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      Today is the Nineteenth Thursday in Ordinary Time while tomorrow is the Nineteenth Friday in Ordinary Time as well as the Feast of the martyred Pope Saint Pontian and Saint Hippolytus, priest. For the readings, liturgies, meditations and vignettes for these saints, click on DAILY LITURGY.

Thursday August 12:
Nineteenth Thursday in Ordinary Time

Green vestments

First Reading: Josue 3: 7-11, 13-17
Psalms: Psalm 114: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Gospel Reading: Matthew 18: 21-20

Friday August 13:
Nineteenth Friday in Ordinary Time
Feast of Pope Saint Pontian and Saint Hippolytus, Martyrs

Green or red vestments

First Reading: Josue 24: 1-13
Psalms: Psalm 136: 1-3, 16-18, 21-22, 24
Gospel Reading: Matthew 19: 3-12

      The eighteenth in the line of Peter was Pope Saint Pontian who was born in Rome and elected to the papacy on August 28, 230. He is known for ordering the chanting of the psalms which many mendicant orders still do today. He also instituted the use of the salutation "Dominus vobiscum" in the liturgy of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass which, of course, in the vernacular means "The Lord be with you" to which the congregation replies "and also with you." Saint Hippolytus, a Roman priest, is recognized as an important theologian to the early Church, considered one of the most learned men of his time. In the Ambrosian rite he is venerated in the canon of the Mass. Both saints were exiled to Sardinia by the Emperor Maximus to a life of hard labor in the mines where Pontian was forced to vacate rule over Holy Mother Church because of his remote and isolated situation. Both saints died of exhaustion in 235, Hippolytus in Sardinia, and Pontian on the tiny isle of Tavolara. It was the twentieth Vicar of Christ Pope Saint Fabian who oversaw the return of both saints' bodies to Rome for a proper burial in 237.

      In honor of Saturday's Feast of the modern martyred Franciscan priest Saint Maximilian Kolbe, we present the Opening Prayer for Saturday's Mass venerating him:

Gracious God, You filled Your priest and martyr, St. Maximilian Kolbe, with zeal for souls and love for his neighbor. Through the prayers of this devoted servant of Mary Immaculate, grant that in our efforts to serve others for Your glory, we too may become like Christ Your Son, Who loved His own in the world even to the end.

"Beware the snares of the evil one who would strip you of the magnificence of the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed and the beautiful hymns and prayers of praise in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. When you pray these holy prayers all the hosts of Heaven join in and like incense it rises before the Throne of God."

      Those words from the Sacred Heart of Jesus were imparted on the Solemnity of Trinity Sunday on June 11, 1995 to the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart. In this third from the final Message, Our Lord reminds us to safeguard the treasures we have been given in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church which is so vital in the role of helping bring about the Triumph of Mary's Immaculate Heart and ushering in the glorious Reign of the Sacred Heart which Jesus has promised. He prefaces these words with His Message two days earlier on the Feast of Saint Ephrem by asking us to suppress sin by calling on His benevolent Mercy. He is knocking and waiting for us to answer. For Messages #629 and #630, click on "I SOLEMNLY TELL YOU..."

Messages 629 and 630

Message Six-Hundred-twenty-nine, June 9, 1995

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

      Beloved Hidden Flower of My Mother's Immaculate Heart, in this octave of Pentecost, I call out to all the world, so oppressed by sin and every evil inclination.

      To you has been given free will. By your will you must choose Me, or not. You cannot say you love Me and live lives of evil, through the failings of your human weakness, the world and the devil.

      Now, O world so sorrowful, I desire to pour out torrents, veritable floods of Mercy upon you that your heart may be converted and live. Thus, I extend for yet a time My Infinite Divine Mercy, as I revealed the depths of My Divine Mercy to my saintly Blessed Faustina.

      I desire all men everywhere to come to the Font of Divine Mercy, so as to know in a profound way how infinite is My Mercy. Let all men come, for all men sin. Come, and be not afraid no matter the extent of your wrong doing, for if you seek My Mercy sincerely I shall give it to you in measures that you cannot comprehend.

      Behold, I solemnly tell you: The day of great sorrowing dawns upon earth. Tempests of every kind, travail, anger, chaos and confusion reign supreme because you have denied Me.

