Feast of Blessed Andre Bessette
TODAY'S LITURGY:
First Reading:
1 John 4: 19-21; 5: 1-4
Responsorial:
Psalm 13: 2-7
Gospel:
Luke 4: 14-22
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DAILY LITURGY
Today is the Feast of the Canadian lay brother Blessed Andre Bessette who practically singlehandedly built the Oratory of Saint Joseph in Montreal. For more on him, we recommend Blessed Andre. Tomorrow is both the Feast of the priest Saint Raymond of Penafort and the FIRST FRIDAY of the new millennium. For the readings, liturgies, meditations, and profiles on these two, click on DAILY LITURGY.
The DAILY WORD
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He has anointed Me; to bring good news to the poor He has sent Me, to proclaim to the captives release, and sight to the blind; to set at liberty the oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of recompense."
Luke 4: 18-19
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December 25th Medjugorje Monthly Message
Dear children! This is the time of grace. Little children, today in a special way with little Jesus, Whom I hold in my embrace, I am giving you the possibility to decide for peace.Through your 'yes' for peace and your decision for God, a new possibility for peace is opened. Only in this way, little children, this century will be for you a time of peace and well-being. Therefore, put little newborn Jesus in the first place in your life and He will lead you on the way of salvation. Thank you for having responded to my call.
For more on Medjugorje, click on MEDJUGORJE AND MORE
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One doesn't have to flip the proverbial coin to discover why ultra-conservatives are as clueless as liberals and modernists when it comes to what Vatican II was really all about!
 In his column today, Pat Ludwa gives equal time to the other side of the coin regarding Vatican II. In an eye-opening treatise he shows how ultra-conservative Catholics resent Vatican II because they also misinterpret the intent and actual decrees adopted by the Council Fathers. They join the liberals and modernists in going to extremes by blaming Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI for allowing it to happen and our present Holy Father Pope John Paul II for carrying out the directives of the Second Vatican Council. Pat clears up the truth with documents from both Vatican II and the Council of Trent in one of his most insightful columns ever. He shows the wisdom of the addage that one can leave the Church through either the left door or the right door, proving that the best course is to stay in the center, not as a liberal Catholic or a conservative Catholic, but a Roman Catholic! For his column today, Why Vatican II? The other side of the coin. , click on VIEW FROM THE PEW
 Pope reminds the world on World Day of Peace that there can be no peace unless all share in it and follow Christ's call
In 2000 we will be bringing you the Holy Father's words twice a week enabling us to bring you his weekly Wednesday Papal audiences on Mondays and his Sunday Angelus address on Thursdays. Today, we bring you the words from His Holiness Pope John Paul II for his first Angelus address given on the very first day of the new millennium on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God and World Peace Day. His brief address reiterates Christ's call to cross the threshold and place our trust in Him. He also invokes the guidance of Mary for her special feast which ties in with the need for peace throughout the world. For that reason the Holy Father reminds all of the plight of the less fortunate in many countries where peace is only a word and persecution or famine rule the day. For the Pope's words on his first First Angelus of the Millennium, click on THE VICAR OF CHRIST SPEAKS.
  
Appreciation of the Gospel of Saint Luke
 Today we continue with our new series in the search to uncover the wonderful treasures of the Church contained in the great Deposit of Faith. We feature today the third of the four Evangelists - the physician Saint Luke, often symbolized by the Ox for that represented the animal of sacrifice and he begins his Gospel with the sacrifice of Zachary. His feast day is celebrated on October 18. For the eighty-second installment, click on APPRECIATING THE PRECIOUS GIFT OF OUR FAITH
Events that happened today in Church History
On this day 588 years ago in 1412, the young French holy warrior Saint Joan of Arc was born in Domremy, France. Less than twenty years later she would fight for her country and Faith only to have political bishops turn against her and, falsely using the power of the Church, condemn her as a charlatan and be burned at the stake because she claimed messages from God. She was exonerated twenty-five years after her death by Pope Callistus III and canonized by Pope Benedict XV in 1920. For other time capsule events that happened in Church history on this date, click on MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES
Our neighbor is only as good as we make them!
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but the words of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen have been known to launch a thousand images in one's mind, one of the ways this late luminary did so much to evangelize the faith. Because of the urgency of the times and because few there are today who possess the wisdom, simplicity and insight than the late Archbishop who touched millions, we are bringing you daily gems from his writings. The good bishop makes it so simple that we have dubbed this daily series: "SIMPLY SHEEN".
"Love gives incentive to betterment. When the other thinks well of us, we try to be worthy of that opinion. The fact that others assume us to be good is a great incentive to goodness. That is why, too, one of the basic principles of life ought to be to assume goodness in others; thus we make them good."
