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SIMPLY SHEEN: Overloaded with useless data!

      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".

"There is a world of difference between a mind that has in it ten thousand bits of uncorrelated information, and a mind that is like an organism in which one fact or truth is functionally related to every other truth, as the heart is related to the legs and arms."

      His Holiness Blessed Pope Gregory X might never have become the Sovereign Pontiff had not another fellow monk and saint - Saint Philip Benizi who was the conclave's favorite to succeed Pope Clement IV. But, feeling totally unworthy St. Philip hid so they could not summon him. They instead elected the monk known simply as Hildebrand who would become a great Pope, thanks in part to St. Philip Benizi's role. For other pertinent events throughout the centuries that are memorable in Church history today, click on MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES

Historical Events in Church Annals for August 23:

1285 A.D.


Death of Saint Philip Benizi, Confessor, Servite Prior and Superior General who was actually considered a candidate for the papacy after the death of Pope Clement IV but felt so unworthy he hid until Cardinal Hildebrand was elected and became Pope Blessed Gregory X. A great orator, Philip resigned his post as provincial in later years and spent the last years of his life in prayer and solitude.

      Today is the Twenty-first Monday in Ordinary Time and the Feast of Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin while tomorrow is the Feast of the Apostle Saint Bartholomew. For the readings, liturgies, meditations, and vignettes on these saints, click on DAILY LITURGY.

Monday, August 23, 1999

Monday August 23:
Twenty-first Monday in Ordinary Time
Feast of Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin

Green or white vestments

First Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1: 1-5, 8-10
Psalms: Psalm Psalm 149: 1-6, 9
Gospel Reading: Matthew 23: 13-22

      Regarded as the first canonized saint of the New World, Saint Rose of Lima was born of humble Spanish parents in 1586 and baptized Isabel Flores y de Oliva. However her parents were so taken by her beauty and innocent that they gave her the "nickname" Rose from early infancy. At the turn of the 17th Century she was confirmed by Saint Turibus, the archbishop of Lima. So influenced was she by St. Turibus and three other contemporary saints - Saint Martin de Porres, Saint John Macias (both Dominicans) and Saint Francis Solano, a Franciscan, that Rose rejected a grandiose and secure marriage proposal opting to enter the Dominicans and become a Tertiary nun, politely telling her suitor who fawned over her beauty, "Only beauty of the soul is important." Marriage to this rich nobleman would have secured her and her family for life in worldly wealth, but she disdained it all for eternal wealth. Jesus had asked her to be a life-long virgin through private revelation and visions in which He requested, "Rose of My Heart, be My spouse." She dedicated her life to penance, visiting the poor with food and faith and offering her life as a victim soul while founding the first monastery of cloistered nuns in Peru, dedicated to Saint Catherine of Siena. Because of her total dedication to God's Will she became a serious threat to satan and was put through fierce trials by the evil one but in every instance came out smelling like God's Rose. In the mid 17th Century a fleet of Dutch ships sailed into the Peruvian harbor and all of Lima was terrified except Rose who ran to the altar before the Tabernacle in petition for her townspeople and willing to die to protect the Blessed Sacrament. Through her prayers, the Dutch mysteriously left and Rose's wish to die a martyr was denied so that God could take her home peacefully on August 24, 1617. Upon her death all of Lima immediately venerated her as a saint. It wasn't until 55 years later that she was canonized by Pope Clement X in 1671 and also declared "patroness of the Americas."

Wednesday August 24:
Feast of SAINT BARTHOLOMEW, Apostle

Red vestments

First Reading: Revelations/Apocalypse 21: 9-14
Psalms: Psalm 145: 10-13, 17-18
Gospel Reading: John 1: 45-51