      Therefore, let all the earth tremble before the Perfect Justice of the Father's right Hand. Let all the earth put on sackcloth and ashes by becoming humble, obedient, contrite children, and rejoice for unto you I now pour out My Mercy, and it shall not be lost.

      Thus, I, your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, say to the world: The seed given first to My servant Blessed Faustina to found a religious community of cloistered/contemplative nuns has now been planted. Nourish this seed, which is of Me and for Me. Repeat often My Chaplet of Divine Mercy and say often, "My Jesus, I Trust in You!" Then shall I pour out oceans of Mercy through the pleasing intercession of my hidden daughters who seek now to found this holy community. Know I and My Holy Mother are with you and to all who believe and pray, fast and assist this new community, My Divine Mercy shall clothe them and guide them, and My Mercy shall be their garment at the moment of death.

      Dwell in the depths of prayer upon My words - so that enlightened by the Holy Spirit all men may come to drink freely of the Font of Divine Mercy. This is My Promise, My Covenant made to you, and it shall come according to the measure of your good will before the fullness of the Father's Justice.

      Abide in My Divine Mercy, O My children, the time is now, for I Come!

Message Six-Hundred-thirty, June 11, 1995

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

      Beloved Hidden Flower of My Mother's Immaculate Heart, I am with you and I bless you and all your family.

      O! How the heavens rejoice this day when My One True Church celebrates the Most Blessed Trinity.

      My little ones, no human mind, however enlightened, can fully conceive of this most sublime Mystery. All the angels give constant praise and adoration, all reverence and honor to the Most Blessed Trinity. All the hosts of Heaven remain in awe before the Divinity of the Blessed Trinity, One God in Three Divine Persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

      Give your entire being, heart, soul, intellect and will to the Triune Divinity every day. Profess your faith and frequently make the Sign of the Cross which is an act of faith in the Most Blessed Trinity.

      I solemnly tell you, My children, to pray very much; pray from your hearts for the evil one seeks to take from you the very profession of your faith. O! Beware the snares of the evil one who would strip you of the magnificence of the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed and the beautiful hymns and prayers of praise in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. When you pray these holy prayers all the hosts of Heaven join in and like incense it rises before the Throne of God.

      If you are not watchful, if you are not firmly rooted in your faith there will be no prayer rising before the Triune Divinity, and the mighty Just Hand of God shall strike when you least expect it.

      Beloved little children, My words to you through My hidden one; the words given to all the world through her by My Most Holy and Immaculate Mother shall end soon.

      I tell you this so as to prepare you and to set your feet firmly in Trust in Me. All that can be spoken to you has been given as I have willed through My hidden flower, who has entered the way of pure, redemptive suffering.

      Pray much, My children, and do not be afraid, for I Am always with you. Come to Me in the Sacraments. Come to Me frequently at Holy Mass and trust in Me, your Lord, God and Savior. Be always humble, obedient little children and adore Me in the Most Blessed Sacrament! Cling to My Cross and love Me with all your heart. Be consecrated to Me and to My Mother, praying earnestly for the Triumph of her Immaculate Heart, that you may realize the Reign of the Sacred Heart.

      Be at peace in all things. Be obedient to My beloved Vicar Pope John Paul II.

      Little children, beware any who, in My Name, give you a detailed account of all that is yet to come, giving dates and times. Do not seek this knowledge, My children, for I do not speak to you in such a way. Scripture tells you clearly of the Signs of the Times. The Holy Spirit awakens you to recognize these signs and guides you to fulfill God's Will for you in your life.

      Know that I desire in these final messages through My hidden flower to speak to you of Hope and of Divine Mercy. O! How I long for all the world to seek My Mercy, to drink from the Font of Divine Mercy.

      Pray for Mercy. Be Mercy. Do all that the Holy Spirit prompts you to do to spread My Divine Mercy in these end times.

      Now, My children, is the time to lift up your heads! It is time to pray and watch with faith, hope and love for the Hour of your Visitation has come, made manifest by My Divine Mercy poured out upon all the world in these end times.

      On this day, join with all the communion of saints and proclaim the glory of the Blessed Trinity and let no evil snare of the enemy deprive you of Me, Who Am God, the Eternal Word, Only Begotten Son of God, Savior of the world!

