Day 16

Extend your mercy towards others, so that there can be no one in need whom you meet without helping. For what hope is there for us if God should withdraw His Mercy from us?

-- St Vincent de Paul

Verses That Struck Me

In today's readings the verses that struck me the most were:

First Reading : There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. - Eph 4:4-6

Got nothing to say.

Gospel : "I tell you, you will never get out till you have paid the very last copper." - Luke 12:59
Ominous words these. But what they actually mean is that Jesus valued reconciliation above dragging someone to court. If we do not reconcile, this is the end we must reach at the Final Judgement. 

 A Peep Into Vatican II

To whoever who thought that Catholicism is an isolated religion which doesn't acknowledge the presence of any other religion and is hateful of all the other religions, go ahead and read the Second Vatican Council document, Nostra Aetate. A beautiful excerpt from the same is below:

Religions, however, that are bound up with an advanced culture have struggled to answer the same questions by means of more refined concepts and a more developed language. Thus in Hinduism, men contemplate the divine mystery and express it through an inexhaustible abundance of myths and through searching philosophical inquiry. They seek freedom from the anguish of our human condition either through ascetical practices or profound meditation or a flight to God with love and trust. Again, Buddhism, in its various forms, realizes the radical insufficiency of this changeable world; it teaches a way by which men, in a devout and confident spirit, may be able either to acquire the state of perfect liberation, or attain, by their own efforts or through higher help, supreme illumination. Likewise, other religions found everywhere try to counter the restlessness of the human heart, each in its own manner, by proposing "ways," comprising teachings, rules of life, and sacred rites. The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men. Indeed, she proclaims, and ever must proclaim Christ "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), in whom men may find the fullness of religious life, in whom God has reconciled all things to Himself.

 

 See See See (Catechism of the Catholic Church)

 

 

Catholic Fun Trivia 

 

Saint Joseph of Cupertino is one of the saints who had the gift of levitation. You know... he could fly! And you thought only Superman could do it? Well atleast for the gift of flying, its worth being a saint!

 And One More Thing...

Which are the newly declared saints?

Answer of yesterday's question : Jesus of Nazareth

Day 15

This is a Friend who will not terrify you, who will not abandon you. Hope in Him, and Heaven is yours!

-- St Joseph Cafasso

Verses That Struck Me

In today's readings the verses that struck me the most were:

First Reading : and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, - Eph 3:17

Faith Again....

Gospel : Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; - Luke 12:51

A division between those who'll accept Him and His message and those who'll reject Him.

 A Peep Into Vatican II

We all love to say that we love God. It is so easy just to say that and get the holier-than-thou feeling. The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium tell us what must be happening if we actually do love God:

"God is love, and he who abides in love, abides in God and God in Him". But, God pours out his love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to us; thus the first and most necessary gift is love, by which we love God above all things and our neighbor because of God. Indeed, in order that love, as good seed may grow and bring forth fruit in the soul, each one of the faithful must willingly hear the Word of God and accept His Will, and must complete what God has begun by their own actions with the help of God's grace. These actions consist in the use of the sacraments and in a special way the Eucharist, frequent participation in the sacred action of the Liturgy, application of oneself to prayer, self-abnegation, lively fraternal service and the constant exercise of all the virtues. For charity, as the bond of perfection and the fullness of the law, rules over all the means of attaining holiness and gives life to these same means. It is charity which guides us to our final end. It is the love of God and the love of one's neighbor which points out the true disciple of Christ. 42

 

 

 See See See (Catechism of the Catholic Church)

 

Click For Larger Image

 

Catholic Fun Trivia 

Late Pope John Paul II use to sneak out of Vatican to ski in the Italian Mountains. And you thought being a Pope was boring?

 And One More Thing...

Pope Benedict XVI has written 3 parts of a book, the third part is about to be released. What is the name of this book?

Answer of yesterday's question : Matthias

Day 14

It was a weird day for me today. Struggling to do God's will. Learnt a lesson or two.

Verses That Struck Me

In today's readings the verses that struck me the most were:

First Reading : that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.  - Eph 2:10

Through Church...

Gospel : Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more. - Luke 12:48

We'd better get our act together.

 A Peep Into Vatican II

Modern man, the Church hasn't forgotten you. Whoever thinks that the Church is only for the oldies, read the following from Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium Et Spes:

 

 Modern man is on the road to a more thorough development of his own personality, and to a growing discovery and vindication of his own rights. Since it has been entrusted to the Church to reveal the mystery of God, Who is the ultimate goal of man, she opens up to man at the same time the meaning of his own existence, that is, the innermost truth about himself. The Church truly knows that only God, Whom she serves, meets the deepest longings of the human heart, which is never fully satisfied by what this world has to offer.

 

 See See See (Catechism of the Catholic Church)

There are so many distorted notions of a family in today's world that I had to put this.

 

 

Catholic Fun Trivia

The Superior General of the Society of Jesus is known as 'The Black Pope'

 

Pope meets the Black Pope

 

And One More Thing...

 

Who replaced Judas Iscariot?

 

Answer of yesterday's question:

1. Sacred Scripture
2. Sacred Tradition
3. Living Magisterium
   

Day 13

Little late to do this post. But I had to sleep early last night to wake up early for a cause which actually didn't happen.

Verses That Struck Me

In today's readings the verses that struck me the most were:

First Reading : for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. - Eph 2:18

It is through Jesus, what we get the Spirit, through Him that we are able to reach the Father.

Gospel : ...truly, I say to you, he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them. - Luke 12:37

Wouldn't it be wonderful to be served by the Lord.

