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Few were closer to the Pope than Cardinal Dino Monduzzi as Prefect of the Papal Household

     We continue with this special series introducing you to the Princes of the Church. Our eighty-fourth red-hat we feature, in alphabetical order is Cardinal Dino Monduzzi , the retired Prefect of the Prefecture of the Papal Household. For nearly fourty years he was a member of the inner sanctum of the Pope, overseeing the private papal palace and chapel during the pontificates of four Popes. For his loyal service he was elevated to the cardinalate by Pope John Paul II at the most recent Consistory of February 21, 1998. For more on Cardinal Monduzzi, click on COLLEGE OF CARDINALS COLLECTION

84.   Cardinal Dino Monduzzi

      A member of the newest group of Italian cardinals, Cardinal Dino Monduzzi served as the Prefect of the Papal Household for 12 years and was quite close to the Holy Father day-in and day-out. He was born on April 2, 1922 in Brisighella, Italy. At the age of 23 he was ordained to the priesthood on July 22, 1945 immediately after World War II. He was named Director of Catholic Action in Calabria and Sardinia and served in the Agrarian Reform Agency in Fucino before being appointed by Pope John XXIII as Secretary in the Office of the Maestro of Camera, a position he held from 1959 until 1967 when he was made Secretary and Regent of the Apostolic Palace in 1967 by Pope Paul VI. He restructered the office that same year, establishing it as the Prefecture of the Apostolic Palace on August 15, 1967. With the latter's passing in 1978 the new Pontiff Pope John Paul I kept him on as did his successor Pope John Paul II who promoted him to Prefect of the Papal Household in 1986 . A year later the Holy Father ordained him bishop, bestowing on him the titular title of Bishop of Capri on January 7, 1987.

      On June 28, 1988 Pope John Paul II established the office as the Prefecture of the Papal Household, constituting it as an autonomous agency of the Roman Curia. Among Cardinal Monduzzi's duties as Prefect of the Prefecture of the Papal Household was to oversee the papal chapel, arrange papal audiences, prepare non-liturgical elements of papal ceremonies, make arrangements for papal visits and trips outside the Holy See and to settle questions of protocol regarding papal audiences and other formalities.

      He was further honored for his loyalty and service in the most recent Consistory of February 21, 1998 with the cardinalate and the titular church of St. Sebastian on the Palatine. His age necessitated his retirement in 1998 and he was assigned various assignments in the Roman Curia and resigned as Prefect of the Papal Household to be replaced by Bishop James M. Harvey, an young 50 year-old American from Wisconsin. Cardinal Monduzzi, now 77, meantime still enjoys membership in the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, still residing inside the Vatican.

      This weekend we commemorate the Feast of the TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD on Friday and the Feast of Pope Saint Sixtus II and his martyred companions as well as Saint Cajetan, priest and religious founder plus the Observance of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday before Sunday's Feast of Saint Dominic which is superseded by the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. For the liturgies, readings, meditations and vignettes on all these feasts, click on LITURGY

Friday August 6:
FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD
FIRST FRIDAY

White vestments

First Reading: Daniel 7: 9-10, 13-14
Psalms: Psalm 97: 1-2, 5-6, 9
Second Reading: 2 Peter 1: 16-19
Gospel Reading: Matthew 17: 1-9

