charm class, at Marymount, I received a call from Paramount studios! It was the associate producer of Hal Wallis and he wanted me to come to Paramount for a meeting. The teacher didn’t want me to take the call — she thought it was a sham. I took the call.”

As a freshman, Hart was barred from trying out for acting parts which was reserved for seniors. Her teacher, Miss Barnel told her she couldn’t go because she risked getting an F if she missed the finals the following week and lose her scholarship. Disappointed, she ran off to her dormitory and wept.

But Mother Gabriel, the dean of girls, came to her rescue and granted permission and advised her to come back the following year as English major.

And so on that fateful day in 1956, 18-year-old Miss Dolores Hicks was on her way to stardom!

Hollywood career

Hal Wallis signed her to play a supporting role as the love interest to Elvis Presley in the movie Loving You released in 1957. She adopted the stage name Dolores Hart, keeping her name Dolores at the insistence of her mother. Otherwise she would have been known as Susan Hart.

The precocious little girl had now grown to become a stunningly beautiful young lady and fared much better in Hollywood than her parents. Groomed as the next Grace Kelly, the demand for her grew likewise. After a couple more films, she and Presley crossed paths once again in 1958’s King Creole where the budding matinee idol received his first on screen kiss courtesy of Hart.

Despite nasty and false rumors about her friendship with Presley, Hart has only kind words for Presley who died tragically in 1977. "I had no idea who Elvis Presley was," she admitted. "When I first met him, he was just a charming and very simple young boy with longer sideburns than most. He couldn't have been more gracious. He jumped to his feet and said, 'Good afternoon, Miss Dolores.' He and Gary Cooper were the only ones in Hollywood who called me that."

Other films of note to her credit are Where the Boys Are which became MGM’s highest grossing film of 1960; St. Francis of Assisi where she acted as a nun; Lisa (also known as The Inspector), a story about a Dutch-Jewish Holocaust survivor in post-World War II Europe and prisoner experiments done at Auschwitz. Her last role was opposite Hugh O’ Brian in 1963's Come Fly With Me. All in all, she made 10 films in a short career span of five years, playing opposite Stephen Boyd, Montgomery Clift, George Hamilton and Robert Wagner.

The influence of good friends

Hart credits her circle of friends, which she described as wonderful and sound, for helping her maintain her faith in Hollywood.

She made particular mention of Maria Cooper, the actor Gary’s daughter, who had a wholesome and positive influence on her. She has only but the highest praise for her best friend,

“She truly was clear, and true to her faith. She lived in the most elegant and high circles. Yet, she did not bow down to anyone in Hollywood.
“Maria was very straightforward in her standards and introduced me to fine persons. If I withdrew my own sense of truth, I wouldn't be in that caliber. I never met one person that I can remember that I regret as a friend. The Lord had his hand in it and gave me wonderful friends.”

The first knocks of the vocation

In 1959, Hart debuted on Broadway with the play, The Pleasure of His Company earning her a World Theater Award and a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress for that year.

The grueling schedule took its toll on her and she pined for a weekend retreat. At a friend’s coaxing, she reluctantly agreed to visit a Connecticut monastery with her, the Abbey of Regina Laudis. Her kneejerk reaction was, “Ooh! I don’t want to see more nuns!

But all that changed once she stepped on the grounds of the abbey. There she found calm and serenity. She felt very much at home. The tranquility and sense of stability she felt were in stark contrast to the fast-paced and superficial life in the movie industry where she worked with co-stars and crew for some 8-10 weeks after which they would disband never to see each other again.

The remarkable experience led her to return in between shows even to the point of asking the Reverend Mother if she had a vocation. She was curtly dismissed and told she was too young and that she better go back to “her movie thing.” But that didn’t stop her from coming back to the monastery twice a year.

The final call

However, Hart credits the movie Lisa (1962) as the one that made her ponder seriously to become a nun. Something in that movie drew her to the abbey like magnet. She was never the same after that. Deep down, she felt ready to make a commitment to God but kept it quiet for the meantime.

After Lisa, she made her last film, Come Fly With Me with Hugh O’Brian. While on a promotional stop in New York for the movie, she surprised many when she took the studio limo to Bethlehem to discuss joining the order.

Breaking an engagement

Back in Hollywood, Hart still has an important and unfinished business to take care of – breaking her wedding engagement to Los Angeles businessman Don Robinson.

One night she and Don met at a crowded restaurant for dinner. He perceived what was going on with Dolores. He saw her reading her spiritual exercises that she performed at the abbey. Besides, she wasn’t wearing her engagement ring.