 A Peep Into Vatican II

The Catholic Church stands on the Sacred Scriptures as well as the Sacred Traditions, a dividing point between us and our Protestant brothers. This is a point that is picked by Protestants as an argument to prove the Catholics wrong. But the Second Vatican Council document, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei Verbum has to say the following which can be quiet enlightening:

 

 For Sacred Scripture is the word of God inasmuch as it is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, while sacred tradition takes the word of God entrusted by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and hands it on to their successors in its full purity, so that led by the light of the Spirit of truth, they may in proclaiming it preserve this word of God faithfully, explain it, and make it more widely known.

See See See (Catechism of the Catholic Church)

Catholic Fun Trivia 

   The Three Powers of the Soul

And One More Thing...

The 3 pillars of the Church Authority are? (hint: two are already mentioned here.)

Answer of yesterday's question : Castel Gandolfo

Day 12

Its the twelfth day of the Year of Faith and I must say that I cannot understand the whole phobia about confession that grips our Catholic community. The doubts like what a priest will think about us once we confess our sins or will he reveal our deep dark secrets to other are not only senseless but also baseless. Haven't you heard about the Seal Of Confession? Anyway do check out the See See See.

Verses That Struck Me

In today's readings the verses that struck me the most were:

First Reading :For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God - Eph 2:8

Grace is a GIFT, obtained throught FAITH.

Gospel : "And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry." - Luke 12:19

So often have I said that to my soul and so often have I been proven a fool...

 A Peep Into Vatican II

Decree Concerning the Pastoral Office Of Bishops in the Church, Christus Dominus, Proclaimed By His Holiness, Pope Paul VI on October 28, 1965 has the following to say about confessions:

Pastors should also be mindful of how much the sacrament of Penance contributes to developing the Christian life and, therefore, should always make themselves available to hear the confessions of the faithful. If necessary, they should invite the assistance of priests who are experienced in various languages.

 

 

See See See (Catechism of the Catholic Church)

  

 

Catholic Fun Trivia

There is an Archdiocese of the Military Services, which is a border-less Archdiocese spread throughout the world and headquartered in Washington, D.C, USA. The Chaplains move around with the armed forces wherever they go, sometimes right into the battlefield. Know more about the Archdiocese on their website.

And One More Thing...

Where does the Pope go for his summer vacations?

Answer of yesterday's question : Blessed Pope John Paul II, who was then Archbishop Karol Wojtyla of Cracow and Pope Benedict XVI who was then Fr. Joseph Ratzinger a professor at University of Münster.

Day 11

Today is World Mission Sunday. A day when the collection in the mass from every parish is collected to send to the various mission places in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania where the Faith is still taking baby steps. To read the letter of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, on Mission Sunday click here.

Verses That Struck Me

In today's readings the verses that struck me the most were:

First Reading : ...and he shall bear their iniquities. - Is 53:11

These verses speak of the Servant who endured sufferings and bore the sins of all. The ultimate Servant, who is our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Second Reading : Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. - Heb 4:16
 
Why hesitate? Let us with confidence draw near to God.

Gospel : "but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." - Mark 10:40

Seek not positions and designations, do your assigned tasks and let Jesus prepare a place for you.

A Peep Into Vatican II 

There is a decree that came out of the Second Vatican Council, which is specifically meant for mission works and missionary activities. Our Church at its core is a missionary Church and her primary goal is to spread the Word to the ends of the earth. And keeping that in mind, here's an excerpt from Decree Ad Gentes On The Mission Activity Of The Church:

Although every disciple of Christ, as far in him lies, has the duty of spreading the Faith,(1) Christ the Lord always calls whomever He will from among the number of His disciples, to be with Him and to be sent by Him to preach to the nations (cf. Mark 3:13). Therefore, by the Holy Spirit, who distributes the charismata as He wills for the common good (1 Cor. 12:11), He inspires the missionary vocation in the hearts of individuals, and at the same time He raises up in the Church certain institutes(2) which take as their own special task the duty of preaching the Gospel, a duty belonging to the whole Church. - 23

See See See (Catechism of the Catholic Church)

Catholic Fun Trivia 

Ashes used on Ash Wednesday are blessed palms from the previous year which have been burned.

And One More Thing...

Two participants of the Second Vatican Council who became popes in the future. Name both.

Answer of yesterday's question : Below is a chasuble... 

Day 10

God must be loved first, in order that one's neighbor, too, may be loved in God.-- St Bernard

 It's day 10 of the Year of Faith, and it has been a spiritually fulfilling day for me, had a wonderful mass and a great time of personal reflection.

Verses That Struck Me

In today's readings the verses that struck me the most were:

First Reading : and he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fulness of him who fills all in all. - Eph 1:22-23

Christ not only the head of all creation, He is also the head of the Church.

Gospel : "for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." - Luke 12:12

If you let the Him teach you ofcourse.

 A Peep Into Vatican II

If you have happened to come across the phrase "Spirit of Vatican II", you must be thinking that it means a kind of mental state where someone or some community has been Second Vatican Council-ized. Well it actually means someone who interprets the Vatican II documents in a different and in some case a contradictory way than that of what the documents were meant to convey. So the next time you meet a fellow faithful, make sure you don't ask, "Hey! Can you feel the Spirit? Of Vatican II!"

See See See (Catechism of the Catholic Church)

Catholic Fun Trivia 

KNOCK THEM DEAD!

It was a tradition to confirm a pope's death by knocking him gently on the head and calling him by his Christian name.

And One More Thing...

What is a chasuble?

Answer of yesterday's question : The "Church Fathers" are not the local parish priests. They are the early theologians/priests/saints/bishops/teachers who where writers and teachers that help pave a path for the formation of the Church and Theology on the whole.