      One of the manifestations of Jesus Christ's deity was the glorification of His appearance before His Resurrection. As the accounts of Matthew 17: 1-8; Mark 9: 1-8; and Luke 9: 28-36 describe while praying with His chosen Apostles Peter, James and John on the mountain, Jesus' "face shone as the sun, and His garments became white as snow." Then He was transfigured before them, and Moses and Elias or Elijah joined Him. The Apostles intuitively knew there was no need for fear as Peter remarked to his Master, "Lord, it is good for us to be here." It was truly prophetic for Peter showed his personality in this passage as he meandered on about erecting three altars to the three in the Transfiguration. It gives us a glimpse of the thinking behind the one who would be chosen to lead Christ's Church for Peter, along with the other two Apostles who heard the Father confirm Jesus' mission with the words, "This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased; hear Him." After that, as if in a trance, the Evangelists tell only that the three Apostles fell on their faces - so in awe of this vision that the next thing they knew Jesus Himself was touching them, the Transfiguration over, beckoning them to "Arise, and be not afraid." Jesus knew no one else would understand what had just transpired and so counseled the three to tell no one of this event until AFTER the Resurrection when they would clearly understand that "Truly He was the Son of God" (Matthew 27: 54). Jesus also felt it was important for them to witness this event in order that when they later would see Him suffer, it would sustain them in knowing that He was truly God and would rise. As we know it was these same three Apostles who accompanied Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemani where they showed their frailties by falling asleep. Also, it was the impulsive Peter who seemed to forget the Transfiguration vision while he cowered in the courtyard denying Our Lord. The etymology of Transfiguration is derived from the Latin trans which means "change" and figura meaning "figure" which Jesus did indeed do, His countenance changed before the Apostles' very eyes as did His figure which became very agile providing proof that a glorified body can move rapidly from one place to another like the speed of light or sound. This was confirmed in Luke 24: 31, 34, 36 when the Evangelist places Jesus on the road to Emmaus and then "vanished from their sight", then immediately he was inside the upper room "stood in their midst." The doors were locked, yet besides agility, Christ possessed "subtility" which allows a body to go where it pleases without any resistance to material matter. Thus He was able to pass through walls as light streams through glass.

Saturday August 7:
Eighteenth Saturday in Ordinary Time and
Feast of Pope Saint Sixtus II and companions, and Saint Cajetan, priest and religious founder and
Observance of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday and
FIRST SATURDAY

Green or Red or White vestments

First Reading: Deuteronomy 6: 4-13
Psalms: Psalm 18: 2-4, 47, 51
Gospel Reading: Matthew 17: 14-20

      Very little is known of Pope Saint Sixtus II. This Grecian-born pontiff, elected on August 30th, 257, was the twenty-fourth successor of Saint Peter. He possessed a meek disposition but was not afraid to settle the disputes that had arisen under his predecessors Pope Saint Cornelius, Pope Saint Lucius I, and Pope Saint Stephen I. It was Sixtus who effected the translation and identification of the mortal remains of St. Peter and Saint Paul. The Romans captured Sixtus while he was celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the catacombs and was immediately beheaded to discourage others. It had the opposite effect as Saint Cyprian wrote as he originated the exclamation now part of the Mass - "Deo Gratias". Many companions willingly joined Sixtus in martyrdom on August 6, 258. Sixtus' body was retrieved and given an appropriate burial with a church being built in his honor a century later after the liberation by Constantine. Another church was eventually built over the original one and early in the 13th Century it was given over to Saint Dominic who bequeathed it to his Order of Preachers. It gradually became a cloistered monastery for Dominican nuns. Today, known as the church of St. Dominic and St. Sixtus, it is located in the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas.

      Born twelve years before the discovery of America, Saint Cajetan would go on to be a staunch defender of the faith in the face of Martin Luther's attacks against the Church. This holy canon lawyer was appointed protonotary apostolic and secretary to Pope Julius II in 1505 twelve years before becoming a priest in 1517. Realizing the Church needed universal and radical reform as assessed by the Fifth Lateran Council, he stayed near the Vatican while bringing the order he had helped foster with John Peter Carafa. This was the Company of Divine Love which was founded by Saint Catherine of Genoa in that city, and dedicated to caring for the poor and infirm. Cajetan was instrumental in establishing a hospital in Rome and later one in Vicenza where he became the pastor of St. Mary's in 1520. Three years later he returned to Rome to found the Institute of Clerks Regular with the charge of preaching, administering the sacraments and celebrating the liturgy. They became known as the Theatines with their first Superior General being Bishop Carafa who sent St. Cajetan to fend against Lutheranism in Venice in 1536. Upon Carafa's death, St. Cajetan returned to Naples where he was elected the Order's Superior General. Over and over he strove to pacify the unrest in Naples and the worldliness of its inhabitants. Beaten down by the discord and apathy, he died in 1547 at the age of 67 before he could realize the fruits he had sown which would become evident at the Council of Trent.

      Honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary is a custom first promoted by the Benedictine Monk Saint Alcuin back in the days of Charlemagne (see archives December 23, no. 25 issue, volume 7). He composed different formulas for Votive Masses for each day of the week, with two set aside to honor Our Lady on Saturday. This practice caught on with great enthusiasm and eventually the Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday became the Common of the Blessed Virgin. This Mass was a favorite with retired priests and those whose sight was failing for most had memorized this Mass and were able to say it by heart without having to read the Lectionary or Sacramentary. One reason Saturday was dedicated to Mary was that Saturday held a special meaning in Mariology. First of all, as Genesis accounts for, God rested on the seventh day. In the Old Testament, the Sabbath was Saturday. Jesus, Son of God rested in the womb and then, when He became incarnate, in the loving arms of Mary from birth until she held His lifeless body at the foot of the Cross. Thus the God-head rested in Mary. It was also on Saturday after Good Friday that Jesus gave His Mother a special gift and reward for keeping her faith in His Divinity intact by making an exceptional appearance to her. Thus, because of these reasons, the devotion spread by St. Alcuin and other liturgies that evolved within the Church, Saturday took on a special Marian significance. Saturday took on even more significance in honoring Mary when Our Lady imparted to visionary Lucia in her third apparition at Fatima on July 13, 1917, "Our Lord wishes that devotion to my Immaculate Heart be established in the world. If what I tell you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace; the war will end...I ask the consecration of the world to my Immaculate Heart and Communion of reparation on the First Saturday of each month...If my requests are granted, Russia will be converted and there will be peace...In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph, and an era of peace will be conceded to humanity." As we draw nearer to that wonderful event, it is more important than ever to honor Mary's request on the First Saturday as well as each Saturday that her feast is commemorated in the Church calendar, not to mention responding to her call daily with the Rosary and attending Daily Mass, nourished by her Divine Son present body and blood, soul and Divinity in the Blessed Sacrament. It is in the Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary where she remains in the background in the liturgy of the Word so that her Divine Son's words and His Presence take the spotlight as He should while Mary remains the chief intercessor before the Holy Trinity as she should and serves as the ideal for all Catholics to strive for, as we should. The Dictionary of Mary states quite succinctly, "Through these liturgical acts, (honoring Mary on Saturday) Christians exalt the person of Mary in the action that renews the sacrifice of Christ and in the action that prolongs His prayer."

SUNDAY August 8:
NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME and
Feast of Saint Dominic, Priest and Religious Founder

Green vestments

First Reading: 1 Kings 19: 11-13
Psalms: Psalm 97: 1-2, 5-6, 9
Second Reading: Romans 9: 1-5
Gospel Reading: Matthew 14: 22-33

Today is traditionally the Feast of Saint Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers but this year is superseded by the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