When she broke the news to him, he never felt an iota of rejection. With a heart full of understanding and support, Don said, "I know; I've known it. This is what you've got to do and I've got to do this with you. We've got to do this together."
He adds later, "Every love doesn't have to wind up at the altar."
Thus, the engagement was canceled, and in December 1962, she flew to Connecticut, never to return. Upon embracing the Benedictine monastic life, she acquired the name Sister Judith but changed it to Mother Dolores when she took her final vows in 1970. Currently, she is Prioress of the Abbey and the only nun to be an Oscar-voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Meanwhile, Don Robinson never married but comes every year at Christmas and Easter to visit the abbey to lend his support.

Coming out of the cloister

After 43 years of a secluded and cloistered life inside the Abbey of Regina Laudis , Mother Dolores left its austere and tranquil environs briefly out of necessity in 2006 to spread awareness about a mysterious neurological disorder that afflicted her and countless more Americans called peripheral idiopathic neuropathy. She went to Washington to testify at a congressional hearing to drum up support for more research grants to find a cure for the debilitating disease.

In October 2008, she was honored at a breakfast event held at Rochester, Michigan’s Royal Park Hotel which was sponsored by the The Holy Trinity Apostolate of founder Rev. John Hardon, S.J.

The meaning of ones vocation

In this vale of tears, God sets out a path for each of one of us to pursue and follow so we can best know, love and serve Him. Each one of us has an overriding purpose whose ultimate end is God’s glory.

Whether ones vocation is to be single, married, nun or priest, God endows each one a particular mission in life. As we mature and tackle the daily grind of our earthly lives, God reveals his will to us, more often through subtle or indirect means, not by imposition but rather more by invitation. And by following His will, we open the door to our salvation and the eternal life.

And if one is TRUE to his or her calling, ones vocation ultimate wins over career should a conflict arises. Mother Dolores’ life journey makes this evident to us. Endowed with striking physical beauty, fame and money, who would ever think she would shun the glow of Hollywood and end up being nun? Indeed, God’s grace works in mysterious ways!

In her own words Mother Dolores sums it all up,

“I can only go back to my own experience, which was a long and severe test, and it was not easy. I would say you can never allow anyone to take you out of a vocation. The fact is there is a promise given in a vocation that is beyond anything in your wildest dreams. There's a gift the Lord offers and He is a gentleman.
“I have not been profoundly missed by any means [in the outside world]. My vocation has been totally gratifying and I wouldn't want anyone thinking that in leaving Hollywood I was disappointed.”

REFERENCES

1. “Actress turned nun revisits Hollywood,” Associated Press, (April 11, 2006,) MNBC.com

2. "Mother Delores Hart". Interview by Barbara Middleton. vocation.com.

3. Middleton, Barbara (Sept. 27, 2008.) "An Interview with Mother Dolores Hart." Catholic Exchange. .

4. "Dolores Hart: How a movie actress left Hollywood for a contract with God". Post Gazette. (April 08, 1998).

5. Rizzo, Frank (Oct. 24, 2008.) "Nun using film fame for abbey". The Columbus Dispatch (The Hartford Courant).

6. Montefiore, Simon Sebag (Nov. 01, 1993). “A Cloistered Life”, Psychology Today.

7. Barillas, Martin (Oct. 04, 2008.) “From Hollywood to an Abbey: A Life in Full,” SperoNews, speroforum.com

8. The Abbey of Regina Laudis

9. Young Beautiful Actress left Hollywood to Become a Cloistered Nun, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKGmDifYq60&feature=related

Virgin Mary raises 3 from the dead

 

There lived a man, a butcher by trade, who was owner and operator of a large slaughter house.  Marcin Lanio and his wife, Margorzata, enjoyed a rather prosperous life, in company of their two sons, Piotrus, who was four, and Kazimierz, age two.

Tragedy

The gruesome tragedy if 1540 left an indelible imprint on the minds and spirit of the inhabitants of Lublin some few miles from Jasna Gora.

It happened one day that Marcin, accompanied by his helper, went to town on a shopping tour. The mother was preoccupied in the kitchen, preparing batter for bread which she was about to bake. As it happened, she ran short of yeast, so she left the house momentarily to borrow some from one of her neighbors. The two youngsters were left alone at home.

Piotrus, the older of the two, who on many occasions had seen the butchers slaughter the livestock in the yard, decided to imitate them. In his childish mind he figured that the most convenient victim would be little Kazio sleeping innocently in a nearby crib. Without much forethought, he took a large sharp knife and slashed the throat of his sleeping infant brother.

Seeing the flow of blood, he soon realized that something terrible had happened. He was overcome with fear of punishment and hid inside the large baker’s oven left open by the absent housewife. Within a matter of moments, the unsuspecting mother, having returned and not hearing the children thought them to be asleep.

