For the second time in less than a year, the famous shrine to Our Lady in Lourdes Francis has once again flooded. Everything has been evacuated, one woman has died and the waters have filled the grotto.
I know some people don’t like to speculate, but isn’t it clear that God is speaking?
This video is taken from the Papal Coronation of Blessed John XXIII. In the first, he is praying the preface of the Mass. The second video is the very end of the preface and the Roman Canon. This is the Mass that was celebrated by John throughout his life and right through the Second Vatican Council, now knows as the Extraordinary Form. This was the Mass celebrated until the “transitional Mass” of 1965 and the Novus Ordo in 1970.
I gave you an update to my health saga a little over a week ago and people are asking what’s going on.
Things are progressing well. I feel good and most of the swelling is gone. On Thursday, I had an appointment with my doctor. He was pleased to see how things are going. I was given a few prescriptions to solve some side effects of the UTI. There were a few questions that I had for the doctor. Since the C. diff came on, my diet was limited severely – no dairy products, except for butter (that was a surprise to me too), many vegetables are a no, no. So basically, I’ve been eating a lot of chicken, steak, potatoes, soup and pasta with butter. I was also told to eat a lot of yogurt. I don’t care for yogurt, so I’ve been eating a little and taking probiotics. They have been helping a lot.
My other question is when I can return to the church. I have never been away from the parish for so long since I was ordained. This makes five weekends away. The doc told me that as soon as I begin eating normal again. And I can begin eating normal, a week after I am off the antibiotics. Thank God, I can return on Wednesday. The Lord has perfect timing. We are celebrating our 100th Anniversary on June 30th. Actually, I had another question. Do I have to worry about this C. diff returning. He said no. It was a reaction to one or a mixture of the antibiotics. So if I go into an emergency room, I have to let them know that I had C. diff (Clostridium difficile).
Thank you all for your many prayers and greetings! I know that my recovery has been so smooth and rapid as a direct result of all of the prayers of so many of my family and friends.
Now a word to the wise. Take some time to learn about C. diff. If you have to have any surgical procedure, prepare with daily probiotic supplements (check it all out with your doctor). Lear how to wash your hands properly in a hospital situation, all of these antibacterial hand sanitizers do not work! Be informed and save your life or that of a loved one.
CATHOLIC NEW MEDIA CONFERENCE BOSTON
SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED
REGIONAL EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
Early bird registration for attendees from the Massachusetts area to the 7th annual Catholic New Media Conference is now open. The conference will be held on October 19 at the Pastoral Center of the Archdiocese of Boston and will bring together new media experts from all over the world to share their experiences and knowledge with anyone interested in using new media for the New Evangelization.
An extra day will be organized for those who register for a VIP ticket and will include a special evening with the conference speakers, a tour of Boston and a media training on Sunday, October 20.
There is a limited number of tickets available, and attendees from the Archdiocese of Boston and the Massachusetts area will be able to register first. Then on June 17, registration will open to the rest of the world.
Tickets are available on the website http://CatholicNewMediaConference.com
Theme of the Conference
This year’s conference focuses on the question of how new media and social networks can help Catholic parishes reach out to inactive Catholics and to those who are not yet members of their community. How can blogging, social networking, internet radio and video and the use of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets help grow local parishes and motivate people to become active in their faith?
“This is an exciting opportunity for us in the Archdiocese of Boston, and we’re happy to welcome the Catholic New Media Conference back after our successful collaboration in 2010,” said Domenico Bettinelli, Creative Director of New Media for the Archdiocese of Boston. “With the advent of Cardinal Seán’s ambitious multi-year pastoral plan, ‘Disciples in Mission’, we know that the use of these new media tools and techniques will be essential to helping parishes and Catholics to reach out to share the Gospel and welcome friends and neighbors back to the practice of their faith.”
The Catholic New Media Conference is aimed at both beginners and experienced users of new media, and welcomes young adults (18+), ministry leaders, parish volunteers, priests and religious, bloggers, podcasters, vloggers and others.
Program and registration
Talks and demonstrations will cover topics such as internet audio and video production, writing for blogs and websites, photography and the latest trends in mobile communication. In addition, a unique spiritual track will focus on communication lessons from Pope Francis, the spirit of new media evangelization and the art of living a balanced online life.
Speakers include well-known Catholic blogger Elizabeth Scalia, Social Media strategist Pat Padley, Catholic Media experts Scott Landry, George Martell and Dom Bettinelli of the Archdiocese of Boston and established Catholic podcasters like Fr. Roderick Vonhogen, ‘Catholic Foodie’ Jeff Young and William Newton.
A full list of topics and speakers can be found on the website:
http://CatholicNewMediaConference.com
The Conference is organized by the Archdiocese of Boston in collaboration with the Catholic New Media network SQPN.com.
There are some people in our lives that constantly complain, yet they are not open to listen to a solution. Of course not all problems are obvious, but there are those that just stare us in the face.
Are you and I the people who won’t take any criticism, especially constructive criticism? Someone just might have a solution to the problem in your life. That criticism might have some truth to it.
