Mary, Star of the Third Millennium
"The Church follows Mary and the Lord Jesus walking on the torturous roads of history to raise, promote and appreciate the immense procession of women and men, poor and hungry, humiliated and offended."
That was the heart of Pope John Paul II's General Papal Audience this past Wednesday in Paul VI Hall as reported by the ZENIT News Agency. Speaking in the Paul VI Auditorium, the Holy Father held the Blessed Virgin Mary out as beacon of Hope, the Pilgrim in Faith. "Her exceptional pilgrimage of faith represents a constant point of reference for the Church, for individuals and communities, for peoples and nations, in a certain sense, for all humanity," John Paul II added. "She is the star of the third millennium, as she was at the beginning of the Christian era, the dawn that preceded Jesus on the horizon of history."
For his weekly catechetical message, see THE VICAR OF CHRIST SPEAKS
Bishop Walsh: We implore you to call California Congressman Mike Thompson to task for his pro-abortion stance.
  Today's "Herod's Hero" is the Democratic Congressman from the 1st District in California Representative Mike Thompson. We call on him to repent and for his shepherd in the Diocese of Santa Rosa Bishop Daniel F. Walsh along with Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Shepherd of the nation's capitol see, to issue the ultimatum of the "Bell, Book, and Candle" if Congressman Thompson will not hear even the Church. We beg of you, dear Bishops, to stand up for the Roman Catholic Church, to exact the discipline all Catholics are expected to follow. By Thompson's pro-abortion record during his first term in the House, he has shown a disdain for Catholic doctrine and has been a willing accomplice to satan. We implore him to amend his ways, to turn away from embracing the pro-abort stance with no mercy for the lives of millions of unborn. For another betrayer who seeks to perpetuate the culture of death and slay the innocents, see HEROD'S HEROES
 
More Feedback on our unyielding crusade to uphold the Sanctity of Life
We continue to receive feedback over the "Herod's Heroes" series and our Ash Wednesday editorial An Open Letter to the Bishops of America. Other than the few negative responses we printed last week, we have had nothing but encouragement from the readers. For a sampling of the readers' views, see Feedback
Day Six in the Holy Land: Nazareth and Golgotha
 On this day one year ago Pope John Paul II began the day with a prayerful visit at the Grotto of the Annunciation in Nazareth, then celebrated Mass in the Basilica of the Annunciation on the special occasion of the Feast of the Annunciation. After Mass he returned to Jerusalem where he met at the Apostolic Delegation headquarters in Jerusalem with special representatives, then was escorted to the Basilica of the Garden of Gethsemane near his temporary residence on the Mount of Olives See JUBILEE MEMORIES
  
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts!
Hopefully Pope will take note of rumblings of Greek Orthodox in acting superior and not give away the store, so to speak, in seeking ecumenism
While the Holy Father is making plans to complete his "Jubilee Journey" in the footsteps of Saint Paul, he may well be cautious as the Apostle was for the rhetoric coming out of Greece and the Greek Orthodox Church sounds more like Michael Cerulius, the excommunicated patriarch who forced the East West Schism back in 1054. The tone of the Eastern Orthodox is that it's one sided and Rome only needs to apologize. Sorry, it takes two! Remember, Rome was right back then, and, being the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church she's right today! For more, see News from ROME
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  Baptists walk in talks with Catholics
Time for the Church to stand strong in its doctrine and not cater to Protestant concepts
The more other religions begin to realize that ecumenism does not mean compromising the one, true Church founded by Jesus Christ the more they start to walk away as so many did in John 6: 54-70. Just as the Eastern Orthodox remain on their "high horse," now the Southern Baptists have decided to end 30 years of dialogue with the Church in America. They claim they have become "suspicious of these discussions." Guess they can't understand the truth and to admit it would give credence that they have been wrong. Pride does that to many. For more, see USA News
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Tens of Millions of women missing in Third World countries? Fruits of the culture of death!
This week the U.N. Human Rights Commission opened its annual session in Geneva. One theme unlikely to be treated is the lack of respect for human rights in family planning programs.
The recent decision by American President George W. Bush to deny U.S. funding to organizations involved in abortions drew attention once more to the behavior of the Western-based and financed groups. Abortion, however, is only one of the problems in the population control efforts promoted by rich countries and the United Nations. The abhorrent policies of human rights violations in China and other places for the sake of family planning are attrocious. For more, see Pro Life News
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Will they ever find who really murdered human-rights Bishop Gerardi of Guatemala?
Someday, God-willing, they will complete the trial of
five people accused of the 1998 murder of Guatemalan human-rights advocate
Bishop Juan Jose Gerardi Conendra. But when is the question as the three year delay continued with unexpected chaos again on Thursday after one
defendant failed to show up, a judge's home was attacked,
and another defendant caused a ruckus in the courtroom.
For more, see Universal News
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For more Daily News, we recommend sources we rely on. For these news agencies, see News Sources
FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT - LAETARE SUNDAY
Today is the FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT, a day when rose-colored vestments are used and flowers adorn the altar in this midpoint of Lent. Tomorrow is the glorious SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD, normally celebrated on this day, but moved to tomorrow because of Sunday liturg. For these liturgies, see Daily LITURGY
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Rose vestments
SUNDAY, March 25:
LAETARE SUNDAY
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First Reading: Hosea 14:
Psalms: Psalm 81: 6-11, 14, 17
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5: 17-21
Gospel Reading: Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32
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"But he said to him, 'Son, thou art always with me, and all that is mine is thine' but we were bound to make merry and rejoice, for this thy brother was dead, and has come to life; he was lost, and is found." Luke 15: 31-32 22-24
 The Voice of the Disciple
The world promises things temporal and of small value, and is served with great care with which the world and its lords are served? Be thou ashamed, O Sidon, saith the sea. And if thou ask the reason, hear why. For scanty preferment men run a great way; for eternal life many will scarce move a foot once from the ground.
From Book III, Chapter III of "The Imitation of Christ" by Thomas a Kempis.
Day of the Encyclicals
On this date of the birth of Saint Catherine of Siena and the traditional Feast of the Annunciation, four modern encyclicals were published, one each by Pope Blessed Pius IX and Pope Pius XII and two by Pope John Paul II. Blessed Pius issued "Praedessores Nostros" in 1847 on the Irish potato famine; Pius XII in 1954 released "Sacra virginitas" on consecrated virginity and the ideals of religious life; and our current Holy Father ushered two of his greatest encyclicals on this date, his sixth one "Redemptoris Mater" on the role of Mary in the mystery of Christ and her active, exemplary presence in the life of the Church, and eight years later in 1995 his eleventh, and, what many consider his greatest, "Evangelium Vitae" on the value and inviolability of human life in all its stages in his crusade for the Sanctity of Life.
For other Time Capsule events that happened Today in Church history, see Daily TIME CAPSULES in Church History
There is no substitute for Faith
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".
"Even when psychoanalysis does effect what it calls a 'transference' of the mental state, it never appeases the hunger of the soul for something spiritual and beyond self to adore and worship."
Monthly Medjugorje Message for February 2001
For Our Lady's February 25th message and more on Medjugorje, see MEDJUGORJE AND MORE
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March 25, 2001 volume 12, no. 84
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