      One of the Apostles chosen by Jesus, was Nathanael, better known as Saint Bartholomew. His closest friend was Saint Philip, a disciple of Saint John the Baptist whose martyrdom we commemorate later this month. Bartholomew came from Cana in Galilee. Bartholomew was renowned for his honesty and simple, strong faith. He is a great inspiration for Catholics today to hold strong to the true faith and renew our loyalty to the Holy Father and Holy Mother Church. St. Bartholomew knew implicitly that Jesus was the Messiah from his reply in John 1: 49, yet originally he is the one the famous quote in John 1: 46 is attributed to: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Jesus knew Bartholomew's heart when in John 1: 47 Christ said of Bartholomew's heart and soul, "Behold a true Israelite in whom there is no guile." This is a great tribute to this Apostle who was loyal to his Master throughout his apostolate which included India, Mesopotamia, Phrygia, and Arabia after Pentecost. He was marytred in Armenia by pagan Persians who literally skinned him alive peeling the skin from his body. His relics were brought to Rome in the 10th Century and established this day for his feast for the universal Church. His skull was also recovered and venerated in Frankfurt, Germany since 1238. This Apostle is revered as Patron of the Sick.

This retro summer we present each Monday the best of Pat Ludwa's VIEW FROM THE PEW

      This summer on Monday's we will present the opportunity to review any of Pat Ludwa's thirty-eight columns for this year. Original ones will run in Thursday's issues, but in Monday's issues we bring you these archives. For Pat's past columns, click on VIEW FROM THE PEW ARCHIVES

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Finally the long-awaited books "I SOLEMNLY TELL YOU..." and THE HIDDEN WAY are NOW available!

     With the messages completed, you can now order the book that contains ALL the messages. This 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 is a lasting gift that will inspire you in your faith, and all God asks of us. You can acquire your own handsome, coffee-table top copy of "I SOLEMNLY TELL YOU..." containing all 632 messages or the THE HIDDEN WAY containing 100 inspirational Meditative Lessons from Our Lord and Our Lady on Church Doctrine by clicking on "I SOLEMNLY TELL YOU..." or THE HIDDEN WAY or both books at BOOKS

Pope emphasizes importance of being a servant, calls on the world to respond to needs of people in Turkey and Angola during his Sunday Audience

     Using Sunday's Gospel of Saint Matthew whereupon Jesus establishes His Holy Church by choosing Saint Peter, the Holy Father, successor of Peter, reminded all that he is the "servant of servants" and that the heart of Christianity is "to serve." He made his remarks during his Sunday Audience at Castelgondolfo, imploring the faithful to exemplify this servitude and be servants especially in coming to the aid of the beleaguered people of Turkey in the aftermath of the terrible quakes and Angola where fratricide has blotted out human dignity and lives. For more, click on Pope's Sunday Audience.

      CASTELGANDOLFO, AUG 22 (ZENIT).- "The Pope's role is to serve the Church and humanity," John Paul II said to the pilgrims who congregated at noon today in the courtyard of Castelgandolfo, the papal summer residence. His words echoed those of Christ's in today's liturgy: "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I shall build My Church."

    After reminding the faithful that Jesus spoke these words at Peter's confession: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," which are "the heart of Christianity itself," the Holy Father said that the role of service explains the definition that from earliest times has described the Bishop of Rome: "Servant of the servants of God."

    In light of this idea of the Church's "power," the Holy Father spoke about today's feast -- the Queenship of Mary. "We must not forget that it is the Christian meaning of royalty, which is profoundly different from earthly ideas of power. It is a royalty of service and love, which passes through the cross, before shining in the Resurrection," the Pontiff concluded.

    John Paul II also took advantage of his meeting at noon today with thousands of faithful in the courtyard of Castelgandolfo, the papal summer residence, to appeal for help in support of Turkey, devastated by one of the cruelest earthquakes this century.

    "I cannot but think of the dear people of Turkey, who were recently affected by a violent earthquake. The news arriving describes a situation that has reached catastrophic proportions. Official sources speak of thousands of deaths, which sadly increase, according to persons involved in the rescue. The wounded and homeless are innumerable, as are the destroyed buildings; many inhabited places have been leveled," the Pope said, before praying the "Angelus."

    The Pontiff expressed "his constant concern and profound affection for these brothers and sisters suffering such a hard test. I express my deepest sympathy for the deceased and pray that the merciful God will welcome them in his eternal dwelling. I also pray that the Lord will alleviate the suffering of those who have experienced great losses, and are homeless. May the work of assistance, undertaken and coordinated by the authorities, the practical solidarity of the volunteers, who have arrived in Turkey from many other countries, be of consolation and help to the many people who are living an hour of great suffering in this beloved nation."