I think this video nails the problem!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4EDhdAHrOg&feature=player_embedded
You might have heard that Pope Francis was given two Harley Davidson motorcycles and a leather biking jacket. Many blogs and news outlets have called Pope Francis “unpredictable.” His homily are very refreshing. He speaks from the heart and follows where the Holy Spirit moves him. Many pilgrims were surprised today by an unexpected, but short, visit from Pope Francis.
I was ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 1992 by The Most Rev. Louis E. Gelineau, the 6th Bishop of Providence.
The movie featured the song “Talk to the Animals” by Bobby Darin.
If I could talk to the animals, just imagine it,
Chattin’ with a chimp in chimpanzee,
Imagine talking to a tiger, chatting with a cheetah,
What a neat achievement it would be!
Today, we celebrate the feast of St. Anthony of Padua. He was a man known for his miracles. Among them are his many interactions with animals and their response to him. One story about the great saint took place when he was preaching to a group of heretics. The heretics mocked and provoked him, making fun of the Catholic Faith.
With this, St. Anthony walked to a local river that flowed into the sea. He looked out over the water and called on the fish to listen to him preach, since the heretics had closed their minds and hearts. Suddenly, the heads of fish came out of the water and looked in his direction as if they were listening to him preach.
There are many stories of animals responding to saints. Nature responds to grace. When a soul has become united to God through mystical union, all of nature responds to this union. It is as if the saints give us a taste of heaven, when the “The sucking child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.” (Isaiah 11:8)
St. Anthony’s miracles were so well know, that St. Bonaventure wrote what is known as St. Anthony’s Responsory:
If, then, thou seekest miracles,
Death, error, all calamities,
The leprosy and demons flee,
The sick, by him made whole, arise.Ant: The sea withdraws and fetters break,
And withered limbs he doth restore,
While treasures lost are found again,
When young or old his help implore.All dangers vanish from our path,
Our direst needs do quickly flee:
Let those who know repeat the theme:
Let Paduans praise St. Anthony. (repeat antiphon)Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. (repeat antiphon)
V. Pray for us, O blessed Anthony,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
There is nothing so moving for a person of deep faith, than to look upon a beautiful image of the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not the statue itself. We Catholics don’t worship statues. It is what the statue represents that moves us. The statue makes the incarnation present to us.
Our faith is very incarnational because God became man. We human beings are very incarnational. God gave us five senses and He uses these to touch our very being. In Catholic worship, all of our senses are used to captivate the whole person. Catholic worship is meant to be beautiful, we should be captivated by what we see. The way in which the readings are proclaimed and the various parts of the Mass are read should also engross us. Taste is also affected in the Mass when we receive the sacred Body of Our Lord. Smell is all encompassing through the use of incense and our sense of touch is influenced through the many gestures we make throughout. All of the senses helps us to take part with “full, active and conscious participation.” Of course there are those who may not have one or more of the five senses, but the others usually compensate for what we may lack.
So back to the point. The statue helps make present the incarnation. God became a man. What Jesus did for us can only be explained by love. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” (Jn 3:16) We cannot receive a physical hug from Our Lord. Yet, these external images and signs express a supernatural reality, something we need in our humanity. They all help us to realize, “God loves me!”
So why devotion to the Sacred Heart? The object of our devotion is not some physical piece of flesh, but the immense love that induced Him to die for us and to give Himself entirely to us in the Blessed Sacrament. Blessed Mother Teresa summarized it so well in saying: “We all know, when we look at the cross how Jesus loved us. When we look at the Eucharist we know how much He loves us now.”
This devotion is our return for this love. As St. Therese wrote: “Love is repaid by love alone, and nourished by sacrifice.” We need to have a passionate love for Jesus, who is always with us in the Most Blessed Sacrament. We must show this love by our sadness at seeing the neglect and abuse that He suffers for us by being present in the Blessed Sacrament. And finally, we need to make acts of reparation for contempt and want of love.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart is not some pietistical sap. It is a devotion to the Real Presence of Jesus hidden in the Most Blessed Sacrament. It is a loving adoration and reverence shown by our visits and Holy Hours before Our Lord’s presence. This devotion is a way of making reparation for unworthy Communions, for poor treatment of the Holy Sacrament, for Masses offered sloppily and for neglect of the Real Presence.
The sad reality of our times is that the Most Blessed Sacrament is treated with contempt by many a Catholic and even many a priest. Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament must be cared for like a helpless new born baby. We must show Him great love, care and selfless concern. This is what a concrete devotion to the Sacred Heart is all about. Let us strive to love Jesus, “for He first loved us.” (1 Jn 4:19)
May the Heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even until the end of time. Amen.
A high school Valedictorian arrived at the podium, ripped up his approved speech and did his own thing. He began by talking of his good Christian upbringing and then went on to recite the Lord’s Prayer. With that he received an ovation from the gathered crowd. I did notice that not one of the faculty on the stage had the courage to join in the ovation. If they though he did right, why didn’t they have the same courage he displayed? That is the problem with today’s world, most believes don’t have the courage to take a stand like this young man who went against the secular humanist grain. God bless him for his courage! That is what we mean by the gifts of the Holy Spirt, but we need to correspond to the grace, just as dis the Valedictorian.