Consequently, she went about with her baking and started a log fire in the prepared oven. All of a sudden the blood froze in her veins as she hears the agonizing screams of her son, Piotrus, now helpless in the depths of the burning oven. Frantically, she pulled him out, but it was too late. Piotrus, her son, had suffocated in the smoke-filled chamber and now she held this lifeless form in her arms.

As she looked about paralyzed by this sudden turn of events, her staring eyes were fixed on another gruesome sight. She saw in the blood-soaked crib the lifeless body of her younger son – dead.

Shocked, she stood there staring and then, as consciousness returned, became completely demented, striking her head against the wall; pulling her hair and finally tore her clothes to shreds. In her condition, she looked like a ghost from another world.

It was then, that Marcin her husband returned home. He did not stop to think. As he saw the condition of his wife between the two corpses of his sons, he took an ax and crushed the skull of his wife with one blow.

Reaction

His mind cleared after a little while and realized what he had done. Dreadful fear and remorse seized his body and soul. His mind, however, became enlightened by a sudden heavenly impulse. He did not submit to despair but listened to the advice of pious friends and neighbors. He placed his entire and unshaken faith in Mary of Jasna Gora, she would not forsake him in his critical moment. He felt then and there, that the Madonna of Czestochowa to whom he was always so devoted would give back to him the family.

All the neighbors by now, mostly out of curiosity assembled at the scene of the tragedy. Their surprise was augmented by the scene which followed. Marcin Lanio, without a word, loaded the three blood-soaked corpses into a wagon, and with the sign of the cross, turned the horses in the direction of Czestochowa. The bystanders watched this gruesome and tragic scene, some in fear, others in tears. This indeed was a public act of faith!

The Journey

In silence Marcin continued his hopeful journey through narrow roads, shaded by overhanging branches. The sides of the road were lined with a great number of skeptical people. Some of them in amazement wondered what prompted this man to be transporting three corpses in an open wagon. Many questioned his sanity and what he intended to do, since they knew that normally once the dead are dead, they so remain.

Marcin paid no heed to them, because his mind and heart were focused on the Blessed Mother. He continued the pilgrimage in silent prayer fortified by unshaken confidence. Then he saw in the distance the shining cross on the cloister steeple. As the journey continued, he soon heard the sound of evening bells calling the faithful to prayer. His spirit was suddenly refreshed as the horses began to gallop and his prayer became more fervent and confident.

At the Church

Finally, he arrived at the Church and with the help of some understanding bystanders carried the three corpses in improvised caskets into the chapel. He himself did not enter because he had neither the strength nor courage; but he lay prostrate before the main door. In tears he kissed the feet of the faithful as they entered the chapel and begged them to pray and intercede for his family before the throne of the Miraculous Madonna of Czestochowa.

The Miracle

For a moment, silence which seemed to last an age filled the edifice. Then, the outburst of spontaneous voice almost burst open the walls of the structure, as all joined in a hymn of thanksgiving to the Blessed Madonna of Czestochowa. Prominent among them were the voice of the once dead children and their resurrected mother.

Soon the fame of this miracle became world –wide and the Emperor ordered a true copy of this miraculous portrait to be made and placed in the Cathedral in Vienna.

Saint Joseph: co-participation in the greatest events of history

By Plinio Correa de Oliveira

The great Saint Joseph was of illustrious ancestry, yet lived in obscurity among those of the lowest social class of his time; a marked contrast with his high birth.

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He had little of the natural means by which men become great. He had neither armies or subjects to spread about the glory of his name. He had not the funds to climb to high position. He lived humbly and unknown in the shadow of the majestic temple of David, in the land where Solomon’s wisdom once reigned.

Nevertheless, he was resplendent with the fire of charity. His intense love of God, his admirable spirituality and interior life made his soul pleasing to the Most Holy Trinity. It is this humble man who is called to participate directly in events that caused the most remarkable facts in history, such as the Redemption of mankind.

(“O Legionário”, March 26, 1933)

How to find true happiness

Today, the number of Americans who suffer from depression, anxiety and despair is growing. The organization Mental Health America reports that:

Depression is a chronic illness that exacts a significant toll on America's health and productivity.  It affects more than 21 million American children and adults annually and is the leading cause of disability in the United States for individuals ages 15 to 44. 

Lost productive time among U.S. workers due to depression is estimated to be in excess of $31 billion per year.  Depression frequently co-occurs with a variety of medical illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and chronic pain and is associated with poorer health status and prognosis.  It is also the principal cause of the 30,000 suicides in the U.S. each year.  In 2004, suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the United States, third among individuals 15-24.

Moreover, there is the self inflicted pain that comes from failed suicide attempts. Some experts say that the state of mind of a person who has experienced a failed suicide attempt is even worse than before.

The skyrocketing depression and suicide troubles in America stem from the same, common root: a great unhappiness and a basic, fundamental misunderstanding about what happiness is and where we can find it on this earth.