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How fitting it will be, if reports are correct, that Blessed Faustina - the "Messenger of Mercy" - will be proclaimed a saint on Divine Mercy Sunday
Though we are still waiting for final confirmation from the Vatican, indications are that the Holy Father will officially canonize the Messenger of Mercy Blessed Faustina Kowalska on Divine Mercy Sunday - exactly seven years after he beatified his fellow countrywoman on Divine Mercy Sunday in 1983. Prognosticators are predicting it could be one of the highest attended canonizations ever since it would come on Divine Mercy Sunday and during the Great Jubilee Year. For more on crowds, see related story below. continued inside
 Pro-life organizations launch white ribbon campaign for upholding the Sanctity of Life and introduce Constitutional Right to Life bill in congress to protect unborn
In a bill which shows the constitutionality of the Right to life, several pro-life organizations led by the EagleCross Alliance, are introducing a bill in the House and Senate called the "Constitutional Right to Life 2000" Act which reinforces the 5th and 14th Amendments. A campaign is also underway to sport white ribbons in support of the Sanctity of Life. continued inside.
 China tightening security for upcoming ordinations as well as the screws on the Vatican
As we reported yesterday, China is trying to embarass the Vatican by forcing the Patriotic Catholic Church to ordain bishops today, the same day the Holy Father is to ordain twelve in Rome. The difference is those Chinese bishops will not be sanctioned by Rome. In this continuing ploy meant to frustrate the Holy See, the Chinese government has announced there will be five ordained today. We should say "maybe" since those five are all reluctant to go through with the highly offensive snub and have began making every excuse to postpone it, much to the chagrin of the communist who have ordered tighter security than normal for the ordinations. continued inside.
Cardinal O'Connor fully recovered from brain surgery, returns to the Chancery offices to work
For a man who had brain surgery early last fall and is just a week removed from his eightieth birthday, Cardinal John O'Connor looked amazingly healthy and upbeat as he returned to the Archdiocesan offices Monday after several months recuperating. He will make his first appearance to the public in St. Patrick's Cathedral Sunday when he celebrates Holy Mass and gives the homily. continued inside.
Attendance count at Vatican for Jubilee Year soaring past expectations; Holy See establishes special First Aid stations to accommodate pilgrims
If over four million attendance to the Vatican in just under two weeks is any indication, experts have grossly underexaggerated the number they predicted for the Jubilee year. To keep up with the amazing massive flow of pilgrims into St. Peter's Square, the Holy See is setting up multiple first aid stations staffed by doctors and nurses to take care of the various sicknesses and accidents that can occur with such a crush of humanity. continued inside.
Violence between Muslim and Christian gangs forces 10,000 to flee Spice Islands
Did the people of Indonesia learn nothing from East Timor? Evidently not as Muslims and Christians continue to clash in the Indonesian archipelago; this time in the Spice Islands where 10,000 have fled because of gang warfare among the extremist groups on both sides. continued inside.
Correction:
In yesterday's news article we indicated England's Prime Minister Tony Blair was Roman Catholic. Our faus paix. In actuality his wife Cherie is a devout Catholic and his children attend Catholic schools. But Blair himself is an Anglican, although there has been some discussion about his impending conversion. But many feel that would be ill-timed and have a negative impact on the Northern Ireland peace process for it would upset the Unionists not to mention presenting more complications on more general constitutional issues in the United Kingdom. Again we apologize and regret the error.
For more headlines and articles, we suggest you go to the Catholic World News site at the
CWN home page and Church News at Noticias Eclesiales and the Dossiers, features and Daily Dispatches from ZENIT International News Agency CWN, NE and ZENIT are not affiliated with the Daily CATHOLIC, but provide this service via e-mail to the Daily CATHOLIC Monday through Friday.
Coming
This Weekend:
- The 83rd installment in our new feature on the treasures of the great Deposit of Faith in our daily series APPRECIATING THE PRECIOUS GIFT OF OUR FAITH
- Another pertinent editorial in CATHOLIC PewPOINT
- Heart-filled words from Sister Mary Lucy Astuto in her column GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER
- Time Capsules in Church History focusing on January 7th to 9th, plus Top Ten Movies in MOVIES AND MORALS
- Another gem from SIMPLY SHEEN and we highlight another Prince of the Church: Cardinal Ersilio Tonino, Archbishop emeritus of Ravenna-Cervia in our COLLEGE OF CARDINALS COLLECTION
- DAILY LITURGY for the Feast of Saint Raymond of Penyafort on Friday and the Feast of the BAPTISM OF THE LORD on Sunday.
- ...and much more in our 5th issue for 2000!
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