Angola's Cry

    At the end of his encounter with the pilgrims, the Pope also expressed his concern over the current situation in Angola, "where, because of a fratricidal conflict, which is carried out in silence and disregard for human dignity, one of the gravest humanitarian crises of the African continent," is taking place.

    Referring to the confrontations between the Angolan government and the Unita rebels (National Union for Angola's Total Independence), John Paul II denounced "the egotism of some, allied with the interests of others" that "is carrying this nation to a slow and inexorable agony, threatening the future of the entire region."

    The Pope recalled the words of the Congolese Bishops over the last few weeks, when voicing the suffering of their people. They requested that people "not remain indifferent in face of the country's destruction and the holocaust of their brothers" and appealed to the international community to stop sending arms and send food in exchange for diamonds and oil." (Cf. ZE99081001).

    The Pope prayed that "the courage for peace would be manifest in each person of good will, and ... solidarity in the international community, that will favor the rebirth of hope and insure the peace and justice the people have long desired." ZE99082204 and ZE99082203

The silence is deafening in Colombia as kidnappers of Bishop have not come forward, Church gravely concerned with that and other kidnappings

      The situation in Colombia has grown increasingly worse in recent weeks as the stalemate continues between Colombian government officials, the Church and the ELN kidnappers who claim they didn't kidnap Bishop Jose Quintero of Timu over a week ago. That deed, they say, was carried out by the ELP, another leftist guerrilla group. The frustrating part is that the government is doing little to even acknowledge he is being held hostage. The Church is fed up with the stalemate and promises of release that have yet to materialize and has demanded all hostages be freed for the sake of humanity. For more, click on Confusion in Colombia .

    BOGOTA, AUG 22 (ZENIT).- The Church in Colombia expressed publicly its mounting concern over the silence of the kidnappers of Bishop Jose Quintero of Tibú (on the northeastern border with Venezuela), abducted on August 15 by a group of armed men.

    The National Liberation Army (ELN) guerillas have denied participation in the Bishop's kidnapping, which strengthens the theory that the kidnappers were members of paramilitary rightist organizations.

    Given the uncertainty, Bishop Juan Sarasti of Ibagué, capital of the central eastern state of Tolima, appealed to the kidnappers to declare themselves and free the Bishop unconditionally.

    According to the police, Bishop Quintero was captured by the Jose Libardo Toro front, a small leftist guerrilla of the maoist Popular Liberation Army (EPL), but this version has not been confirmed by the EPL.

    The Bishop was kidnapped when he was returning by car with a priest from El Terra, a locality near Tibú, where he went to celebrate the feast of the Assumption.

Kidnapping in Cali Church

    Bishop Isaias Duarte of Cali said that, in order to repair the "error" acknowledged by the ELN, following the kidnapping of 160 faithful from a Church in this city, the guerrilla must free the 45 remaining hostages.

    In an official statement, the ELN said that the kidnapping carried out on May 30 was a mistake. "We want to say to all believers, and especially Catholics, that we made an operational error by acting before the religious service in the Church was finished." The statement was signed by the two fronts responsible for the massive kidnapping, and was sent to the Cali press.

    "It was not our intention to offend people's religiosity and spirituality. The specific purpose of the action was to retain a group of people belonging to the Cali oligarchy," the insurgents said in their statement.

    However, the kidnappers justified their action by arguing that "the people who are detained are not marginal to the social and armed conflict the country is experiencing; on the contrary, they are principal actors in it."

    Bishop Duarte reiterated that "to repair that error, the 45 who remain in (the rebels') custody must be freed."

    "Reading between the lines, one can detect acknowledgement of the error committed and I think this is positive. However, recognition of the error is not enough, one must repair the damage caused, and in this case it is a sacrilegious kidnapping they must repair by freeing the people."