As Catholics, we know that we can never be completely happy on this earth. That complete happiness is only reserved for those who go to Heaven to be with God for all eternity. While on earth, humans are happy to the degree they accept and carry out God’s Holy Will in their lives.

However, since the problem of happiness and unhappiness is getting more acute today, we ought to delve deeper into finding the solutions that lead to happiness, and to offer people a Catholic and comprehensive explanation on this crucial issue.

For this purpose, we offer an insightful piece written by the French priest, Father Henri Ramiere, which is taken from his book “The Reign of Christ in History.”

Going Deeper: The Search for True & False Happiness

Before leaving this topic, it is still necessary to delve a little deeper into the depths of our nature so as to discover the reason for support or resistance that it would offer to divine action in the different stages of its moral life.

The inclinations that drag the human will are very different and opposed, but have a common source. The movements that lead us to good and those that lead us to bad, the most reprehensible disorders and the most heroic virtues have the same motive, a desire for happiness.

We all want – and necessarily so – to be happy. If this happiness could be present and complete at the same time, we would not hesitate at all to choose it. We would rush to it simply for its pleasure with all the impetus of our will.

But it is not so, and in this is our trial. God, the sole entire and infinite good, hides and denies us at present the pleasure of His beauty; forbids us a love so filled with pleasure that we would be able to find in creatures. And that’s where men divide themselves.

They let themselves be taken by the same desire for happiness but towards opposite directions: some want to satisfy that desire in the present life at any price, revolted against God, who denies them this satisfaction. Others accept the time in which God deigns to satisfy them.

Here is the point of separation between two inimical societies that St. Augustine called “the City of God” and “the City of the sons of men.” The former is composed of those who want to be happy with God and the latter by those who pretend to be happy without God and in spite of God.

The former’s motto is “love of God even at the scorn of oneself” while the latter’s motto is “love of oneself even at the scorn of God.” But it is not only in one act that the majority of men take a definitive stand in either of these societies.

Normally, a man begins to act well or badly according to the way he is brought up. Obliged to receive from outside the greater part of his knowledge, he receives his inclinations from it as well. It would be, therefore, either good or bad depending on the influences he receives; and following them, he will look for his happiness in the service of God or in violation of His laws.

While receiving outside influences with docility, he will not be able to settle firmly either in the good or in the bad path. That settling will only come from the fight. If his upbringing made him good, the fight will come from the attraction to evil; from the awakening of his passions; from the present pleasures the allures of which he feels; from the immediate satisfaction that the thirst for happiness will exert upon him. It would seem fascinating to him to be the master of his own destiny and not depend on any superior authority.

If, on the contrary, man was given to evilness prior to knowing the disorder it causes, the bitter consequences of such disorder will soon be felt. Virtue, in turn, will present its charms; and true happiness will put forward its solid hopes against the illusions of false happiness. In the two situations, there will be a fight and this fight will last for a long time through a succession of defeats and victories, attained now by the good, now by the bad.

To whom will definitive victory go? Only freedom will decide. But this is what happens many times: a man who lets himself be swept away by the most shameful disorder through a poorly understood desire for happiness; who is convinced by his experience of the impossible satisfaction of such a desire far removed from God; and who is crushed by shame and remorse; turns to the sovereign good and unites himself with it with as much strength as was his deplorable falling away from God.

We can therefore distinguish three periods in the moral life of man that correspond to the three primary ages of his physical life. The age of infancy, one of docile ingenuity and little self-consciousness; the age of youth, one of passions and fight; and the age of maturity, one of disappointments and fully deliberate resolutions.

In all these ages, man is either free to unite himself with God or to revolt against Him, but his freedom attains fullness only in maturity, which is the age wherein God has the most influence on human souls and in which He oftentimes redirects towards Himself those who did not shun very sad transgressions in their youth.

But, while the trial endures, be it in infancy, be it in youth, be it in maturity, God always has a great influence over hearts, even among those that have fallen farthest away from Him. The reason for this influence is the same that takes hearts away from Him: a desire for happiness.

There exists, therefore, between men and God, a great misunderstanding, for the happiness which they want can only be obtained with the help of God. Provoking and maintaining this misunderstanding is the constant objective of Satan and his agents. Overcoming it is the priority of the indefatigable efforts of God and his friends.

The Word of God, upon descending on Earth, had no other objective than to gather in his heart and place within men’s reach all the goods they were unsuccessfully seeking for many centuries. After the Holy Redeemer ascended into Heaven, the Church did nothing but encourage successive generations to go drink from that divine source.

In the preceding chapters, we studied the divine plan in relation to God. We have just finished considering it in relation to men, and will now go on to study it in society and in the ensemble of creation.

(The second part of this article is taken from the book The Reign of Jesus Christ in History, by Father Henri Ramiere)