      Come to Me! Come to Me! For I solemnly tell you: I Come!

HEADLINES:

All Roads Lead to Rome for faiths of the world this October

     In preparation for Jubilee Year 2000, the Vatican has announced an ambitious large-scale one week conference will be held in October in Rome with a special pilgrimage to Assisi - center of the Apostle of Peace Saint Francis of Assisi. Over 200 leaders from various religions of the world are being invited to convene in Italy to dialog on the culture of life, human dignity, world peace, and various issues that involve all faiths. The event is being organized by Cardinal Francis Arinze, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and his staff. For more, click on World Peace Conference

      VATICAN CITY, AUG 10 (ZENIT).- The Holy See is preparing a meeting of the principal religions of the world, which will be held in the Vatican and Assisi from October 23-28. In addition to being a step forward in dialogue among religious confessions, it will also be a stage in the preparations for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000.

      There will be 200 participants representing Christianity, as well as leaders of various animist and Asian religions. The sessions will take place in the Vatican and will be followed by a pilgrimage to Assisi. On the last day, a concluding statement will be read in John Paul II's presence. The event will close with festivities for the participants in St. Peter's Square.

Dialogue and Identity

    Speaking to Vatican Radio, Bishop Michael Fitzgerald, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue, the Vatican entity that is organizing the event, said that some Catholics wonder how it is possible to dialogue with other religions without losing their Christian identity. Dialogue "is a relatively new phenomenon in the Church -- a development of awareness the Church experienced during Vatican Council II -- just 30 years ago. But it is also an understanding of Christ's role, which is fundamental, and for the whole of humanity. He is not just for Christians. John Paul II has referred to this Council teaching: when the Son of God became man, he entered into relationship with every member of humanity, of all times and throughout the world. Therefore, in a certain sense, there is not a single human person who is outside of Christ. With such faith in Christ, who is Lord and Savior of all, we want to meet with people who do not believe in Christ, but who, in a mysterious way, are already joined to him," Bishop Fitzgerald said.

A Common Adventure

    The Bishop continued, "In fact, we can also see the action of the Spirit of God in the heart of people. We meet people who are good, honest, cooperative and we also see very good elements in the religious traditions -- we can attribute all this to God. We are not coming to the dialogue thinking that we have it all and the others have nothing. Together we shall discover our riches reciprocally. In a certain sense, it is an adventure we are entering together."

Movements' Contributions

    Teresa Goncalves, an official of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue, spoke about the contribution being made to the religious dialogue by the movements and new ecclesial communities, born both before and after Vatican Council II. "They have taken on the commitment to ecumenism and dialogue with the Council's religions."

    Specifically, the Vatican representative mentioned the work, "Men and religions," of the St. Egidio Community that has been carried out since the meeting of religious leaders, called by John Paul II In 1986 in Assisi. Also, the work of the Focolares, "who through the spirituality of dialogue have cemented profound fraternity with persons of other religions," Goncalves explained.

    Goncalves believes "that the lay movements also make a specific contribution because of their integration in society -- in the realms of economics, politics, etc., precisely because of their lay character."

    Bishop Fitzgerald said that Catholic men and women religious will also take part in the meeting, as well as leaders of the movements and new communities. "All the Catholic Church's categories will participate," he explained. "We want to build on the foundations of dialogue, which is already taking place in many areas."

Artistic Dimension

    In addition, the meeting will have an artistic dimension, "for which today's world has special sensitivity," Teresa Goncalves added. "Because of this, we have thought of organizing a concert in the Paul VI Audience Hall, and have entrusted it to 'Gen Rosso,' an international Christian group -- although there will also be groups from other religions, specifically Japan, India, two Moroccan Moslem singers and the Jewish Choir of Rome. In this way, we hope to entrust the message of dialogue among the religions to the power of artistic communication." ZE990810004

Serbian Orthodox Church could be final nail in Milosevic's coffin

     The groundswell by the Serbian people to demand the ouster of Serb strongman Slobadan Milosevic has picked up momentum with the endorsement of the Serbian Orthodox Church who have called for his resignation for the good of the country and the hope and trust of the people. A coalition is being formed to create a transition government after his resignation. It would seem, with the influential Orthodox Church calling for his removal, his days are numbered. For more, click on Sayonara Milosevic.