    Although the ELN has freed the majority of the hostages, there are 45 still being held in a nearby mountainous area. Last month, after failing to meet the deadline for returning the hostages, Bishop Duarte officially announced the excommunication of the guerrillas for their action. ZE99082201

Pope's treatise on Heaven, Purgatory, hell and satan sparks dialogue in the media

      You can't buy the kind of publicity Pope John Paul II is creating with the catechetical talks he has been giving for the last month during his Wednesday Papal Audiences. These catecheses on Heaven, Purgatory, hell and satan have generated numerous discussions among the media and that is one of the intentions of the Holy Father in waking the world to the needs of the new millennium. These talks are also a preview of his upcoming encyclical he will release later this year on the end times. For more, click on Publicity for God.

    VATICAN CITY, AUG 20 (ZENIT).- John Paul II's catechesis on evil and the Devil sparked great interest in the media, as did his previous talks on Heaven, Purgatory and hell. With the talks, the Pontiff is preparing Christians to celebrate the Jubilee Year 2000. These thought-provoking Christian teachings have been received as "revelations" by some of the media.

    In speaking about satan on August 18, the Pontiff explained that, although he was absolutely vanquished by Christ, his seducing presence continues to be felt in our days. In statements to Vatican Radio, theologian Fr. Stefano De Fiores went more deeply into this topic, which not a few consider something of the past.

    "Today, Christians cannot go around with their eyes closed, seeing only good in the world: they must also discover the roots of evil and the way these proliferate," he said.

    "At present, theologians are speaking about 'diabolic circles,' in other words, concentrations of evil in the world, which cannot leave Christians and men of good will with a easy conscience," Fr. De Fiores said.

    According to theologian De Fiores, these "diabolic circles" consist "first and foremost, in abandoning God, and in violence, discord, divisions, the use of means of power ... power, having, (and) knowing -- are raised almost to the level of idols. Faced with these modern 'gulags,' Auschwitz, the ethnic cleansing of our time, we cannot fail to see this diabolic power which has a name -- Satan's."

    This is what explains many dramatic incidents of evil in the world. "Satan camouflages himself, trying to make good seem evil and vice versa," De Fiores added.

    Because of these phenomena, attested by contemporary theology, one can understand the Pope's teachings on the eve of the year 2000. "The Church must live a new Pentecost, a new deluge of the fire of love, that is, the Spirit must be manifest and, with Mary's help, a quality leap must be made in the Church, which means that Christians must be saints, and help the Church by a greater awareness of the duty of evangelization, in order that the whole world will be led to Christ." ZE99082001

Vatican ignores US intimidation tactics, announces the Jubilee Journey will begin in Iraq later this year

      Despite vehement persuasion and cajoling by the Clinton administration, the Holy See is undeterred in proceeding with plans to begin the Jubilee Journey this fall in Iraq at Ur in Chaldea where the father Abraham was born. The Jubilee Journey will start with Old Testament sites and move on to New Testament places in the Holy Land where the Pope is planning to travel next year during Jubilee 2000. The United States, at war with Iraq and Saddam Hussein for a decade, have expressed concerns that the Papal Visit will strengthen Hussein's position with the people who have been impoverished largely due to the American-enforced embargo since the Gulf War. For more, click on Jubilee Journey

    NEW YORK (CWNews.com) - The Clinton administration's efforts to convince Pope John Paul II not to visit Iraq failed after a series of diplomatic meetings this spring, according to the Wall Street Journal on Friday.

    The newspaper reported that envoy Thomas Pickering and a senior White House aide made separate trips to Rome this spring to meet with Vatican officials. The Holy Father has publicly stated his desire to visit Iraq, the birthplace of the biblical patriarch Abraham. He is expected to visit the country this fall, perhaps during a planned trip to Asia, but Iraq has yet to formally extend an invitation to the Holy Father.

    The US officials told their Vatican counterparts that no head of state has visited Iraq since the Gulf War, and a visit by the Pope could lend credibility to Saddam Hussein. They also warned of a security risk. The Holy Father has been a vocal critic of the UN sanctions against Iraq because of their effect on the people of the country.

For more headlines and articles, we suggest Catholic World News site at the CWN home page and Church News at Noticias Eclesiales and 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.

   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

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August 23, 1999 volume 10, no. 158   DAILY CATHOLIC