FEAST OF SAINT DOMINIC, PRIEST AND RELIGIOUS FOUNDER

      One of the greatest preachers in Church History, Saint Dominic is the founder of the Order of Preachers, known world-wide as the Dominicans. Born in 1170 in of noble parents in Caleruega, Spain, Dominic became an Augustinian canon after being educated at Palenci, Spain. Dominic received the rare gift of being chosen, at the age of 24, of joining his bishop the Most Reverend Diego de Azevedo on a mission to Denmark which also took them through southern France where Dominic encountered first-hand the Albigensianism and the Waldensian heresy rampant in those parts. He realized then and there the Church needed more preachers to convey the true teachings of Holy Mother Church. Both he and Bishop Azevedo returned immediately to Osma, Spain to begin recruiting worthy preachers. Before they were able to complete this task, the Bishop died and the mission was left to Dominic alone. Undaunted, he realized the first necessity was prayer support and so set about to found a monastery of cloistered nuns in Prouille, France near Toulouse in 1215 similar to the Institute of Divine Mercy founded in Dallas three years ago. Two years later Dominic had assembled enough preachers to form the Friars Preachers and it was quickly approved as the Order of Preachers in a papal bull issued by Pope Honorius III a year later in 1218. The Rule Dominic adopted was patterned after the Rule of Saint Augustine in which the emphasis was on personal and community poverty, the specific ministry of preaching and an arduous and loyal study of the Divine Truth. Within a few years the Order had expanded to Madrid, Paris, Rome and Bologna, Italy. Though he was always interested in establishing headquarters in universities, he also had a special affinity for the missions. But his duties as Founder and Superior General took him to Italy where he established the monastery of nuns at the church of Saint Sixtus and in 1218 Pope Honorius bestowed the gift of the basilica of Santa Sabina which became the headquarters for the Dominicans and has remained so ever since. So loved was Dominic that he was conferred the honor of Master of the Sacred Palace which from that time on has always gone to a Dominican. Another honor associated with the Dominicans is the Rosary for Our Lady appeared to Dominic giving him a beautiful garland of roses, asking Dominic to pray the Rosary daily and to teach others how to pray this prayer which would become one of the most powerful weapons against the enemies of the Church. The Rosary, through Dominic's preaching, was instrumental in bringing countless souls back to the Church. Dominic is often depicted with the cross, scrolls and a companion dog clutching the "torch of zeal" for souls. On the evening of August 7, the feast of St. Sixtus in whose Church Dominic's Order was headquartered, while the Dominicans were gathered for a provincial meeting in Bologna, Dominic breathed his last breath, exclaiming just before expiring that because of his illnesses he could now be of more help to them in Heaven than on earth.

Monday, August 9, 1999

Monday August 9:
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Green vestments

First Reading: Deuteronomy 10: 12-22
Psalms: Psalm 97: 1-2, 5-6, 9
Gospel Reading: Matthew 17: 22-27

PRAYERS & DEVOTION

      In honor of the Feast of Saint Dominic we present a special prayer from My Daily Prayer:

O God, Who hast vouchsafed to make Thy Church illustrious by the merits and teachings of Blessed Dominic, Thy Confessor, grant through his intercession, that she may not be deprived of temporal help, and continually may advance in spiritual growth. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

SIMPLY SHEEN: Will we aid the enemy?

    They say a picture is worth 1000 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".

"The grave danger of loss of faith is not only that others will arise to insist on dominating us, but that our wills will become so weak and our minds so confused as to insist on giving assent."

" But I shall not come until Scripture is fulfilled. My Holy Mother's Heart, pure and immaculate shall Triumph, for this is the Eternal Will of the Triune Divinity."

      Those definitive words above come from Our Lord on May 10, 1995 to the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart in which Jesus reinforces the glorious times to come, but not before the earth has been cleansed. He also warns against those who do not venerate His Blessed Mother and follows this Message with #621 a day later where Christ speaks of the Flame of Love and what it means and what He expects of us. For Messages 620 and 621, click on "I SOLEMNLY TELL YOU..."

Messages 620 and 621

Message Six-Hundred-twenty, May 10, 1995

(Imparted to the Hidden Flower by the Sacred Heart of Jesus)

      Beloved Hidden Flower of My Mother's Immaculate Heart, I am here with you and I shall never abandon you.

    I come now to speak to all the world. I solemnly say to all: I am Jesus Christ, Only-Begotten Son of God, Savior of the world. All I have given you is Truth. Why do you persist in your hard-heartedness when I seek to embrace you in My Divine Mercy? Why do you carry bitterness and anger in your heart?

    My children, I solemnly tell you that it is pride which consumes you, and satan eats at your conscience and feeds your ego and pride so as to keep you far from Me.

