TEXT for Today's Front Page

May 1-3, 1998 Vol. 9, no. 85 The "USA Today for CATHOLICS!" at http://www.catholic-internet.org To print out entire text of Today's issue, go to SECTION ONE and SECTION TWO

     It is fitting that his weekend we celebrate both the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker and World Day of Prayer for Vocations for the two are intricately linked as we explain in this weekend's editorial. No vocation ever sprouted from lazy roots and one of the root causes of the lack of vocations today can be traced to the work ethic for it takes hard work in the dedicated service of God. For our commentary, As vocations go, there is no better role-model than the man who molded Jesus, click on this weekend's CATHOLIC PewPOINT

     In her column this weekend Sister Mary Lucy Astuto astutely points out that God has a reason why we must carry our cross and willingly accept whatever trials and suffering He so wills for us. She illustrates this point in her weekly column with a special vignette on "The Moth and the Cocoon" and the fact that even in man's best intentions, if we misinterpret God's Will, it will not bode well. For her column, OUR CROSSES ARE TRULY BLESSINGS, click on GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER

   &bnsp; Talk about a month dedicated to the Holy Family. It begins with the Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker and ends with the Visitation coinciding with the Feast of Pentecost on May 31. It is no coincidence this year that the two feasts fall on the same day and that the bookends are the "Patron of the Church" and the "Birthday of the Church" and the Visitation, when the Blessed Virgin Mary traveled to assist her cousin Elizabeth before she was wed to Joseph. But back to the beginning of this month, the Month of Mary as we celebrate on Friday FIRST FRIDAY and on Saturday FIRST SATURDAY along with the feast of Saint Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. Sunday we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Easter, World Day of Prayer for Vocations and the annual May crowning of the Blessed Mother with most parishes providing Rosary processions. For the liturgy, readings, meditations and vignettes on the featured saints this weekend, click on LITURGY FOR THE WEEKEND

     For events throughout the centuries that are memorable in Church history this weekend, click on ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME

     Dear children! Today I call you, through prayer, to open yourselves to God as a flower opens itself to the rays of the morning sun. Little children, do not be afraid. I am with you and I intercede before God for each of you so that your heart receives the gift of conversion. Only in this way, little children, will you comprehend the importance of grace in these times and God will become nearer to you. Thank you for having responded to my call. For more on Medjugorje, click on MEDJUGORJE

HEADLINES:

In preparation for the Jubilee, Pope urges us to share in Mary's Joy and trust in her Divine Spouse

      In his weekly audience, the Holy Father emphasized the Blessed Mother's role in the coming Jubilee 2000 for he asserted that "we cannot separate the Son from the Mother, having been born of Mary is part of the personal identity of Jesus." In a follow-up private audience with Firenze seminarians the Pope emphasized the need to rely on the Holy Spirit, the Spouse of Mary and to devote their entire lives as priests and as "being a sign and instrument of Christ." For more, click on Pope's message

UN blames Congress for placing abortion ban on Funding Bill, ignoring the fact Clinton threatens to kill it with veto

     Wouldn't you know it! The UN cronies and President Clinton are in cahoots in trying to get funding to repay over a one and a half billion dollar debt. How else would one explain the fact that UN officials completely overlook the fact that whether the UN gets their money or not depends not on Congress, but on Clinton. If he vetoes the bill because of the overseas abortion ban attachment Republicans were able to pass, then he should be the "bad guy" in the eyes of the UN. But no!!! Because the UN is promoting abortion, the Republican Congress is the culprit in their eyes. For more, click on UN Hypocrisy.

Lack of Prompt Protection by NATO Peace Force greatly irks Sarajevo Cardinal

     The Cardinal of Sarajevo, himself a victim of attacks by radical Serbs on a pilgrimage group of 600 Croat Catholics, lashed out at the inaction of the NATO Peace Troops employed to protect Catholics in Bosnia. He cited that UN Peace Troops "conveniently turned their heads" and responded very slowly when the assaults broke out, only coming to the rescue when they had no other choice. For more, click on NATO sandbagged to read more.

Despite ineffective results, Abortion pill expected to be approved while Floridians clamor for pro-life license plates to promote adoption.

     You would hope the Abortion Pill RU-486 from France would be banned in Boston and everywhere else, but backers of this lethal death pill will do all in their power to get the FDA to approve it, despite the fact that it isn't as effective as advertised in annihilating the unborn. Thank God for that. Meanwhile, in Florida, the House approved a bill that would make "Choose Life" license plates available to all who wanted them for a special fee that would go to helping in adoption services of abandoned infants who were carried to term rather than being aborted. For more, click on Abortion to read more.

This weekend's Prayer is a special prayer to Saint Joseph the Worker.

     Glorious Saint Joseph, example for all who are engaged in toil, pray with me please to obtain the grace that I may work in the spirit of penance and so make atonement for my sins…that I may work conscientiously, keeping devotion to duty before my personal feelings…that I may work with thankfulness and joy, holding it an honor to use and to develop by my labor the gifts I have received from almighty God.
      Pray with me that I may obtain help to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience-and never shirk duty because of weariness or because of difficulties encountered…and that, before all else, I may work with a right intention and with detachment from self, keeping always in mind the hour of my death and the account I must give then for misused time, for neglected talents, for good not done, and for any foolish pride in my success-a fault so fatal to the work of God.
      All for Jesus, all through Mary, all in imitation of you, Joseph most faithful! This shall be my motto in life and in death. Amen.

For all other standard features, articles and columns, click on Archives

May 1-3, 1998 volume 9, no. 85          DAILY CATHOLIC