      BELGRADE, AUG 10 (ZENIT).- Yesterday the Serbian Orthodox Church was successful in bringing together the two principal opposition leaders for the first time since 1997. For the past month and a half, the two leaders have been appealing independently for Yugoslavian president Slobodan Milosevic's resignation. Vuk Draskovic, leader of the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO), met Zoran Djindjic at the headquarters of the Belgrade Orthodox Patriarchy. Djindjic is the leader of the Alliance for Change coalition. There is personal animosity between Djindjic and Draskovic that was exacerbated in 1997 when the coalition in which they were both involved disintegrated because of a power struggle in Serbian municipalities.

    The meeting at the Patriarchy was attended by the SPO, the Alliance for Change, other opposition parties, Patriarch Pavle and some Serbian economists of the G-17 independent group, which last week proposed a Stability Pact for Serbia that provides for the formation of a transition government of experts.

    During the meeting, all the parties agreed to support the formation of a transition government and confirmed their attendance at a mass meeting, to be held on August 19 in Belgrade, to oppose Milosevic and call for reforms. ZE99081011

Oldest Wooden Rosary provides links to St. Francis Xavier

      Archeologists in Japan made a startling discovery when they opened a wooden coffin at the Takatsuki Castle in Onaka: an old wooden rosary which is believed to date back to the time of Saint Francis Xavier, the Jesuit missionary who brought the faith to the Orient. Many historians had believed all religious symbols and sacramentals had been destroyed during the anti-Christian era in the late 16th century but the rosary was preserved. For more, click on links to history.

    OSAKA (CWNews.com) - Japanese archeologists announced on Wednesday that they had found the oldest rosary beads ever discovered in the country in a wooden coffin unearthed last year.

    The rosary found at Takatsuki Castle in Osaka predates the anti-Christian edicts issued by warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) in 1587. The castle was the seat of Takayama Ukon (around 1552-1615), a Christian daimyo, or lord, in the late 16th century. The archeologists said the beads will be of assistance in studying the history of Christian missionary work in Japan, which began with the arrival of St. Francis Xavier in 1549.

    All other rosaries previously uncovered were believed to date from the era of "Kakure Kirishitan" -- Christians who practiced the outlawed faith in secret -- during the Edo period (1603-1868), the researchers said.

    Ukon was Japan's best-known Christian daimyo. Noted for his deeply held Christian faith, Ukon was baptized at age 12. Known by his Christian name Dom Justo, he propagated his faith among local residents after becoming lord of Takatsuki, opening his doors to missionaries and building 20 churches in his domain. Ukon was banished in 1614 with 147 other Christian nobles from Japan, dying the following year in Manila, the Philippines.

Three of Michelangelo's famous Pietas to be on display under one roof for beginning of Jubilee 2000

      Few realize that the master Michelangelo sculpted more than one Pieta and that will be emphasized during the Jubilee Year 2000 in Rome when the most famous one - the one in St. Peter's will be reunited with his other two, one which resided in Milan and the other, a lesser known one in Florence. There was a fourth but it was unfinished and so will not be included in the trilogy of Pietas that will be on display at the Quirinal Palace from January 2 thorugh February 18, 2000. For more, click on Jubilee Pietas .

      ROME (CWNews.com) - The Italian government will gather Michelangelo's three complete "Pieta" sculptures for the Jubilee Year 2000, including the most famous version in St. Peter's Basilica, according to report in Il Messaggero newspaper.

    The Vatican's Pieta, depicting the Virgin holding the body of Christ after his crucifixion, was sculpted by Michelangelo for the Jubilee Year 1500 and is now the most famous of his three works. Another Pieta is kept at the Castello Sforzesco Museum in Milan. The third, known as the "Pieta' di Palestrina" -- taking its name from the town near Rome from which it came -- is kept at the "Galleria dell'Accademia" in Florence. A fourth, unfinished Pieta also exists in Florence.

    The exhibition of the three "Pietas", to take place at the Quirinal Palace -- a once residence to the popes and now to Italian presidents -- would start soon after the opening of the Holy Door, possibly on January 2, and continue until the Jubilee of Artists, February 18.

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 Daily Dispatches, Dossiers and Features 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.

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August 12, 1999 volume 10, no. 151   DAILY CATHOLIC