    Woe to all who preach dissent and ferment chaos in the world, for they do not speak My words. Upon them shall fall the fullness of Divine Justice. But, My children, you must choose now for this is the time of decision.

    Every day I give you signs of warning, which are My Mercy to you. These signs shall intensify until the wheat is separated from the chaff.

    As My Apostles of the End Times you must persevere in the One True Faith, and you must be rooted in My Cross, which is Mercy itself. You must live all that I taught you, and offer no defense before man. I alone am your defense, and I come to bring the Reign of My Sacred Heart.

    But I shall not come until Scripture is fulfilled. My Holy Mother's Heart, pure and immaculate shall Triumph, for this is the Eternal Will of the Triune Divinity.

    Beware all who speak in My name but deny My Mother and scorn her, who is blessed among all women.

    I solemnly tell you that if you are united in mind and heart through the grace of the Holy Spirit, and call out for Mercy, it shall be given. But all who reject Me shall be swept into the abyss because they have chosen the prince of darkness and have disdained the Light.

    The world is plunged into darkness of soul and of mind, and the Heavens will no longer tolerate the evil which rules the earth.

    Prepare and trust in Me, for I solemnly tell you: I Come!

Message Six-Hundred-twenty-one, May 11, 1995

(Imparted to the Hidden Flower by the Sacred Heart of Jesus)

    Beloved Hidden Flower of My Mother's Immaculate Heart, I love and bless you and give to you My Peace. Be not afraid, for today I have shown Myself to you interiorly and My words spoken bade you come to Me.

    Now I wish to speak to all of My little ones about My Flame of Divine Love which I desire to lavish upon all souls, but each to the degree I will! My little ones, to receive this Flame of Love is to receive, as it were, a wound. Because of this wound the soul cries out in deep longing for Me; I take up My abode within this wound and true transformation begins.

    The wound of Love of which I speak you also must seek and desire, for only then are you open to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

    My wounding is Love and Mercy. It is both sweetness and trial. It is suffering amidst joy and peace. It is the path of ardent perfection.

    This wound is not given only to a certain few but is meant for all to the degree I desire to give it. But without this wound of Love, your soul experiences lukewarmness. Examine your conscience to know from the Holy Spirit if you are lukewarm. Lukewarmness is the opposite of My Wound or Flame of Divine Love, for lukewarmness wounds Me anew.

    O! My children, I solemnly tell you that you live now in times that call out for heroic virtue. You cannot live a life of heroic virtue if your soul is not wounded by Divine Love. Heroic virtue is to make Me the center of your life, and to perform every thought, word and deed in obedience to My Will and out of love for Me.

    Therefore, I solemnly say unto you: Become My true little ones, and permit your soul to taste the sweetness of My Flame of Divine Love. Do not grow tepid. Do not judge, nor speak uncharitably about anyone. Suffer all things with love for Me, and gaze ardently upon Me so that I remain your solid anchor.

    Know I speak these things because the time is now!

    I love you. I bless you. I give to you My Peace that you might be prepared, for I Come!

Finally the long-awaited book "I SOLEMNLY TELL YOU..." is NOW available!

   The much-anticipated 224-page book of ALL the messages to the world imparted to the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart from the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary over five years is finally here! You can finally acquire your own handsome, coffee-table top copy of "I SOLEMNLY TELL YOU..." containing all 632 messages. To find out how, click on Book

   Dear children! Also today I rejoice with you and I call you all to prayer with the heart. I call all of you, little children, to give thanks to God here with me for the graces which He gives to you through me. I desire for you to comprehend that I want to realize here, not only a place of prayer but also a meeting of hearts. I desire for my, Jesus' and your heart to become one heart of love and peace. That is why, little children, pray and rejoice over everything that God does here, despite that satan provokes quarrels and unrest. I am with you and I lead you all on the way of love. Thank you for having responded to my call.

For more on Medjugorje, click on MEDJUGORJE AND MORE

The DAILY WORD

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August 6-8, 1999 volume 10, no. 147   DAILY CATHOLIC